Embracing Epiphanies

MAY 23, 2012 12:12PM

Felted Fantasies

 
 
All artwork by Yiling Tien, all photos and poetry by Rita Bourland

 Trojan Horse
  
 Felted Fantasies
I arrived for yoga class one day and was greeted by a spectacular array of felted fantasies.  They were gorgeously wrought from the finest of wool a/
… Read full post »
16 Comments
MAY 18, 2012 6:37PM

At the Zoo with Roo

 
 
I went to a fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital at the Columbus Zoo last night and had the opportunity to hold a seven month old kangaroo (joey).  He is being hand-raised by the zoo staff.  They keep him in a fabric pouch much of the day to/… Read full post »
12 Comments
MAY 12, 2012 4:56PM

Poem: There was a Young Mother who Lived in a Shoe


There was a Young Mother who Lived in a Shoe

There was a young mother who lived in a shoe,
She had so many children she didn’t know what to do,

They hung from the rafters; they swung from the trees,
They jumped on their beds; they skinned up their knees,

They slid down the… Read full post »
7 Comments
MAY 8, 2012 10:58AM

Thank You, Maurice Sendak


photo by Rita Bourland - 2012

Thank You, Maurice Sendak
(June 10, 1928 – May 8, 2012)

The day Maurice picked up a pen and made mischief
of one kind and another
and another
his readers called him “GENIUS!”
and Maurice said, “I’LL WRITE ANOTHER!”
so he went… Read full post »
15 Comments
MAY 4, 2012 1:25PM

Poem: Lily of the Valley


 
Photo by Rita Bourland © 2012

Lily of the Valley

Legends speak of tiny blooms,
sprung from Eve’s sad weeping,
or Mary’s tears on bended knee
beneath the cross on Calvary,
or from the blood of knighted men
on battlefields of valor, 

from sorrow came the flower,

winking in the gentle wind,
its… Read full post »
11 Comments
APRIL 27, 2012 10:38PM

There's So Much We Can't Explain


Photo by Rita Bourland © 2012

There’s So Much We Can’t Explain

I was touched by a moment of grace today.  It came at an unexpected time as these things often do.  I was returning home after attending the funeral of a five month old baby.  It was tragically sad.  The pain… Read full post »
21 Comments
APRIL 25, 2012 6:12PM

Poem - Come Dance with Me


 Come Dance with Me

There’s always one
at a wedding;
a whirling dervish of a child
spinning in circles on the dance floor,

hearing some internal muse,
feeling a musical beat
in her primal soul,
oblivious to time, to place,

 released,
unhinged,
caught in a swirl
of
 fancy dresses,
flowers, ribbons… Read full post »
7 Comments
APRIL 18, 2012 8:59AM

R.I.P. Dear Coffee Maker


Photo by Rita Bourland © 2012

R.I.P. Dear Coffee Maker

We lost our dearly beloved coffee maker today.  It sprang a spring from some inner valve, no longer able to push steaming water through the grounds.   I purchased this Krups coffee maker over 15 years… Read full post »
19 Comments
APRIL 17, 2012 1:09PM

Poem: Candle Glow

Photo by Rita Bourland © 2012

Candle Glow 
I light a candle most evenings,
striking a match
I touch it ever so lightly
 to the ready wick,

waiting for the flame,
anticipating the glow,
the shadows,
 the casting out of darkness,

a candle mesmerizes,
entices with
a subtle flicker,
stirring a desi… Read full post »
8 Comments
APRIL 12, 2012 12:13PM

Poem: All I Can Do


 All I Can Do

I turned on the TV today
To see what the newsmen might say,

They talked about war and political strife,
About murders and guns; the worst stuff of life,

I started to frown, then worry set in;
It seemed like I’d watched this… Read full post »
6 Comments
APRIL 10, 2012 10:05AM

Poem: It's a Dastardly World



I recently heard a speaker discuss the many negative influences in our society – the things that challenge our moral compasses.  While making his point, he used several words that begin with the letter ‘D’.  It set me to thinking about words that begin with &lsquo
… Read full post »
8 Comments
APRIL 7, 2012 6:41PM

Poem: An Easter so Fair

 
Photo by Rita Bourland

An Easter so Fair

There once was an Easter so fair,
it felt like the holiest prayer,
I sang a sweet hymn
in honor of Him,
I prayed there be peace everywhere.



 * I generally try to avoid politics and religion on my blog because I have a deep respect for individuals personal… Read full post »
7 Comments
APRIL 3, 2012 5:11PM

Poem: It's Easy to Miss a Miracle


It's Easy to Miss a Miracle  

It’s easy to miss
a miracle,

like a moment
of unbidden grace,
it arrives unannounced,

dropping into your life
like soft, spring rain,
brushing your cheek with
a tender kiss,

not asking to be… Read full post »
20 Comments
MARCH 28, 2012 8:38PM

My Six Words: A Better World Begins with Me

Photo by Rita Bourland © 2010

My Six Words:
A Better World Begins with Me

In the midst of the ongoing national discussion about race, which has been galvanized by the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Florida, comes the opportunity for each of/… Read full post »
15 Comments
MARCH 25, 2012 9:41PM

It's a Great Day to Think about That


It’s a Great Day to Think about That 

I looked to my right and saw a boy dressed in blue shorts, an old t-shirt, flip flops on his feet and hair blowing in the wind. He was probably around eight years old.  I was riding west on the street; he was… Read full post »
13 Comments
MARCH 24, 2012 12:54AM

Poem: Despite Everything

P1010379 
Photo by Rita Bourland © 2012

Despite Everything

Despite everything,
I find beauty
in the quiet
treasured spaces
where
stillness and truth
are found,

despite everything,
I find comfort
in the brilliant rays
that pierce the colored… Read full post »
10 Comments
MARCH 17, 2012 12:10AM

Poem: A Good Day for Wishes

Photo by Rita Bourland © 2012

A Good Day for Wishes  

I’m not sure which wishes
To wish for today,
Yet it seems like today
Could be a good day
For making a wish
If I had one to make,

So hard to decide
What matters… Read full post »
8 Comments
MARCH 15, 2012 5:57PM

An Irish Blessing


 An Irish Blessing
By Rita Bourland

May a little luck be with you
As you travel through your days,
May the shadows disappear;
May you always find your way,

May there be a hand to hold
When worries come to mind,
May there be a friend who’s near;
Someone dear and true and kind,

May you know that you are l… Read full post »
9 Comments
MARCH 15, 2012 12:43AM

Limerick: A Shamrock so Fair


A Shamrock so Fair

There once was a shamrock so fair,
Its beauty uncommonly rare,
So regal its hue,
So honest and true,
A vision beyond compare.
8 Comments
MARCH 13, 2012 9:19PM

Blarney Alert - Finding an Honest Politician

Google Image
Blarney Alert – Finding an Honest Politician

Once upon a time, there was a young girl named Olivia who happened upon a leprechaun.  She had been searching for the end of a rainbow, and never dreamed she would also find a leprechaun standing next to his… Read full post »
7 Comments
MARCH 12, 2012 10:23AM

Poem: There's Luck to be Had

 
Google Image

There’s Luck to be Had

St. Patrick’s Day comes once a year,
Yet there’s luck to be had all the year,

Just gather some shamrocks, some pixie dust too,
Then mix in some wishes to make a fine stew,

9 Comments
FEBRUARY 29, 2012 1:26PM

Legend and Poem: Feeding the Beast

Artist JohnnyLee – wisdomstick.com
 

I heard this Cherokee legend at a talk I went to last night.   First the legend and then a poem I wrote tying in some of the themes. 

 

Two Wolves – A Cherokee Legend

One evening an old Cherokee told… Read full post »
11 Comments
FEBRUARY 26, 2012 12:56PM

Best Performance in a Movie

Home Piano © 2011 Rita Bourland

Best Performance in a Movie

And the Oscar for best performance in a movie goes to………the musicians who played background music for The Artist.  

I was swept away by soaring violins, soulful clarinets, piano rhythms and sus… Read full post »
9 Comments
FEBRUARY 23, 2012 11:47PM

Poem: In the Stillness

 In the Stillness

 In the stillness of morning

We hear,

‘Neath the shimmer of moonlight

We see,

In the deepening of shadows

We find light,

In the prayers beneath covers

We beseech,

In the dawn of each day… Read full post »

12 Comments
FEBRUARY 20, 2012 9:49PM

Once Upon a Time: Grace in Return

 
Grace in Return

Once upon a time there was a bitter old woman who lived alone in a house in the deep, dark woods. 

When she was young, her heart had been healthy and whole, pumping goodness into the world and accepting gratitude and grace in return. 

But then life came along… Read full post »
12 Comments
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