L'aura del Campo

Woodward Park, Red Grammer, Improving Blog

Winter: 19 Mulk (February 25)

TREASURE OF THE DAY

When we take one chair away
we teach the children
not to love themselves as they were born
and not to preserve the just world
into which they were born
and not to honor their native compassion.

from a beautiful poem:

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One of the distinguising features is the use of shortening stanzas from 7 lines to just one. This increases the speed and tension just like the game of musical chairs.

A must read for those who think that children's games, especially those fostered by adults, are harmless.

2006-02-25
morning, 35 degrees and sunny. 45 in Tulsa, OK.

Was at the public Art Center downtown looking at some artwork up on the walls of the gallery. I especially liked the two done in fabric. There is a texture that can be grasped better than paint can.

But there was painting that caught my eye. It looked familiar. You know the feeling ... 'I've been here before' ... that nibbles at the edges of the brain and memory. Then, I saw the bushes as azaleas, the trees as dogwoods. I thought of Muskogee and Tulsa in the Spring of '04. It was entitled Woodward Park.

Yep, Tulsa. And yes I've been there, wrote poetry there. Just need to look through old notepads to find it and post it here. It is beautiful during azalea time. Has magnificent irises. One of the best rose gardens in North America. I could live in Tulsa.

There are some scrolling pictures at this site:

http://tulsagardencenter.com


I was at the Art Center because I wanted to say hello to Red Grammer. He gave a workshop for teachers yesterday; did a benefit concert today. I'm sure he had all the children up and dancing! It was geared for pre-schoolers. And he interacts with them like their favorite pal.

I noticed that Red is losing hair faster than I am . I was able to speak to him briefly as there was a line. I reminded him that he had been in my house about 4 years ago. He remembered the good harmonics. A hug, a brief fare-thee-well and a word that he will be back in Kansas come end of April. He has a gig in Kansas City this afternoon. So nice to see someone from a time before ...

Red is up for a grammy for BeBop Your Best, but I remember Teaching Peace. His web site: http://redgrammer.com

Feeling a bit better today than yesterday, but I'm no fool. This stuffiness needs to be listened to. Like a naughty child, it needs to be attended to! So, today, I won't push it.

2006-02-25
afternoon, 45 degrees. 56 in Fayetteville, NC.

Did I blink? A few days ago my blog had under 1,300 views. Now it's at 1,340. Should I set a goal of 3,000 by my anniversary date in June?

How would I go about that? I could set myself objectives:

1. Make sure all my friends have my e-mail and blog addresses.
2. Make sure I send everyone who has my e-mail address a link to my blog. (with some acceptions?)
3. Respond to all comments and e-mails and reviews and ... In other words, make response a priority.
4. Listen to what others find interesting. My life has been a tapestry ... so why not share it?
5. Welcome all with kindness.
6. Include pictures.
         a. find my pictures.
         b. take some
         c. ask for help from those who obviously know what they are doing.
7. Split my blog into different types of entries. (A bit of schizophrenia won't hurt a blog. Imagine a blog with a beautiful mind of its own! )
         a. blog entries that can be googled and read by anyone, including my family and friends. This, so that I can be in touch with everyone.
         b. entries restricted to authors (black cases+) here at WDC. I would include minor rants and raves and rage-against-the-machine in those. I might not mind my friends knowing, but I may not want it widely read by Washingtonians.
         c. entries restricted to authors as above, because, I really don't want my family to know everything!
         d. really personal items readable by yellow case preferred authors only. Why? Because I no longer trust people like I use to. Perhaps enter these in a separate place with keyword entry only.
         e. my journal on paper to a friend.
         f. notes to be written then burned.
Only a, b, d would be found here. C already has a separate place. E is up to page 839. (9 books, one per season since December 9, 2003!) F zoundz like a good emotional, mental release. I've never done it. Maybe I should?
8. In any case, need to improve the content and my style of writing.
9. Read more blogs.
10. Leave comments on other folks blogs when appropriate.
11. Plug my blog!
12. Someone will mention opening it up to ratings. I would rather not.

A particularly gloomy sketch from the 23rd:

Sinews

Not with cold bones will he climb mountains;
not with soft muscles the heavens lift.
Beneath earth warmed by April's sun,
cooled by Autumn's blows they'll moulder.

Not with dead words he'll take with him
will nations be rent asunder.
Not with these useless tomes:
great or humble.

His bones,
as tired as the clichéed words he mumbles;
His muscles
ready to burrow through earthworms' wonder.

Only April's sun and Autumn's thunder
will witness their timely crumble. [162.773]

2006-02-26
after vespers, 40 degrees. 72 in Ojai, oh my! Nada is facing threats of rain and mud though ...

After sunset; therefore, actually the first day of Ayyám-i-há according to the Bahá'í calender. This is a short 4 day season of hospitality, gift giving and preparation for the Fast. Now, if I could find a party to go to ...

I usually make some comments about what I have "sensed". Soon, it will be Spring and there will be new things to sense. Today? The echo of an empty building; the bitter taste of Avapro; lunch, whatever it was; dark chocolate; the sound of an air conditioner here in the computer lab.

And lots of hair ! I borrowed Robin's clippers and went after Everest, a.k.a. my beard. Now it looks so much better. Hair is next. I won't let Robin shave it off, but it is way too long. If it behaved I wouldn't mind, but no ... I inherited unruly hair. So I get to whack it.

We are entering the end of Winter. A season I rarely lament. My month is May (in Kansas and Oklahoma, April) and my season is Spring.