Category Archives: poetry

Waking Up

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spring1

I awoke today
to warm sunshine,
and
birds singing and flitting through laurel hedges,
and
the soft coos of the Eurasian collared-dove,
and
tiny leaf buds forming on the dogwood tree,
and
daffodils, just about to blossom,
swaying on sturdy green stalks,
and
squirrels cavorting —  yes, cavorting — on the lawn,
perhaps in search of acorns
tucked away last autumn for safekeeping.

And I wondered if today
just happened to be the day that
springtime chose to burst forth
in all its glory and promise,
or
was it me just waking up this day,
groggy from a long, dark winter slumber, and
finally noticing
that spring is, indeed,
approaching.

Weighty Lessons

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hist4

Sometimes
history can weigh us down.
Remorse, regret, convenient revisions…
and at times
rage and resentment
over transgressions against
our ancestors.

 

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Sometimes
history can lift us up.
Inspire, validate, educate…
and at times
impress upon us
the value in celebrating and learning
from our past.

 

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Dates, names, places, events…
all factual information.
Yet history will always be
defined
by the lens through which
each one of us
perceives.

 

hist1

These photos were taken at the Garden of Surging Waves, a city park in Astoria, Oregon, which was built to honor and celebrate the Chinese heritage of that area. The Story Screen in these photos is an iron structure that includes the entry gate, and these large panels that tell about the hardships, struggles and contributions of some of the Chinese immigrants in Astoria as well as their descendants who remained in the area and who continue to be vital components in the fabric of the community.

 

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Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge:  Weight(less)