i have oceans inside me

sometimes they threaten to swallow me up

other times we are the best of friends

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 

Untitled 1

some days i take you in with small nibbles

while others

i swallow you whole

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.

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.

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.

 

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

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.