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.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~