#242
The deep burgandy
blossoms emulate the
Missouri State school
colors; I notice this on
BearWear Friday,
people passing me by
dressed in maroon.
catherinenglish 08-30-2013
#241
You know you are on a college campus
when on your morning walk to the
bookstore to buy Clinque for the bonus,
you look down and see this colorful
sign and you have to laugh out loud.
catherinenglish 08-30-2013
#240
From the Tower of London,
a prisoner leaves
behind a symbol
of his suffering,
locked up for
following his
faith, or perhaps
being a bit too
political.
catherinenglish 08-28-13
#239
It seems like only a few
days ago, I was greeted
each morning
by the sounds of the daily
market vendors outside
our hotel in Athens,
the clamor of voices
each louder,
attracting buyers
for one's particular
produce.
catherinenglish 08-27-2013
#238
When I opened the door to
my office last Wednesday,
the bouquet of flowers
made me smile and my heart leap,
knowing immediately
these were from my Daisy Friend,
a fellow lover of books and flowers,
sent to remind me that I am loved.
catherinenglish 08-26-2013
#237
A new school year and a new
deep map, my fourth one,
a progression of images,
tree, peace sign, lamp of knowledge
and now, a tea cup, with the word,
Content! The double meaning not
lost on future teachers of English.
catherinenglish 08-25-2013
#236
Recruitment week is over,
celebrated in one's finest
black formal attire,
welcoming new young
women into a sorority
for life, reminding us
that some events in life
require a sense of
elegance.
catherinenglish 08-24-2013
#235
It is a treasure of life
to witness your grown
children happy,
and more than happy,
content with their new
life and new friends,
continuing intellectual
and spiritual growth,
always becoming.
catherinenglish 08-23-2013
#234
This diffenbachia reminds
me of Jerry and it looks so
sad without him here to
talk to it, water it,
give it plenty of tender,
loving care.
catherinenglish 08-22-2013
#233
I have officially moved over to the dark side,
but my Mac friends question, "What dark side?"
and I tell them it is a joke, since, clearly, Macs are much
lighter and intuitive than any ole PC.
catherinenglish 08-21-2013
#232
Apparently the folks at Family Laundry
have not updated their decor in several years
since Missouri State University has not been
SMS for quite a few years, (Southwest Missouri State),
but at least they are showing support for their local schools.
catherinenglish 08-20-2013
#231
Missing these two beautiful babies,
way up north in Nebraska,
Labor Day weekend can't come soon enough.
catherinenglish 08-19-2013
#230
There are always rules to follow
when you go to a public place
like the local laudromat,
and of course, there is also
an app for everything.
catherinenglish 08-18-2013
#229
When I was a kid, our washer and dryer
broke down often which meant
we had to go to the laundromat,
a place that was filthy, filthy,
and I remembered thinking,
"How are our clothes supposed to be
clean if this place is so dirty?"
And it seems this is a universal truth,
and things just don't change.
catherinenglish 08-17-2013
#228
It has been a very long time
since I have had to do laundry
at a laudromat;
over thirty years ago,
when we were utterly poor
and living in Tecumseh, Nebraska.
Life is full circle.
catherinenglish 08-16-2013
#227
The western sun
lightens the blue
bedspread in my
new apartment
in Springfield,
adjusting to a life alone.
catherinenglish 08-15-2013
#226
The morning fog
on I-29,
summertime,
rises up,
greets the sun.
catherinenglish 08-14-2013
#225
I want to jump into this
riot of color,
sink my nose into the
luscious scents, the happy
smell of fruit,
fresh with delightful sugar
and just a touch of heat, hot
peppers.
catherinenglish 08-13-2013
#224
I'm not sure how they
constructed the curve
in this arch, but I am
certain it is an
architect's dilemma.
catherinenglish 08-12-2013
#223
My niece sent me
a message
that she, too,
had her photo
taken at this
very same spot,
a young woman
studying in Germany,
taking day trips
around Europe,
stopping in Budapest
to see the sights.
catherinenglish 08-11-2013
#222
What a beautiful plate
of salmon with sauce,
new potatoes and a touch
of fresh greens accompanied
by a fine Hungarian white wine.
catherinenglish 08-10-2013
#221
We didn't know we were
not supposed to take photos
of the American Embassy
in Budapest until we got
closer to the door and read
the instructions.
catherineenglish 08-09-2013
#220
The Fisherman's Bastion
protected Hungarians
from many invaders,
surprisingly surviving
two world wars.
catherinenglish 08-08-2013
#219
The walls appear to crumble,
but in reality, these old churches
were built to last,
eternal yet eventually
as ephemeral as the Pyramids
of Egypt.
catherinenglish 08-07-2013
#218
A house on the Buda side,
modernized, yet retaining
some of the old,
a reminder of the
Iron Curtain
and its dark, dreary
fist of things gray and ugly.
catherinenglish 08-06-2013
#217
I have found it takes a lot of courage
to leave a place I've lived for twenty-one years,
a place I have called home and raised our children,
so saying good-bye and starting a new life leaves
me an emotional wreck, but I take heart,
like other immigrants, hoping for a brighter future.
catherinenglish 08-05-2013
#216
Hamburg, Germany has two
St. Michael's Churches; one
Catholic and one Lutheran,
but the Catholic Church
has the larger baptismal
fountain, guarded by a
statue of its namesake.
catherinenglish 08-04-2013
#215
Espressions has been
my coffee haven
for over a decade,
serving up salads,
soups, sandwiches,
omelets, and the
rich company of
good friends.
catherinenglish 08-03-2013
"If the learned and worldly-wise men of this age were to allow mankind to inhale the fragrance of fellowship and love, every understanding heart would apprehend the meaning of true liberty, and discover the secret of undisturbed peace and absolute composure." -Tablet of Maqsúd
#214
Europe is full of
churches,
glorious alters,
grandiose and gold,
signifying the Glory of God,
once filled to capacity
with worshipers,
now large and empty,
a reminder of the vastly
wealthy patrons who
paid for it,
preserving their "good name"
for the future.
catherinenglish 08-02-2013
#213
You will never grow old,
retaining the beauty of youth,
a spirit so strong,
you overcame more than many
could ever dream of;
ever watchful,
ever seeking a moment
to touch someone's life
with your smile
and helping hand.
catherinenglish 08-01-2013
(Godfrey John Brokenrope, 1963-2013)
#212
Tonight, amid tears,
I stood by Kylie,
holding onto the
sage bundle,
which brought me
comfort, as I said goodbye
to her dad;
she wearing his worn,
brown leather bundle,
kissed my hand and patted
the intricately carved box
with his ashes,
(emulating an act by my sister, Lisa,
for my own father a decade ago),
surrounded by beautiful artifacts
commemorating the chief's life,
a sense of peace enveloping me.
catherinenglish 07-31-2013 (revised 08-02-2013)
(My thanks to Fran Kaye for the advice to hold onto the bundle).
