Month: February 2025

Poetry Is Not A Luxury

Cherry tree flowers
Cherry tree flowers

Poetry is not a luxury. It is a vital necessity of our existence. It forms the quality of the light within which we predicate our hopes and dreams toward survival and change, first made into language, then into idea, then into more tangible action. Poetry is the way we help give name to the nameless so it can be thought. The farthest horizons of our hopes and fears are cobbled by our poems, carved from the rock experiences of our daily lives.

Audre Lorde (1934 – 1992) was an American writer, professor, philosopher, intersectional feminist, poet and civil rights activist.


To read more quotes, click here.



Expectancy

  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow
  47. Acceptance
  48. At The Pool
  49. Incurable
  50. Bluebird and Cardinal
  51. [Say What You Will, And Scratch My Heart To Find]
  52. The River
  53. Vas Doloris
  54. Squirrel
  55. Ghosts
  56. The Spirit of Poetry
  57. Nightfall in the Tropics
  58. Journey of the Magi
  59. The City Lights
  60. January
  61. Winter Night
  62. My Heart Has Known Its Winter
  63. Things Said When He Was Gone
  64. Jabberwocky
  65. Expectancy
  66. Surrender
  67. At the Mid Hour of Night
  68. Fog
  69. The Things I Love
  70. Spring Scheduled for 8th April 2025
  71. The Earth-Child in the Grass Scheduled for 15th April 2025
Deep Blue Sea

I do not care for sleep, I’ll wait awhile     
For Love to come out of the darkness, wait    
For laughter, gifted with the frequent fate    
Of dusk-lit hope, to touch me with the smile     
Of moon and star and joy of that last mile     
Before I reach the sea. The ships are late    
And mayhap laden with the precious freight    
Dawn brings from Life’s eternal summer isle.

And should I find the sweeter fruits of dream—
The oranges of love and mating song—
I’ll laugh so true the morn will gayly seem 
Endless and ships full laden with a throng 
Of beauty, dreams and loves will come to me 
Out of the surge of yonder silver sea.

William Moore was an American poet and journalist.


To read more poems, click here.



Most People Have Ho idea How Beautiful The World Is

Cherry tree flowers

And so it is that most people have no idea how beautiful the world is and how much magnificence is revealed in the tiniest things, in some flower, in a stone, in tree bark, or in a birch leaf. The grown-ups, going about their business and worries, and tormenting themselves with all kinds of details, gradually lose the perspective for these riches that children, when they are attentive and good, soon notice and love with their whole heart. And yet the greatest beauty would be achieved if everyone remained in this regard always like attentive and good children, simple and pious in sensitivities, and if people did not lose the capacity for taking pleasure as intensely in a birch leaf or a peacock’s feather or the wing of a hooded crow as in a mighty mountain or a splendid palace. What is small is not small in itself, just as that which is great is not—great. A great and eternal beauty passes through the whole world, and it is distributed fairly over that which is small and that which is large; for in such important and essential matters, no injustice is to be found on earth.

Rainer Maria Rilke  (1875—1926) was was an Austrian poet and novelist.


To read more quotes, click here.



Jabberwocky

  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow
  47. Acceptance
  48. At The Pool
  49. Incurable
  50. Bluebird and Cardinal
  51. [Say What You Will, And Scratch My Heart To Find]
  52. The River
  53. Vas Doloris
  54. Squirrel
  55. Ghosts
  56. The Spirit of Poetry
  57. Nightfall in the Tropics
  58. Journey of the Magi
  59. The City Lights
  60. January
  61. Winter Night
  62. My Heart Has Known Its Winter
  63. Things Said When He Was Gone
  64. Jabberwocky
  65. Expectancy
  66. Surrender
  67. At the Mid Hour of Night
  68. Fog
  69. The Things I Love
  70. Spring Scheduled for 8th April 2025
  71. The Earth-Child in the Grass Scheduled for 15th April 2025

“Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
       The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
       The frumious Bandersnatch!”

He took his vorpal sword in hand;
       Long time the manxome foe he sought—
So rested he by the Tumtum tree
       And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
       The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
       And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
       The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
       He went galumphing back.

“And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
       Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!”
       He chortled in his joy.

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
       Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
       And the mome raths outgrabe.

Lewis Carroll (1832 – 1898) was an English author, poet, and mathematician.

Mark McGuinness reads and discusses the poem in his podcast A Mouthful of Air, a podcast of classic and contemporary poetry. Podcast transcription is available.


To read more poems, click here.



Happy Valentine!

Kangaroo Island Kangaroos
Kangaroo Island Kangaroos


Love comes in all shapes and sizes ❤️Happy Valentine’s Day!


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Things Said When He Was Gone

  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow
  47. Acceptance
  48. At The Pool
  49. Incurable
  50. Bluebird and Cardinal
  51. [Say What You Will, And Scratch My Heart To Find]
  52. The River
  53. Vas Doloris
  54. Squirrel
  55. Ghosts
  56. The Spirit of Poetry
  57. Nightfall in the Tropics
  58. Journey of the Magi
  59. The City Lights
  60. January
  61. Winter Night
  62. My Heart Has Known Its Winter
  63. Things Said When He Was Gone
  64. Jabberwocky
  65. Expectancy
  66. Surrender
  67. At the Mid Hour of Night
  68. Fog
  69. The Things I Love
  70. Spring Scheduled for 8th April 2025
  71. The Earth-Child in the Grass Scheduled for 15th April 2025
Tree silhouette at sunset
Sunset

My branch of thoughts is frail tonight
As one lone-wind-whipped weed.
Little I care if a rain drop laughs
Or cries; I cannot heed


Such trifles now as a twinkling star, 
Or catch a night-bird’s tune. 
My whole life is you, to-night,
And you, a cool distant moon. 


With a few soft words to nurture my heart
And brighter beams following love’s cool shower
Who knows but this frail wind-whipped weed
Might bear you a gorgeous flower!

Blanche Taylor Dickinson (1896 – 1972) was an American writer associated with the Harlem Renaissance arts movement.


To read more poems, click here.



Favorite Photos: January 2025

  1. Favorite Photos: January 2023
  2. Favorite Photos: February 2023
  3. Favorite Photos: March 2023
  4. Favorite Photos: April 2023
  5. Favorite Photos: May 2023
  6. Favorite Photos: June 2023
  7. Favorite Photos: July 2023
  8. Favorite Photos: August 2023
  9. Paris Is Always A Good Idea
  10. Favorite Photos: October 2023
  11. Favorite Photos: November 2023
  12. Favorite Photos: December 2023
  13. Favorite Photos: January 2024
  14. Favorite Photos: February 2024
  15. Favorite Photos: March 2024
  16. Favorite Photos: April 2024
  17. Favorite Photos: May 2024
  18. Favorite Photos: June 2024
  19. Favorite Photos: July 2024
  20. Favorite Photos: August 2024
  21. Favorite Photos: September 2024
  22. Favorite Photos: October 2024
  23. Favorite Photos: November 2024
  24. Favorite Photos: December 2024
  25. Favorite Photos: January 2025
  26. Favorite Photos: February 2025
  27. Favorite Photos: March 2025
New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae)
New Holland Honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

As expected, most of the photos I edited in January were from my trip to Kangaroo Island in November and December.

I photographed this New Holland Honeyeater in one of the most unexpected places: the parking lot of a gas station in Kingscote. As you may have seen in my stories, we had to go to Kingscote to fix a flat tire. The inconvenience of the tire business was quickly overshadowed by the joy of capturing many beautiful bird photos that morning.

A parking lot is one of the most unexpectedly good locations for photographing birds. Birds, accustomed to humans, allow for a closer interaction than in the wild. The same goes, in fact, for any public space, be it a park, a botanical garden, or even a gas station.

Australasian grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)
Australasian grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), Kangaroo Island, South Australia

I was up at five a.m. and driving to the lake well before sunrise, concealing myself in the bushes and waiting for the sun to rise. I was hoping to photograph cockatoos or kangaroos drinking, but I had no luck that day. However, that golden light makes everything look good, doesn’t it?

For a few minutes, the lake was transformed into a scene of pure magic, bathed in molten gold. Its water mirrored the orange earth and the rising sun, creating a breathtaking, almost otherworldly experience. 

And just like that, in a matter of minutes, the golden spectacle was gone, leaving only memories and the promise of another day.

Kangaroo Island Kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus)
Kangaroo Island Kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus fuliginosus), Kangaroo Island, South Australia

I love this photo of the two kangaroos at sunset. They were far away, and the light was fading fast. Realizing I wouldn’t have enough time to get closer, I made a conscious decision to go for a minimalistic look.

This has become one of my favorite photos from that day, and I’m happy I couldn’t get closer. I love the negative space and the silhouettes of the kangaroos, so small in the vastness of that field.

Llama portrait
Llama portrait, Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Take a right here, mate!

One of my friends on Kangaroo Island looks after many rescue animals, including six llamas. The llamas, retired from wool production, enjoy a good life on my friend’s property. They have strong personalities, and watching their shenanigans was such a joy!

This is one of the handsome boys I enjoyed photographing that day.

Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus)
Koala (Phascolarctos cinereus), Kangaroo Island, South Australia

I don’t think I’ve seen so many koalas in the wild on any previous trip to Australia. I just realized that when my Instagram stories featured at least one koala video a day; I feel truly blessed to have seen so many of the fluffy cuties. I hope this photo brought you as much joy as it did to me, and I hope to continue spreading happiness through my experiences ❤️. 

Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita)
Sulphur-crested cockatoo (Cacatua galerita), Kangaroo Island, South Australia

Here is another parking lot photo. I told you they are good spots for getting closer to wildlife! This is the same gas station in Kingscote as in the honeyeater photo.

Australasian grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae)
Australasian grebe (Tachybaptus novaehollandiae), Kangaroo Island, South Australia

An Australasian grebe calling for its young on a foggy morning on Kangaroo Island. It was 6:30 am, and the sun was not up yet. On my way to another location, I spotted this grebe family serenely floating on a small pond, shrouded in the waves of fog.

I stopped for a few minutes to take several photos, and this one became one of my absolute favorites from that trip.

European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis
European Goldfinch (Carduelis carduelis), Lidingö, Sweden

You know what they say about too many good things … as much as I loved editing photos from my Australia trip, it became too much after a while. I never thought I’d say that, but there you are!

I was looking for a winter photo when I came across this goldfinch image from a couple of years ago, and it was exactly what I needed. With no snow in sight and the days still dark, a wintery scene with a light edit was just the inspiration I was looking for.

Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
Red Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris), Lidingö, Sweden

And finally, here is a squirrel photo for your enjoyment!


Related Posts


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My Heart Has Known Its Winter

  1. Things to Do in the Belly of the Whale
  2. From Blossoms
  3. Wild Geese
  4. The Peace of Wild Things
  5. My Gift to You
  6. Departing Spring
  7. The Skylark
  8. What a Strange Thing!
  9. Although The Wind …
  10. The Old Pond
  11. Spring Is Like A Perhaps Hand
  12. Hast thou 2 loaves of bread …
  13. Youth and Age
  14. A Postcard From the Volcano
  15. The Kraken
  16. He wishes for the Cloths of Heaven
  17. There Is a Solitude of Space
  18. Because I Could Not Stop for Death
  19. Mad Song
  20. Answer July
  21. Success Is Counted Sweetest
  22. Hope Is the Thing with Feathers
  23. The Bluebird
  24. A Vision of the End
  25. The Crying of Water
  26. A Rose Has Thorns As Well As Honey
  27. Winter
  28. The Dark Cavalier
  29. There is no Life or Death
  30. Sheep in Winter
  31. To a Snowflake
  32. Sextain
  33. A Crocodile
  34. Sea Fever
  35. The Giant Cactus of Arizona
  36. The Coming of Night
  37. Going to the Picnic
  38. Moon Tonight
  39. A Southern Night
  40. Greenness
  41. Twilight
  42. On the Wing
  43. In Summer
  44. Before Parting
  45. Sonnet
  46. The Red Wheelbarrow
  47. Acceptance
  48. At The Pool
  49. Incurable
  50. Bluebird and Cardinal
  51. [Say What You Will, And Scratch My Heart To Find]
  52. The River
  53. Vas Doloris
  54. Squirrel
  55. Ghosts
  56. The Spirit of Poetry
  57. Nightfall in the Tropics
  58. Journey of the Magi
  59. The City Lights
  60. January
  61. Winter Night
  62. My Heart Has Known Its Winter
  63. Things Said When He Was Gone
  64. Jabberwocky
  65. Expectancy
  66. Surrender
  67. At the Mid Hour of Night
  68. Fog
  69. The Things I Love
  70. Spring Scheduled for 8th April 2025
  71. The Earth-Child in the Grass Scheduled for 15th April 2025
Reeds covered by frost

A little while spring will claim its own, 
In all the land around for mile on mile 
Tender grass will hide the rugged stone. 
My still heart will sing a little while. 


And men will never think this wilderness 
Was barren once when grass is over all, 
Hearing laughter they may never guess 
My heart has known its winter and carried gall.

Arna Bontemps (1902 – 1973) was an American poet and novelist, and a noted member of the Harlem Renaissance.


To read more poems, click here.