The Lone Deserter

The lone deserter travels on, through tapestry of green, paying no attention to the land he’s never seen.

Passion pocketed for later use, the milestones tucked away, with treasures from another life he once felt sure would stay.

Trying for clear passage, his back now all that shows, struggling to seek distance, from lovers, friends and foe.

We watch him trip and stumble, yet he holds his head erect, while trying to deny and mask the sadness we detect.

The ocean tide once friendly, the setting sky so gray, he separates his vision of the past now gone astray.

His shadow barely showing, horizon on attack, reminding us as we watch him go, of the power that we lack.

When will we get him back?

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by CD-W

photo credit

How do you WANDER?

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gift from my sister who knows me well

How do you WANDER? Aimlessly or with purpose? Neither is the wrong answer. Aimlessly means you might be stuck. Everybody gets stuck. And, perhaps, being stuck, helps us wander. Sometimes we wander to discover something new. For me, I wandered on paths that led me to new interests like: tap dancing, hot yoga, pilates, volunteer work, Italian lessons, art lessons, writer’s conferences and workshops, boxing, studying diversity training for children, piano lessons, kickboxing, writing. And did I really just pull out my mom’s old sewing machine?

Don’t just wonder. Wander. It’s a beautiful word and the paths are numerous. So, as you wander, find the things you love. The scenery is stunning.

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photo credit

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Oh, how I miss you, Italy

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painting by me, Carolyn Dennis-Willingham

I miss the language (I’ve forgotten most of what I’ve studied)

I miss the people who say what they mean and mean what they say.

I miss the culture, the arts, the music on the streets.

I miss the architecture and the oldness of things.

I miss the food with its all-fresh ingredients.

I miss the incredible chalk paintings on the streets of Firenze (Florence).

And more.

Wait for me, Italy. I’ll be back!

 

The One Hundred Languages of Children

An amazing inspirational poem about children, the mistakes we make in teaching them, and how they can learn to become their true selves.

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photo credit

THE ONE HUNDRED LANGUAGES OF CHILDREN

The child is made of one hundred.

The child has a hundred languages a hundred hands a hundred thoughts a hundred ways of thinking of playing, of speaking.

A hundred always a hundred ways of listening of marvelling of loving a hundred joys for singing and understanding a hundred worlds to discover a hundred worlds to invent a hundred worlds to dream.

The child has a hundred languages (and a hundred hundred more) but they steal ninety-nine.

The schools and the culture separate the head from the body.

They tell the child: to think without hands to do without head to listen and not to speak to understand without joy to love and to marvel only at Easter and Christmas.

They tell the child: to discover the world already there and of the hundred they steal ninety-nine.

They tell the child: that work and play reality and fantasy science and imagination sky and earth reason and dream are things that do not belong together.

And thus they tell the child that the hundred is not there.

The child says: No way. The hundred is there.

Loris Malaguzzi

 

Valen-TiMe’s Day

If you saw one of my previous posts “What am I getting myself into,” you’ll know that I think of projects at the last minute and push myself into a deadline. Well, the deadline is today and last night, I finished my V-Day presents for my grandkids.  Hand-stitched since I don’t own or know how to use a sewing machine. This one’s for my grandson:

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This is my granddaughter’s:

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Definitely a bunch of mistakes but, I did it! And, blurry-eyed, on time! Whew!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY, EVERYONE!!!

Have you earned your stripes yet?

 

For the longest time, I was tired of my black and white, tired of everyone bickering about who was smarter, who was better. I felt boring and tired, frustrated and snarky. Then, after I nudged  a fallen little boy back to upright and I licked his skinned knee, my first colorful stripe appeared! The second came after I pulled a mouthful of leaves from an acacia tree and, when I noticed the soulful eyes of a walking 4-legged loner, I gave my meal to him. Over time, my stripes became so colorful, my friends wanted to know my secret. Now, Arnie Armadillo is aqua, Scotty Skunk is sky blue and silver, Gracie Gray Wolf is green, and … well, you get the picture.

Anyway, being kind is easy and nobody bickers anymore.

How many stripes do you have?

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painting by me, CDW