here's one of my offerings for day 11
a photo of myself, taken recently
(you may have seen this one already)
Chicago
my kinda town
city life
man's making
God's coast
God's people
with and without homes
or names
or numbers on plastic cards
people I talk to
smile with
one man sings to me
makes me laugh
outside the art house
under the lions
on route 66
just up the street
the famous street
named after my favorite
Michigan
my home
he has none
up the street
down the avenue
under the L tracks
above the clouds
inside the window
around the corner
bakery
hidden gems
city sanctuary
shiny sparks
dull dust on the thrift store shelves
black and white framed precisely
sun stoked brick
bursting freckles
swift steps stalking the shot
one posed, one not
Linclon Park
Paulina
saturday swoon
walked way past noon
my home here
and there
and wherever I roam
city or country
I am the mouse
muse
meant for
music and beauty and sweet smells and sounds
visions of grace and greed and grime
arousing suspicions
reflecting red white and blue
for you
with or without a job
flying high and expecting higher
on the seventh day
scraping the clear sky
waving at the little people
below
with or without homes
the silence of history surrounds
Sunday
alas, the artists speak
in the bulls eye of business
Chagall, Calder, Picasso
mosaic of millions
great orange bird bending
face the music
on public property
my kinda town
city life
man's making
God's coast
God's people
with and without homes
or names
or numbers on plastic cards
people I talk to
smile with
one man sings to me
makes me laugh
outside the art house
under the lions
on route 66
just up the street
the famous street
named after my favorite
Michigan
my home
he has none
up the street
down the avenue
under the L tracks
above the clouds
inside the window
around the corner
bakery
hidden gems
city sanctuary
shiny sparks
dull dust on the thrift store shelves
black and white framed precisely
sun stoked brick
bursting freckles
swift steps stalking the shot
one posed, one not
Linclon Park
Paulina
saturday swoon
walked way past noon
my home here
and there
and wherever I roam
city or country
I am the mouse
muse
meant for
music and beauty and sweet smells and sounds
visions of grace and greed and grime
arousing suspicions
reflecting red white and blue
for you
with or without a job
flying high and expecting higher
on the seventh day
scraping the clear sky
waving at the little people
below
with or without homes
the silence of history surrounds
Sunday
alas, the artists speak
in the bulls eye of business
Chagall, Calder, Picasso
mosaic of millions
great orange bird bending
face the music
on public property
see the sights
touch the steel
touch the steel
assess each angle
wonder what he was thinking
feeling and saying
about the people passing
staring
loving and learning
ignoring and inspiring
taking for granted
and granting permission
providing purpose
of puzzle pieces fitting
where they weren't allowed before
of childrens' eyes affected
by their internal light
never lost
always found and flourishing
art
raindrops and river
rushing to meet the train station
last minute focus
last looks
someone else's photography
inside someone's former library
on the famously named street
where I met the man
with no home
full circle
three days
one person
hundreds of views
thousands of thoughts
memories amassed
purpose
point
direction
intention
meaning
of life
in
God's city
wonder what he was thinking
feeling and saying
about the people passing
staring
loving and learning
ignoring and inspiring
taking for granted
and granting permission
providing purpose
of puzzle pieces fitting
where they weren't allowed before
of childrens' eyes affected
by their internal light
never lost
always found and flourishing
art
raindrops and river
rushing to meet the train station
last minute focus
last looks
someone else's photography
inside someone's former library
on the famously named street
where I met the man
with no home
full circle
three days
one person
hundreds of views
thousands of thoughts
memories amassed
purpose
point
direction
intention
meaning
of life
in
God's city
5 comments:
So pretty, friend!
I wish I had a gift for poetry, but can ever seem to get out what I want to say...
And you're making me feel guilty for not posting every day, ha ha! :)
Have a happy day! :)
i love that picture, and the writing is exquisite. ^_^
Popped in this morning for a visit and enjoyed your tribute to your beautiful city. That's a great photo! Used your Haiti links too just to catch up with what's going on there. I wonder if there's something more we can do as bloggers to keep the relief effort going... Have a blessed day!
MS: thank you. April is poetry month so why don't you give it a try? I just read another blogger's poem entitled "the last three letters of poetry are try"...cool, huh?
V: exquisite? gee, thanks. so are you.
EO: good to see you here. Glad you enjoyed my Chicago musings. I live there in mind and spirit only. I live in MI now. And Haiti...remains to be seen. Plenty of need in our world accumulating quickly. Writers keep writing, photogs keep shooting, celebrities keep donating, people keep praying.
PEACE on EARTH!
~L
Brought back memories of growing up in Chicago -- on Paulina Street! Thanks for the memories...
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