..Red flames..

..Red flames.., originally uploaded by *Gracie .
Photography by Gracie – © All rights reserved

MAPLES

Leaves of fiery scarlet
reflect a crisp sun

rustle in a healthy mass
of autumn laughter

house an anarchy of crows
that screech at winters approach

until bare branches
balance snow

on slender
outstretched arms

Judith Pordon – 1980

 

..love..

“Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken.
If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal.
Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements.
Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness.
But in that casket — safe, dark, motionless, airless — it will change.
It will not be broken;
it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable.
To love is to be vulnerable.”

C.S.Lewis

 

The Giving Tree……….

The giving tree………., originally uploaded by *Gracie.
Photography by Gracie – © All rights reserved

Storyline

The story is a short moral tale about a relationship between a young boy and a tree in a forest. The tree and the boy become best friends. The tree always provides the boy with what he wants: branches to swing from, shade to sit under, apples to snack on, branches to build a house. As the boy grows older and older he requires more and more of the tree. The tree loves the boy very much and gives him anything he asks for. In the ultimate act of self-sacrifice, the tree lets the boy cut her down so the boy can build a boat in which he can sail. The boy leaves the tree, now a stump. Many years later, the boy, now an old man, returns and the tree says, “I have nothing left to give you.” The boy replies that all he needs is a quiet place to sit and rest. The tree happily obliges.

Analysis

Ever since the book was published, it has generated controversy and opposing opinions for its interpreted messages, on whether the tree is selfless or merely self-sacrificing, and whether the boy is selfish or reasonable in his demands of the tree. The story clearly shows childhood as being a time of relative happiness in comparison to the sacrifice and responsibility of adulthood. The story only uses the word “need” at the end to describe the “boy’s”/old man’s need of a place to rest- all of his other desires are “wants.”

A review of The Giving Tree: A Symposium shows some academic readers describing the book as portraying a vicious, one-sided relationship between the tree and the boy: with the tree as the selfless giver and the boy as a greedy and never-satisfied being who constantly receives, yet never gives anything back to the tree; a selfish love that could be misrepresented and imitated by its children readers. Indeed, some of these speakers single the tree out as either an irresponsible parent whose self-sacrifice has left the boy ill-equipped to cope and make his way in the world (and therefore led to him ending up alone) or as hopelessly co-dependent. Other speakers, however, insisted that the book is a tale of unconditional love and generosity: the tree gives all it can to the boy because it loves him, and its feelings are reciprocated by the boy when he returns to the tree for a rest. In this way, the relationship between the tree and the boy as he grows up could be viewed as similar to that between a mother and her child; despite getting nothing in return for a long time, the tree puts the boy’s needs foremost, because it wants him to be happy. Indeed, the only time the tree ever seems to be sad is when it feels that it has nothing left to give the boy and that the boy might never return.

More

 

Turn Turn Turn – Roger McGuinn – The Byrds

Turn! Turn! Turn! (To Everything There Is a Season)

The Byrds

– words adapted from the Book of Ecclesiastes by Pete Seeger
– music by Pete Seeger

To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to be born, a time to die
A time to plant, a time to reap
A time to kill, a time to heal
A time to laugh, a time to weep

To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to build up, a time to break down
A time to dance, a time to mourn
A time to cast away stones
A time to gather stones together

To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time of war, a time of peace
A time of love, a time of hate
A time you may embrace
A time to refrain from embracing

To everything – turn, turn, turn
There is a season – turn, turn, turn
And a time for every purpose under heaven

A time to gain, a time to lose
A time to rend, a time to sew
A time to love, a time to hate
A time of peace, I swear it’s not too late!

Photography by Gracie – © All rights reserved

..

Photography by Gracie – © All rights reserved Roger McGuinn – October 27, 2008

 

Earth Mother

I’ve noticed any photograph uploaded from my computer lacks the clarity of those downloaded from my Flickr page. Wonder what causes the difference? Anybody else having that problem?

..still standing.., originally uploaded by *Gracie.

Photography by Gracie – © All rights reserved

by Alison Rotmark

Life pulses throughout Her land,
Covered by rich harvest and fertile beauty –
Time as deep as ocean and as infinite as sand rippling harmony and
complexity; Her duty
Her life and wisdom rides the breeze,
As Her mercy and strength evaporates.
Man’s creation reigns; devastation, disease
From invention of the wheel; we’ve industrialized our fates.
War and meaningless death – what extinction it creates.
Her rivers of life are running dry
As She watches Her children lead Her to die.
She feels the gentle wind of Her own failing breath,
And from Her eye a final tear does glisten.
It saddens Her to know we orbit our own death.
We’ve always known the way – Her voice; if only we would listen.

hmm…what’s happenin’ .. woman??, originally uploaded by *Gracie..

Photography by Gracie – © All rights reserved

 

..must’ve been dreamin’..

..must’ve been dreamin’.., originally uploaded by *Gracie.

Photography by Gracie – © All rights reserved

“Bad Weather” – Poco
In ev’ry day that passes us by
I can’t help the feelin’ that you and I
We won’t get to see another day together.
Looks like bad weather.

I can see it all there in your eyes
And it comes to me as no surprise
That you don’t need me here no more.
Your feeling tells the score.

Words, they are getting
Hard for me to find.
You take me by my hand
And you’re leading me blind.

In ev’ry day that passes us by
I can’t help the feelin’ that you and I
We won’t get to see another day together.
Looks like bad weather.

Yes it does,
And I believe it’s gonna rain.

Paul Cotton

 

A sky dance………..

A sky dance……….., originally uploaded by *Gracie.

Photography by Gracie – © All rights reserved

Unwords

He offered me a leaf like a hand with fingers.
I offered him a hand like a leaf with teeth.
He offered me a branch like an arm.
I offered him my arm like a branch.
He tipped his trunk towards me
like a shoulder.
I tipped my shoulder to him
like a knotted trunk.
I could hear his sap quicken, beating
like blood.
He could hear my blood slacken like rising sap.
I passed through him.
He passed through me.
I remained a solitary tree.
He
a solitary man.

Nichita Stãnescu

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