A White Rose

Instead of lyrics this month I decided to share a poem I found in a small book titled “A Pocket Treasury of Irish Verse.”

Inside the little book is an inscription that reads: “Dear Joann, It’s great having you on this trip. Congratulations on BINGO! Verg & Dorothy 2001” As far as I know this poem has nothing to do with Joann, Verg or Dorothy, I just like it.

A White Rose

By John Boyle O’Reilly

The red rose whispers of passion,

And the white rose breathes of love;

Oh, the red rose is a falcon,

And the white rose is a dove.

But I send you a cream-white rose bud

With a flush on its petal tips;

For the love that is purest and sweetest

Has a kiss of desire on the lips.

Image of the Month

This photo is titled “The Human Liberty Bell” By Mole and Thomas. It is over 100 years old and is comprised of 25,000 military men. For more information check out https://publicdomainreview.org/collection/the-living-photographs-of-mole-and-thomas/

No Pessimist

No pessimist ever discovered the secrets of the stars, or sailed to an uncharted land, or opened a new heaven to the human spirit.

Helen Keller (1880-1968)

Puzzler Gag Card

I came across a small box of these “Puzzler Gag Cards” and decided to fit them into this blog from time to time.

Paradise

Once a month I highlight a piece of art I have created and posted on my Fine Art America site. This one is titled “Paradise” from the Abstract Art Collection.

Image Of The Month

**The Shadows on the Wall By Baron Adolph de Meyer(photo. c.1907)**

Baron Adolph de Meyer (September 1, 1868 – January 6, 1946) was the first official fashion photographer for Vogue magazine, as well as a popular portrait photographer.

My Father’s House

Last night I dreamed that
I was a child
Out where the pines grow
Wild and tall
I was trying to
Make it home through the forest
Before the darkness falls

I heard the wind rustling
Through the trees
And ghostly voices
Rose from the fields
I ran with my heart pounding
Down that broken path
With the devil snappin’ at my heels

I broke through the trees and
There in the night
My father’s house stood
Shining hard and bright
The branches and brambles
Tore my clothes and scratched my arms
But I ran ’til I fell shaking in his arms

I awoke and I imagined
The hard things that pulled us apart
Will never again Sir
Tear us from each other’s hearts
I got dressed and to that house
I did ride
From out on the road
I could see its windows shining in light

I walked up the steps and
Stood on the porch
A woman I didn’t recognize
Came and spoke to me through a chained door
I told her my story
And who I’d come for
She said: “I’m sorry son but no one by that name
Lives here anymore”

My father’s house shines
Hard and bright
It stands like a beacon
Calling me in the night
Calling and calling
So cold and alone
Shining ‘cross this dark highway
Where our sins lie unatoned

Written by: Bruce Springsteen

Album: Nebraska

Released: 1982

Lyrics provided by Musixmatch

You Can Always Do It Later

“The great thing about suicide is that it’s not one of those things you have to do now or you loose your chance. I mean, you can always do it later.”

Harvey Fierstein

Puzzler Gag Card

I came across a small box of these “Puzzler Gag Cards” and decided to fit them into this blog from time to time.

Weeds, Cats and Harvest

The summer here in north central Iowa has seen an abundance of moths and dragonflies…and weeds. The country grass and weeds around these parts is tough, and can grow back quickly after spraying or pulling it. Shelly and I are guessing the abundance of rain this season might be the cause of the large groups of the above mentioned insects. The eclipse of moths and and flight of dragonflies have been larger and more plentiful than any previous years we have lived out here on the acreage. (for more names of groups of animals check this out.) All the rain across Iowa has also eradicated the years long state wide drought.

The feral cat situation has changed, with Sammie replacing Tom a couple of months ago. How that happened we don’t know, but are guessing it was a territorial issue between the two. Sammie started as Samantha until “her” testicles dropped and Shelly renamed it Sam Winchester.

Harvest began around us early September and many fields are infected with rust. Currently we are experiencing a warmer than normal fall in our state, which is very nice as we slowly pack things up around the acreage in preparation for the coming “W” word.