Tuesday, April 28, 2009

i have oceans inside me
sometimes they threaten to swallow me up
other times we are the best of friends

Sunday, April 26, 2009

If

If my smile could bloom flowers
I would speak daisies and sunflowers 
Some people would bloom roses
Others baby’s breath, orchids, Queen Anne’s Lace, daffodils 
And the sunshine of our smiles will bloom a wild garden 

Saturday, April 25, 2009

Untitled 1

some days i take you in with small nibbles
while others
i swallow you whole

Sunday, April 19, 2009

You

As I grab the ties that are slipping through my fingertips 
I clutch at what is almost gone 
In a hopeless attempt to keep control. 
I tell myself to take it slow, but the look in your eyes 
Makes me forget 
And the taste of your lips, so cautious and shy, 
Slowly pull my heart, which refuses to stay put 
And makes me lose my breath 
In a pleasant, easy way. 
Though the guards at my heart are smart and strong, 
The easy glance, 
The way you simply look at me, 
The quiet, shy things you say 
Ease them into trusting you, and their guard grows 
Less severe, their weapons lowered, 
And 
The hands that hold my heart strings are less mine 
And more yours.

Saturday, April 18, 2009

more photos!

I love photography. Since I got out of rehearsal miraculously early, I decided to update slash post some more poems and some of my photos.

Enjoy!!

pictures from a hike in Tallulah Gorge, Georgia:








photos from a cruise Alyssa and I went on with Nonny, our grandmother, summer of 08:
(the first one is from a submarine!)

!






Trees from the Micah retreat:



an awesome tree and fountains in Forest Park:







Outdoors, take Three


There is nothing like playing outside on a beautiful spring day,
or climbing a mountain and gaping at the view
the sound of a brook rushing it's "good day"
a flower that's in love, in a hot affair with the beautiful clouds, or the blue of the sky
my toes wiggle in the sand, white, sugar, light
and the ocean plays with my heart, teasing me, playful.
Autumn's restless reaching twirls colors through the sky, gray,
and a crisp fall morning makes me yearn for those Appalachian mountains 
only a hop skip and jump away from home.
white water kayaking, 
horseback riding with that lover of mine, Eagle, who still thinks he is a youngster
when really, he's pushing 20 and should calm down already
my dog playing soccer and fetch
the pool, filled with my best friends shrieking, back from college,
picking up our high school friendships like nothing ever changed.
playing Ultimate with my dad's work friends, teasing them that I'm the only girl who plays,
despite the cold biting wind or unforgiving summer heat.
a warm summer night, gazing at the stars
soccer or ultimate on a soggy, drenched field
I am covered in grass and mud
Mom laments that the Georgia clay will never be removed, yet she tries to work her magic,
armed with Shout and other forms of chemical miracles
and I think about how I am an actor
always growing, learning, loving with wild abandon and the curiosity of a child
the smell after a thunderstorm
the ocean's roaring hello
the tiny bird's story
this is my world
hello, world


Outdoors, take Two

the smell of cut grass
a gentle breeze dancing through the trees
the flowers bowing their hello
big fluffy clouds
and our laughter is music
laying on this green green earth
sunshine kisses
I close my eyes and breathe in the Carolina blue sky
free

Outdoors, take one

The perfect day
is one of lovely temperature
awash with sunshine
and the sounds of of Spring.

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Melodies Playing in my Head

Star gazing in the cold, silently loud night 
Melodies playing in my head 
Eyes searching for a shooting star 
We yearn to touch, taste, smell. 
My skin—tingles. 
Fluttering butterfly wings tap dance across my skin 
Possibilities 
Our lazy eyes are 
Difficult 
To keep open, 
And 
I could sleep here, on the grass near you, 
The sounds of silence whisper in my ear 
Melodies play on in my head 
The gentle breeze numbs the toes 
The fountains silently work their magic 
Possibilities 
Unknown, untested, 
Waiting, wishing, watching 
And we touch, taste, smell. 
Tingling skin 
The grass is cold, yet I am warm 
Eyes slowly close 
Fingers entwine 
Possibilities 
Endless 
Possibilities 
Fluttering butterfly wings tap dance across my skin 
Gentle fingers slowly search, 
Soft lips carefully find. 
Possibilities 
Melodies playing in my head: 
Butterfly kisses; gentle tap dances across my skin.

 

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Darkness of Sound

I can’t think in this mess
I can’t repair 
With this darkness 
Of sound 
This incessant clashing of brain and heart 
The nagging of unfinished business 
A life incomplete 
I let it slip away 
Turn from gold to dust in my hands 
I watched it 
Unaware 
Now I cannot go back 
To do what I left undone 
To say what I left unsaid 
To love what I left unloved 
For this darkness 
Of sound 
This incessant clashing of brain and heart 
Won’t allow it 
And all I can hear 
Is the beating 
of my mislead heart

Monday, April 6, 2009

God is an artist

Inspired by a comment I made below in an interview about my photos....

God is an artist

 I think God is an artist. I mean, look around. Go outside, smell the air after a thunderstorm. Stare at the stars from the top of a mountain, listen to a brook or the ocean’s waves crashing on a beach. Feel the wind dance across your skin in the autumn, taste a handful of water from a fresh spring. All of that is art. We are art. Watch a baby take tiny steps, listen to the laughter of old friends. God is an artist, and everything around us points back to Him. If He is the master artist, and we are made in His image, well then…art can teach us a lot about Him, and ourselves. Christians should first take a second to realize the art that surrounds them, the beauty we so often take for granted. We don’t “need” to do anything but praise God for his glory. If we take joy in His creation, that will point people to Christ. Simply noticing God around us will make all the difference.

 

God is an artist 
The sand between our toes 
The moss beneath our feet 
The tulips that wave their hello to the sunny sky 
Your laughter 
My smile 
The way our fingers entwine 
The drumbeat of our hearts 
Sweet smell of a summer’s rain 
Autumn’s restless rustle 
The Big Dipper, always in line with the North Star 
A symphony of sound 
Cascades around me 
The brook 
Which dances its hello 
Around smooth rocks 
Aged but ageless 
And time swirls away and I cannot keep track 
Of the way my spirit soars 
Or the hours I lose, 
Lost in pure joy and awe 
And my hand 
Is art 
My knobby knees, bony elbows, pudgy toes that I won’t let people see 
The wind which kisses my cheek 
As the sun caresses my shoulders 
And the clean, mountain air makes me feel so alive 
Suddenly it’s clear 
In the baby’s smile 
First steps, first laugh 
In my mother’s laughter 
My father’s eyes 
We are art, 
I am a masterpiece 
Bound by eternal, unconditional love 
Agape   

God is a comedian 
The awkward giraffe baby bends its lanky knees to test the grass with his tongue 
The huge hippo twitches its tiny ear, pretending to be nimble 
The fat puppies squirm their full tummies in the grass, desperate to romp in the sunshine 
I watch a penguin attempt to walk 
Swaggering 
The brown duck’s waddle 
Just look at a platypus, or 
A llama—hairy, wooly—as it spits in someone’s face 
And it snows 4 inches in April but melts by 11:00 am because temperatures raise to 78 F 
And I laugh in wonder 
Or hysterics 
And you laugh with me 
The fat barrel dog in North Carolina that made me cry tears of hilarity 
Interrupting Thanksgiving dinner 
The way cats get puffy tails when scared 
A dog thinking its own foot is trying to steal the bone from its mouth 
Your silly jokes 
Laughing 
Aching 
Can’t catch my breath 
As I wonder at the world 
And the things in it 
Art 
Beautiful 
Hysterical 
Made by the great master himself 
God is an artist 
And I 
Well, I am art. 

Photos





I love photography. Here are some pictures I took in Belize and Cozumel. Below is an interview with the friend--a short Q and A session, if you will. Hopefully this blog will let me upload pictures? 

 


 One in Four

1 of 4 is a picture I took in Belize. I titled it that because the entire country only has 4
stoplights, all of which are in the actual city of Belize. Only 3 of those stoplights work,
and this was one of them. I also like this picture because it shows people going about

their lives.



 The Wanderer

 

 The Wanderer is actually me 


 on the top of this huge Mayan ruin. I love this picture.
I think it portrays how we question the meaning of things and we stand on the brink of

understanding it all.




Belize

Belize is a great picture of line. I like it because I generally take pictures of nature, or things
that are falling down. Here, it shows that man-made things can still be beautiful, even if 
they are not portraying poverty or God's creation.



 Mayan Temple



Mayan Temple is a picture of the steps in the Mayan ruin. I am fascinated by the subtly of the 
rocks and crevices. 



 Fences

Fences is also from Belize. The country is a third-world country, and I wanted to capture
a picture of their wealth. This was the wealthy section of town; they have power lines and
the ability to have fences around their yards.



 Winding Ancient Stair

Winding Ancient Stair is from an ancient Mayan temple in Belize. The name of the photo
is actually a part of a poem I like by Yeats. The poem is about the conflict 
between self and soul. I thought it was an apt name for this picture.




 Lonely Warf


Lonely Warf--I think if I had to chose a favorite, I would finally decide on this one. I love
this picture, because I love the water, and the different emotions it can give off and the
connection you can have with it. I also love the use of line, and the difference between
the hard, crooked ways of the warf and the lines of the pavement. Kind of like our relationship

with God--the weather shapes us, some might call it different, but I call it beautiful



 One Lonely Tree


One Lonely Tree is also from a poem. I think it is aptly named, for this tree was the lone tree
in this field we passed. 

INTERVIEW:


What inspired you to take these pictures?

I love photography, and take any chance I can to use it as a creative outlet. I also try to have my pictures tell a story. I want to capture something that inspires someone, or makes people think or portrays an emotion.

 

Do you believe that a picture can (pardon the cliché) “speak a thousand words”? Why?

No. Due to inflation, a picture is now worth 7,621 words. (I can’t actually pretend like that quote is mine. I saw it on a photography site and laughed.) But in all seriousness, yes. I think the eyes might be the most important sense, at least to me. My interpretation of the environment and basically life in general is about 72% from my eyes. If you can capture a moment, it’s not just worth a thousand words; it’s priceless. That moment is never coming back.

 

Where were you when you took these photos?

I think most, if not all, of these shots are from when I was in Belize.

 

Why are these photos significant to you?

Because I love art. It is a vital part of humanity, and these photos tell a story or inspire emotions that God has given us. I think it’s good to expand your horizons and learn about unknown things, or stare at photographs, being quiet and letting yourself feel what the picture holds.

 

What can art convey that words cannot?

Art is a reflection of life. I do think words hold a power, but perhaps other types of art—visual, dancing, music, and theatrical—hold even more power? I’m not sure. But I know that a poem is just as artistic as a photograph, or a ballerina dancing. Perhaps art holds more power because sometimes it is more engaging. Really good art gets down into you, you know? Under your skin. It tingles in your fingertips and creates a tug on your heart and a feeling in your gut. It stirs emotions within us.

 

Do you believe that art teaches us something about God? How can Christians better use art to point people to Christ?

 

Yes. 100%. I think God is an artist. I mean, look around. Go outside, smell the air after a thunderstorm. Stare at the stars from the top of a mountain, listen to a brook or the ocean’s waves crashing on a beach. Feel the wind dance across your skin in the autumn, taste a handful of water from a fresh spring. All of that is art. We are art. Watch a baby take tiny steps, listen to the laughter of old friends. God is an artist, and everything around us points back to Him. If He is the master artist, and we are made in His image, well then…art can teach us a lot about Him, and ourselves. Christians should first take a second to realize the art that surrounds them, the beauty we so often take for granted. We don’t “need” to do anything but praise God for his glory. If we take joy in His creation, that will point people to Christ. Simply noticing God around us will make all the difference.