photography – Page 10 – One Woman's Quest

Aged

Even in the waning times –
memories of youth fading –
there are traces of a personality,
hints of the contours
of a life well-sculpted,
having weathered all that
the years dared challenge.

Needing a Sign

Restlessness accompanies me
on the sojourn today –
unfazed by ripe red
belly of robin,
or shimmering emerald
of breeding merganser’s crown.

My lens seeks out decay –
rotting wood, darkened cavities –
as if my soul craves reassurance
that life persists even where death
hovers – I need a sign.

Discontent, I move on –
drive the river road,
snail pace – praying for
something to shake
this malaise –
birds come and go,
trees radiate Spring green,
I pause, unmoved.

And then I spot it –
across the river, high up –
a massive hulk –
lens raises, adjusts, snaps –
the regal hunter turns towards me,
regards me with ferocious intensity,
does not falter on his perch –

All-seeing, fearless,
he is spirit-manifested,
a messenger, lifting me
from stagnation –
momentary redemption.

(Linking up with my weekly challenge: in-between.)

Interaction

Curiosity, it seems,
flows both ways –
as I adjust focus
so too, do you –
can’t help but wonder
if the takeaway joy
also flows both ways.

(In response to Paul Vincent Cannon’s poem: Her Gift Remains.
V.J.’s weekly challenge is response. Image is from personal collection.)

Thaw

Frozen surfaces
linger, defy offered warmth –
heart afraid to thaw.

(For Reena’s Exploration challenge #84)

Rocks

The Canadian Shield,
where rugged pines stretch,
reach for endless skies,
taking root in rocky shores.

We set boulders
in our gardens – anchors
against untimely storms,
or reminders of endurance
when all else falls away.

Even the satisfying crunch
of stones along the path
fascinate – variance of colours
and forms, like art – promising
undiscovered treasures.

(Rocks first appeared on One Woman’s Quest II, and was in response to a photo challenge. I have edited it here.)

Sunrise

Morning light,
guiding radiance…

No clouds, nor entanglements
darken your purpose –

radiance equating with hope.

(Image from personal collection.)

As Water Flows

Water flows, and my mind wanders,
relinquishing thoughts and worries.

Water flows, and I surrender
to the blessing of life’s journey.

Water flows, and I acknowledge
the fluidity of emotions, change.

Water flows, and I experience
the continuum of life’s cycles.

(It is Springtime here in SW Ontario, and this is the first morning since we returned that I could get out and photograph one of my favourite places. I wrote the poem some time ago, and revised here to fit the image. That’s my shadow on the water’s surface.)

Keep Imagining

Elaborate, the tree forts
imagination envisions

Indifferent, the rationale
that overpowers inspiration

I balk, abandon hope,
build a wall instead,
forgetting…

Creativity is not linear,
tolerates input, planning,
some alternatives preferred.

(Featured image from personal collection. Doesn’t it just say: “Climb me!”? This image is a Live Oak, in Texas, and is available on various products at Society6.)

Late Afternoon Sun

Fragmented dazzle
alters scene – serene moment
rendered tenuous.

(Haiku written for RonovanWrites Weekly Haiku Challenge: serene/scene. Also inspired by the prompts of Ragtag Community: dazzle, and Fandango: tenuous. Image from personal collection.))

Breeding Season

Golden
this heart, this plea
no makeshift proposal
I am smitten, hard bitten, sold –
be bold!
Be bold!
say you are sold, also smitten
accept this proposal
this heart, forever
golden.

(A mirror cinquain for Dark Side of the Moon’s weekly challenge. I’ve also worked in the prompts of Fandango (makeshift) and Ragtag Community (bold). Image is from personal collection. A coloured version is available on KnutsonKr8tions at Redbubble.com.)