Pix to Words Podcast

Day 18 of NaPoWriMo 2024 The drive down Newfoundland's west coast from L'Anse Aux Meadows, the site of North America's only confirmed Viking settlement, reminds me a little of California's glorious Mendocino highway. It was very windy that day.Better formatting in the post, along with an audio reading of the poem. * Lessons from the Wind * Wind bends the grasses Agitates the sea Riffling waves roll From water onto land While I remain unperturbed Steadfast Face into the wind As all around me Is buffeted And this This is how I want to be In the storm that is life Where I am disturbed By all that moves around me Perturbed by the rushing flow I take note Learn the lessons nature offers Resolve to become Resolute as the rocky shore        Firm against the crashing waves Supple as the grasses        Which bend then return to form Deep as the ocean        Calm beneath its roiling surface The wind Whispers in my ear Learn this And you will become peace ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the photograph: Lessons from the Wind Highway 430, The Viking Trail River of Ponds Newfoundland, Canada Taken during travels, 2023 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A reading from the blog post: Lessons from the Wind: https://pixtowords.com/2024/04/18/lessons-from-the-wind/ From my blog Pix to Words: https://pixtowords.com/

The Fall I fall A cascade Out of the mist Down the rocky narrows Seeking the still Cool waters Their calm But there is no pool Only the decline Until I am reduced To a trickle Then nothing

A macaque shares the rooftop Lingers on the rail As the rising sun stokes The smoke laden atmosphere To molten amber It's tempting to believe The monkey is as enthralled as I With the iconic Red Fort silhouette But I rather suspect the bugger's Feigning disinterest in my breakfast They're clever that way To stray any further from the table Set lavishly with silver and crystal on white tablecloth Would invite a blitzkrieg And the confiscation of my croissant It's what I would do were our roles reversed Fortunately, this angle is perfect And near enough the table for deterrence As the shutter clicks I thank my little gray enemy For the perfect pose The croissant is delicious Slathered with raspberry jam I chase the last of it down with espresso While the disappointed macaque lumbers off In search of its own breakfast ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the photograph: Rhesus Macaque with Red Fort Rooftop of Tara Palace Hotel Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi) New Delhi, India Taken during travels, 2017 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A reading from the blog post: Monkey Business ~ Pic and a Word Challenge #360: https://pixtowords.com/2024/03/11/monkey-business-pic-and-a-word-challenge-360/ From my blog Pix to Words: https://pixtowords.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Pic and a Word Challenge is a weekly creativity prompt offered  Mondays. With each challenge I provide a photograph of mine along with a single word. The challenge? Use the pic and/or word as  inspiration to create something -- a photograph, a painting, podcast, video, prose, poetry, fiction, non-fiction, longread or just a few words. You are welcome to use these two elements (photograph and word) literally, thematically or metaphorically. If you create both images and words, all the better. Challenge rules are provided in the blog post link above. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sol yet plays coy with leaden horizon But there is enough magic In dawn's wan light To illumine the contrast Of ancient glory Astride modern poverty While camera and I Find beauty in both ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the photograph: Contrast in Wan Light Chandni Chowk (Old Delhi) and Red Fort New Delhi, India Taken during travels, January 2017 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A reading from the blog post: Contrast in Wan Light: https://pixtowords.com/2024/03/10/contrast-in-wan-light/ From my blog Pix to Words: https://pixtowords.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You with those sad eyes In the sallow light Backdropped by electric blue And me with the glass eye Recorder of moments Context only by supposition I could not ask you then What countenanced such sorrow Or was it just an unguarded moment Emotion apparent in an unintended gesture I am left only with guesses While you cannot even know Someone reflects on this moment From half a world away ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ About the photograph: You With Those Sad Eyes Chandni Chowk market (Old Delhi) New Delhi, India Taken during travels, January 2017 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A reading from the blog post: Half a World Away: https://pixtowords.com/2024/03/09/half-a-world-away/ From my blog Pix to Words: https://pixtowords.com/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~