Skerwink Trail, Newfoundland
I will return where
grey flannel clouds drowse
over the sheen of ocean’s facade
where sun spills sparkles
eagle tells me secrets
where the earth rises
to kiss the mist
trees bow to the Creator
where the hush un-knots my soul
I will return
It’s Quadrille Monday. I am your host.
We are writing poems of 44 words, including the word “knot”.
dVerse Poets Pub – 3 p.m. EST
What if I told you that on one sun-blessed day I sailed slightly sideways into a turquoise sky, would you believe me?
What if I said I felt like a princess, set adrift in the most magnificent hot air balloon, carrying me higher and higher into the quiet? The quiet is a place, by the way. Have you been there? Far above the trees, the silence so pure, so deep, it has no boundaries, no rules, no fear. It is made of peace…. and clouds. Time curtails and sound can only be imagined in the slow motion flapping of a bird’s wings.
But wait, what if I told you I landed gently in the backyard of some unsuspecting souls who served me a cup of home brewed chai tea?
Reading what I have just written, I now believe. Do you?
True story! Written for OPEN LINK NIGHT at dVerse Poets Pub and in response to Lillian’s prosery prompt. She asked us to incorporate the line “Reading what I have just written, I now believe” (Louise Gluck, “Afterward”, Faithful and Virtuous Night).
Unfortunately I missed our LIVE event. You can check them out on You Tube.
It’s the space between steps
hollow of waves curling
gleam of seagull’s wings
the slow
tranquil
ex
hale
slipping off lips
as clouds collage in peach
and magenta
It’s the wander
without map or path
where trees speak in tongues
of nature lover’s dreams
A Quadrille for
Lillian has offered us “tranquility”
to include in our 44 word poems.
You can join in too!
We did it!! We set out, 52 poems and photos ago, to collaborate in bringing peace to this cyber-village of poets. In the process we each found a kindred soul and a shared passion that was not bound by borders. Now that we have reached our goal, we are asking you to continue this journey of peace. Reach out to a fellow poet or photographer (amateur or otherwise). Combine your talents to express your thoughts about peace and inspire others to do the same. At the very least, you will challenge each other, and make a meaningful connection from across the miles. Let us know in the comments if you have decided to take on the challenge. We would love to hear from you and follow your collaboration.
For our last post for “Collaboration for Peace”, Candy and I decided to share our answers to some questions about PEACE. Feel free to add your own thoughts in the comments.
What does peace look like to you?
Candy: Peace is a moment (or two) of calmness in a busy life. A time without fear or worry.
Photo: Mish
How do you experience inner peace?
Candy: Being outdoors is where I find peace to quiet my inner self, to prioritize. As an introvert, I need those moments to recharge.
Mish: When I feel turmoil in my life, I try to remind myself of my priorities, what truly matters in my life and eliminate the “small stuff” that gets in the way. I find inner peace when I am in nature, examining a wildflower in the woods or watching a hawk soaring above me. I think the simplicity of nature has many lessons for discovering inner peace.
Photo: Mish
What do you believe needs to happen for peace to happen?
Candy: We need to learn to respect others and appreciate our differences. And then follow up with actions that demonstrate that respect. A genuine smile goes a long way to promoting peace.
What can we do as individuals to promote peace in the world?
Candy: Don’t give in to what is popular but do what you know is right. If you want to promote peace in the world it must start in your own neighborhood – a ripple of peace that will spread outward.
Thank you to all of you who have “liked”, commented and supported our Collaboration for Peace project. We hope you continue our journey of peace.
We leave you now with our final collaboration, a poem written by Candy and a photo taken from one of my most peaceful places.
Photo: Mish
Peace Enough
I wish you peace enough
to last not just for tomorrow
but until we no longer
need to wish
I wish you peace enough
to share with those you love
and those you fear
so you may fear less
I wish you peace enough
to carry you through
turbulence and pain
so your heart may smile again
I wish you peace enough
to calm your inner self
then ripple out from you
to calm your world
© Candace Kubinec
You can follow Candy’s blog at rhymeswithbug.com
Thank you, Candace Kubinec for sharing this experience with me, for your amazing way with words, your lovely photography and especially for your friendship.
Photo: Mish
Betterment
Let the past remind us
Not rewind us
Peace will bloom in
Soils of change
Winds of wisdom
Hearts enlightened
Let us not forget
That we are the rain
Forward
Why are we backpedaling
While currents of clarity
Still flow at our feet?
How does one drop of impurity
Poison our possibilities?
When are we accountable
For the inevitable,
Witnesses to the destruction?
We are the ripples of hope
On waters, stagnant
The ancient sunlight shimmer
Dancing over shadows
We are the reflections
Of persistent hands of change
And this world did not evolve
Without us
Photo: Candace Kubinec
In Flight
Life me up
For I have spiraled, wingless
In whirls of worldly matter
That do not matter
Much to me
Cradle my heart
For I have stumbled, tumbled
To humble places
Grant me peace
And let me fly
Photo: mishunderstood.wordpress.com
Stones from a Glass House
It was just one pebble
Thrown in jest
No harm intended
And then one more
Hidden in soft words
Another disguised by
A smile
More and more were
Piled on top until
At last
Peace was smothered
Reach Up, Reach Out
I reach up
Spread my arms
To embrace the sky
The sky that looks
Down on every person –
Like and unlike me
Every person receives
Equal share of the day
And the night
The sun and stars
The moon lights the
Corners of darkness
Regardless of color or shape
Weeping or joyful
We’re all the same
I reach out
To embrace the world
That the sky looks
Down upon in peace
We create our own castles
Brick by brick
We build walls
High enough to obscure faces
And far away places
Pain and anguish muffled
By our own missions
We wonder but don’t worry
Slow down from our hurry
Only to throw a few pennies
Or thoughts without physically
Touching a soul
We wait for peace like we’re
Waiting for the sun to
Burn holes through mortar
Did we forget how to open a door?
Poem written by Mish
Photo credit: Candace Kubinec
Sharing with Open Link Night at dVerse Poets Pub.
Candy and I have worked together for over a year on a project we call “Collaboration for Peace”. We have been inspired by each others photos, writing poems that ponder and promote peace in our world or within ourselves. It has been an amazing experience and I am blessed to have shared it with such a wonderful person and poet.
This post was “Collaboration for Peace – 29” posted back in July. We only have a few more to go as we’re determined to reach our goal of 52. We post every Sunday and will return after the holidays.
PEACE!
Free Fall
we’re free falling
flying without wings
hands clasped
tugging
at the cord that binds
us to the past
leaving behind the strife
the worries
the discord
and drifting into the
open arms of peace
Photo: Mish
Candy and I are taking a short break. We’ll be back with more photos and poetry in January. Our goal is to reach 52 posts – a whole year of collaboration!
Barriers
we build walls trying
to define our space
outline the boundaries of
what belongs to us
construct tangled barriers to
keep others at a distance
so no one will know us too well
we assume a prickly air
attempting to protect our hearts
alone inside our armor of safety
we long for the touch of another
the understanding of a neighbor
the love of a friend
yet we are afraid to reach out
take a risk
seek peace
Let Peace Flow
When you see sorrow
of another
Let joy flow from
Your soul
To cover the dark in light
When you hear hatred
toward a neighbor
Let love flow from
Your heart
To cover the hard in softness
When you feel the anguish
of humanity
Let peace flow from
Your mind
To cover the shattered in healing
The Beacon
Adrift I float
No gentle breeze
To send me home
only dreams
To guide me
To urge me forward
Through doubts and fears
I am not afraid
To travel on
Hope shines brightly
A beacon on the horizon
Photo: Mish
Photo: Mish
We Wait
For ashen skies to
Drift and greet the sun
For time to turn this
Turmoil to tranquility
As gifted abilities
Go to waste
We wait for walls to
Fall but they will stand
Unbroken as long as
Goals remain unspoken
We wait for peace
To magically evolve
Like childhood dreams
And it clearly seems
That we have lost our way
Photo by Candy
Photo: Candace Kubinec
Nature sings to me
In melodies of sun
And baritone shadows
Harmony on forest’s floor
Echos of peace
Visit Candy at rhymeswithbug.com
Photo: Candace Kubinec
It may be narrow
Obscured by our own
Selfish shadows we
So carelessly cast
We may trip
Fall
Stumble
Or stray aimlessly
From the path
But there is always
A gateway to peace
Photo: Mish
Image: Mish
Lost and Found
I followed the path
set out for me
meeting the expectations
of others
rising
to goals I’d never set
They said I was going
in the right direction
then through a haze
I glimpsed a bridge
and veered off track
where I found peace
My friend in poetry, photography and peace continues to inspire me in this collaboration. Be sure to check out her blog, rhymeswithbug.
Photo: Mish
Photo: Mish
Build Up
Let’s learn from
the past
spite and envy
slowly crumble our
foundations
we gradually collapse
under their burden
Let’s build each other up
bit by bit
word by word
creating a future
of peace
Photo: Mish
Burgeon
Seeded in the same soil
Some will bask in
Universal beams of light
Shadows lurk and twist
Not all hearts will evolve
To bear the fruit of peace
Knock, Knock….Peace, are you there?
We create our own castles
Brick by brick
We build walls
High enough to obscure faces
And far away places
Pain and anguish muffled
By our own missions
We wonder but don’t worry
Slow down from our hurry
Only to throw a few pennies
Or thoughts without physically
Touching a soul
We wait for peace like we’re
Waiting for the sun to
Burn holes through mortar
Did we forget how to open a door?
Poem written by Mish
Photo credit: Candace Kubinec
Find peace in the shadows and joy in the sun.
Candy and I hope you find some time to slow down and marvel at the everyday bumps in your life.
Image credit: mishunderstood.wordpress.com
© Candace Kubinec
© Candace Kubinec
Candy and I hope you find some time for stillness this week…
Image: Mish
In Stillness
Photo by Candy who writes at rhymeswithbug.com
I Choose Tolerance
Because hate has
No substance
Nothing to offer
I wouldn’t hire hate
I wouldn’t marry hate
I wouldn’t even hang out
With hate
Hate is hollow
What would I do with hollow?
Hope you enjoyed a sunny Sunday…
White feather
You speak of hope
that floats in
delicate currents
whispers of peace
that rock you gently
cradled in mid air
before soft landings
We hope that peace is part of your day. Another collaboration by Candy and Mish…
©Candace Kubinec
My Peace
I look up
Into the treetops
Where silence is
Broken only by
The song of the lark
And clouds whisperings
Blue embraces me in
Shades of sapphire
And indigo
This is my peace
Another collaboration brought to you by Candy and I. Have a peaceful day!
Image: Candace Kubinec
Out on a Limb
Hearts begin beating
With innocence
Untainted and pure
Helpless they long to be
Loved and nourished
Expecting nothing more
Than other hearts
To improvise
Join in, synchronized
To their sweet song
© Candace Kubinec
In the changing seasons, Candy and I wish you hope and peace…
Candy and I would like to challenge you to leave a trail of peace this week…
© Candace Kubinec
201672094
The world is covered in an ocean of poems
That ride in and out with the current(affairs)
They are a tsunami of emotion
A tidal wave of rebellion
We splash and play in the surf of words
And picnic on beaches of smooth syllables
We wiggle our toes in trickles of rhyme
And bathe ourselves in cool rhythms
We are tugged by the undertow of language
Until we’re drowned in a wave of love letters
© Candace Kubinec
Spin Me
I have lost all sense of direction
East is moving west
The world is upside down
Spin me around
And point me towards peace
© Candace Kubinec
Sending positive, peaceful thoughts to all of our followers.
Thank you for your interest and support as we continue to collaborate.
Be sure to check out Candy’s blog at rhymeswithbug.com
Photo credit: Candace Kubinec
Monarch’s sweet haven
Peace of nature welcoming
Delicate landings
Here we are in our tenth week of “Collaboration for Peace”!
Be sure to check out Candy’s blog at rhymeswithbug.com.
We hope you have enjoyed a peaceful Sunday.
©Candace Kubinec
Adrift
We cannot see further
Than each step that we take
Hearts are obscured
By the choices we make
We muddle our minds
With things that don’t matter
Set adrift in the storm
Broken and battered
Searching for peace
In faraway lands
When peace is a power
That rests in our hands
Candy and I are happy to bring you another collaboration.
Photo: Candace Kubinec
Universal
We may not see
Scars and bruises
Heartaches hidden deep
Or know the twisted roots
Of troubled minds
Understanding takes time
But we can feel the rain
Of a thousand fears
Streaming down faces
In faraway places
We have never been
We can start here because
Tears are universal
We are combining our love for poetry and photography for the sake of PEACE!
Be sure to check out Candy’s blog at rhymeswithbug.com.
Image credit: Candace Kubinec
Out of Darkness
Clouds speak in silhouettes
Embellished by the gift of light
Sunbeams stretch to infinity
Trees soak in the serenity
When sapphire skies mimic
More than a glimmer of hope
Candy and I have united with photography and poetry. These collaborations are a very small example of how perfect strangers can work together, be inspired by each other and share a passion for peace.
Image by Candace Kubinec
~
Life is delicate, intricate
Complicated, segregated
But one heart still beats
At the center of existence
One soul still strives
To be one with all
It’s Sunday which means another Collaboration For Peace! Candy posted yesterday as she is busy traveling today. We are happy to share our creations and hope that they can inspire you in some small way.
Peace Comes
peace comes not from inky
words on paper
or notes sung by choirs of angels
it comes instead when two souls
reach across the gap of
their differences
to find commonality
© candace kubinec
It’s Sunday which means another Collaboration for Peace! Candy and I are happy to share our creations and hope that they can inspire you in some small way.
Candy and I have been working on a project that we would like to call “Collaboration for Peace”. Here is our second creation, combining my photos with her haiku. We hope to spread peace and hope throughout this community of poets. Who is Candy? You can find her at rhymeswithbug.com We are both members of Artists4Peace.
Candy and I have been working on a project that we would like to call “Collaboration for Peace”. Here is our first creation, combining my photos with her haiku. We hope to spread peace and hope throughout this community of poets. Who is Candy? You can find her at rhymeswithbug.com We are both members of Artists4Peace.
God didn’t put walls in the forest
Where eagles rise with the tailwinds
And chlorophyll canopies shadow dance
Over moss carpet floors
Morning glory knows no barriers
Roots of the gnarled oak
Venture out in every direction
Baring their bones to the sun
Willows welcome the lark’s sweet song
Arms reach out without thought
Embracing those that walk peaceful paths
Embracing those that do not
~
We are but one decibel in the scream
One whisper of insight, unspoken
Tongues too frozen to speak
Or are we tone deaf to the sound of
Fingers running along wind chimes?
Glass, bamboo, shells, stones, porcelain, metal, wood
All different
Dangling in the same sweet sea breeze
Tapping on each others hearts
To find perfect harmony
~
“Truth, peace, harmony, love” are part of the poetic prompt at dVerse this week.
Also written for Artists4Peace.
We have not even begun
To make peace
We simply roll it around
With our tongues
Stand united in multicultural scenes
Singing in different languages to
Candy coat the truth
We pray for it
We stand for it
Make demands for it
But we don’t know peace
Because we don’t know
What we’ve never had
It has yet to be created
And that takes wisdom
Not war
That takes a plan
Not a song
That takes love
Not hate
That takes you and me
And everyone else on this earth
To look inside their hearts
Forgive, forget, reset
And start again
Do you think that will happen?
We have not even begun
To make hope
We simply………
~
Please visit Artists4Peace
I will find peace here
You will find peace here
Together
We will find peace
~
Colours were meant to be blended.
People are destined to live in harmony.
Don’t they know?
That’s what hearts are for.
~
PEACE isn’t merely a word,
A two fingered gesture
Casually tossed
At passers-by
PEACE enters darkness
To separate innocence
From all that destroys
PEACE is a power
Stronger than evil
But much more intelligent
PEACE doesn’t fight
PEACE uses its words,
Its heart, its mind
PEACE takes its time
To think, to listen, to believe
That we are all the same
And those that hate
Need PEACE to guide them
Not guns in their hands
Or more sorrow in their hearts
PEACE is Love
And LOVE is Peace
Hand in hand
Please visit
http://artists4peace.wordpress.com/
The blues and greens
The mist in between
The moments of yellow
Fade into the pink, I think
It’s more than a show
Colours of life do not fade
For they’re made of
You and me
Forts in the trees
Grass tickling toes
And sun burnt noses
Our hopes, our dreams
And all that seems
As possible as the rain
“Solace is neither here nor there. You can find it in a quiet corner or a walk through the forest. No window or door can separate you from the beating of your own heart. You only need to listen.”
~mishunderstood~
Flags of two countries
Soaking in the same light
Equally burdened
Nuzzled by the night
http://dailypost.wordpress.com/2013/09/27/photo-challenge-saturated/
mishunderstood 