Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

June 3, 2015

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

Comments

39 Comments

Purple Panoply (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Purple)

Purple Loosestrife on the river

Butterfly bush longing for a butterfly

Awash in Asters

Two-purple Irises

Deepest Purple Iris

Note: Cee has called for purple this week. Purple Prose is writing that is unnecessarily flowery or ornate. In honor of my purple post, I will write some purple poetry:

Amethyst petals embrace the bee,
stamen and stigma anoint him
delicately
with amber pollen.
The drunken bee flies
erratically,
bringing back dusty manna of
lush lavender, iris,
loosestrife and pine tree,
into the humming hive
far up in the forest canopy.
Are his eyes still full of
wildflower fields and
purple panoply?
The drone
dances in the honeycomb,
transforming
gold dust into honey.
How does the tiny being do it?
What magic knows he
that none of us can see?

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

June 1, 2015

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

26 Comments

Circle (Sunday Still Challenge)

A house near the lake has grand granite fence posts, and here is one in the early morning.

Round Ranunculus

Cupcakes decorated by enthusiastic 11 year olds.

Note: This collection of Circles is inspired by Cee’s contribution to the Sunday Stills challenge: Circles. The originator of the challenge is Sunday Stills.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 29, 2015

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

Comments

65 Comments

Azalea Magic

Fallen forsythia sunshine lines my path.
I linger in a bower circled by giant phlox.
Lady Spring casts her spell,
A come-hither invitation to embrace
The wind, scented with lilacs and irises.
Cottonwood fluff tangles in my hair.
Inchworms pulse on invisible silk.
Grass stalks tickle my ankles.
Dandelions smile at bluejays.
Swallows skim empty soccer fields.
Dogs woof and chase squirrels.
Maple leaves dapple the forest path,
Insects munch and rabbits lunch,
But azaleas steal the show.

Note: This poem is a celebration of my morning walk and New England. If you want to join your song to mine, leave a comment here with a link to your favorite poem or join Poetry Friday, this week hosted by Reflections on the Teche. Let your imagination soar and your words fly. Have a great weekend! Warmly, Brenda

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 27, 2015

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

Comments

51 Comments

A Moment to Shine

Troubles drop away,
Luck comes our way,
That’s our moment.
Everything turns out fine.
It’s our moment to shine.
Trouble may make us blue,
But that fades to dark
When we feel the spark.

Note: I’ve had bad years, with rare good moments. And good years with few bad moments. My heart holds onto the good times. I hope yours does, too. This poem was inspired by my latest rejection letter, which was not a shining moment, but another opportunity. Every door that remains shut helps us find the right door.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 27, 2015

Posted under

Poetry

Comments

27 Comments

Perspective Shift (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge)

This winter changed my perspective on snow. It drew the line and emphasized that less is more.

Bench slats with a dusting.

A driver confused.

Pond life is still green under ice.

A snow day from the inside out.

Parking meters shorted out and neglected by all.

A child towers over the street signs

Note: I enjoy these photos far more now that spring has arrived in full force. These photographs are presented as part of Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge for this week: Perspective (Unusual Angle or Point of View). If you follow the link, you’ll find my blog post, Pairs, was featured in her post as a Featured Blogger. I am honored and delighted, Cee!

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 25, 2015

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

Comments

29 Comments

What Peace Looks Like

Lilies of the Valley
Was the scent my grandmother wore.
Her warm hugging arms filled me with
Boundless approval.

The tiny white bells
Remind me of a baby bonnet
And wrappings my children wore
Coming home.

Each spring
The lilies bring back moments
When I was heart-full, cherished and
At peace.

Note: Artists4Peace are taking submissions for June with the theme: What Peace Looks Like. If you want to add your voice, you can find June’s submissions call with one click. Peace is a way of life!

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 23, 2015

Posted under

Holiday, Photography

Comments

35 Comments

Happy Memorial Day

This is a day to remember the fallen.
And to celebrate the magic of being alive.
Happy Memorial Day!

Warmly, Brenda

Note: Monday is a Federal holiday. Originally it honored the many casualties of the US Civil War, which outnumbered all other US wars combined until Vietnam. Americans are notorious for independence, pride and an amalgam of culture and traditions. In my family, we grill outdoors, play sports and picnic. We might kick around a soccer ball in the park or ride bicycles tomorrow. What does your family do? Does your country have a Memorial Day to honor those who fell in war?

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 19, 2015

Posted under

Photography

Comments

50 Comments

Pairs (Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge)

Note: Photography is fun. If the urge takes you to participate in the Pairs challenge, click here.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 19, 2015

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

Comments

15 Comments

Flowers Unlaced, An Invitation

pinwheels of nectar
enjoy their moment in the sun
bees kiss and flirt

gold dusts my skin from
wildflowers unlaced

Note: You are invited to add a haiku or even another tanka in the comments below. For those new to haiku and tanka: they are brief, present-tense observations of the world. They are written as snapshots of moments with meaning. They often relate to nature and the season, in this case spring. A haiku is often framed as three lines with syllables of 5, 7 then 5. A tanka contains the haiku and then two lines of 7 syllables added. These are guidelines, rather than strict rules, and I have seen haiku of only one line. These are the basic rules, but there are many, many more. You can spend a lifetime perfecting poetry, but only if you write it.

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 14, 2015

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

Comments

45 Comments

Spring Rain Crescendo

Raindrops
Rain plops
Plink, plink
Pitter, patter
Crack of thunder
Howling gusts
Shake the windows
Rain drums sideways
Young plants flatten
Trees bend sideways
Dry earth drinks deep
Lemon tulip petals scatter
Blacktop steams and hisses
Pollen washes into soil
Puddles swell to lakes
Wind softens, sighs
Drip, drop, stop
Greens deepen
Flowers glisten
Birds sing
I listen

Note: We are having a dry spring, and we need rain. If we don’t get rain soon, we might be dancing for it like the children in the fairy tale, Rain Dance. This poem is a prayer for rain and a celebration of Poetry Friday, where poetry falls like rain on a dry earth. The host and poetry gathering point this week is Random Noodling. The hostess, Diane, offers a quote by Mark Twain and a poem about sanity. Worth a look! Write a poem for kids or quote one by another, and you can join the fun by visiting and contributing your link. Here is a bonus poem by a favorite author:

April Rain

Let the rain kiss you
Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops
Let the rain sing you a lullaby
The rain makes still pools on the sidewalk
The rain makes running pools in the gutter
The rain plays a little sleep song on our roof at night
And I love the rain.

— Langston Hughes

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 10, 2015

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

Comments

52 Comments

Cherry Blossoms for Mother’s Day

Our oldest love, our first love,
Unfolds with our own birth,
Grows as we take our first steps.
The love that makes us children again.
We love you, Mom!

Posted by

Brenda Davis Harsham

Posted on

May 7, 2015

Posted under

Photography, Poetry

Comments

45 Comments

Duchesses

duchesses abloom
raspberry silk smiles
radiant, dancing

Note: Here’s a haiku in honor of the UK’s new Duchess of Cambridge and to celebrate May flowers. My son’s foot is healing, and he is proud that the grass seed he planted on Earth Day has sprouted already. He may be in pain, but he has a green thumb. And a mom who watered the seeds. 😉 This haiku is also another Poetry Friday offering, hosted this week by Today’s Little Ditty.