A Mix - Poetry by Gilbert Wesley Purdy, Photograph by Adolfo Caso...with Complementary Music

"Mockingbird" Photograph by Adolfo Caso

Harvesting the Light 

(for J.B. and Barbara Jackson) 

"Let us consider the light-harvesting."  --Diane Ackerman 

By Gilbert Wesley Purdy

The workers are in the garden today, 

collectors open expectantly: 

roses to gather damasks, 

roses, hibiscus still brighter reds and pinks, 

daylilies, their white baskets fresh each day,

 the snapdragon and the marigold. 

In the fields the poincianas winnow

 mandarins in their great fans, 

bright hosts of jasmine grabble yellows, 

beside desultory golden rod. 

Soon even the prodigal butterfly will groan

 under harvests of sulfur and apricot, 

sunset-orange and crimson-lake, 

carelessly trailing them behind.

~~~

Read and move on or stay awhile...In the Garden...
Enjoy your Day...

Visiting with Adolfo Caso Through Photography and Poetry...

Visiting Adolfo through his photography...

This rhododendron (I think) looks just like the azalea in my yard, just more red... The deer have been keeping my rhododendron from growing faster but it's steadily resisting its enemy...

And behind the bush as Adolfo wandered around...

Adolfo, you've made me want to get out and share my own beauties!

IDLENESS

Poet,

what are thou?

A Man

of yesteryear,

today,

and tomorrow,

of your heart

speaker

                            of waveless seas

which we see not

or touch

and yet despair?

~~~

Entrero

Buia e la caverna

ed ho paura di entrarvi

Vieni con me;

fammi  coraggio;

assieurarci la vita

e godere

insieme

il miracolo

d'un'altra scoperta

/

/

/

I will enter 

Dark and the cave

And I'm afraid to get in

Come with me; 

Let us live our lives

Give me courage; 

and enjoy

Of another discovery

together 

the miracle*

~~~ 

*Water and Life has two sections of poetry, one of which is in Italian.

This translation was done by computer...

Adolfo Caso's Photograph of his Beautiful, Spectacular Dog Wood Solicits Awe, Poetry and Song...

Arranged/Sung by Paul Robeson



Poem "Trees"
bu Alfred Joyce Kilmer

Shake Cats by Carli Davidson! A picture Book of Cats Doing Their Daily Activities! Loved it!

When I reviewed Shake Puppies, I was already asking about one with cats, as I posted one of the author's pictures... so I got my wish!

The photographers makes a point to clarify that no harm is done to the cats in this photographing process--I appreciated that clarification in advance, and also her information about providing portraits of each resident in the shelter where she worked with their cats, in order to help get the cats adopted... She also emphasizes the need for neutering and the issues of outdoor versus indoor-cats. I have both and can totally support her recommendations...

But, of course you knew that I wanted to have the book to add to my personal home library! Once I "papered" my kitchen walls, under my cupboards, with cat pictures in a collage, then covered them with clear plastic. Can you imagine being able to stand, washing dishes, and enjoying gazing over hundreds of cats! Others might have thought I was a little crazy...but...

When I was a child, I walked into my local animal shelter and with all the self-assurance of a seven-year-old requested its largest cat. What I really wanted was a tiger, but when I learned the unfortunate truth that my parents were unable to support this dream, I figured I'd settle for the next best thing. That was the day I got my yellow tabby Hulk Hogan--named after my then favorite wrestler.

Hogan, as I liked to call him, wasn't the sort of feline you would want to cross paths with in a dark alley. His face was covered with scars, and at twenty pounds he was all muscle. When I saw him in the shelter, I instantly fell in love with his boldness and independence. He casually walked up to me and smashed his head against my hand, then walked around the room sniffing everything and meowing with a loud, seemingly approving, rumble. He swagger looked more like my dogs' than the more reserved cats I'd met in my neighborhood...

~~~

Anybody who is willing to talk about their cats is my immediate friend, LOL. So I enjoyed the story shared about Hogan, her first cat at age 7... Me, I had a neighborhood boyfriend named Kenny, who brought me kittens from his relative's farm and I really don't remember when I didn't have at least one cat.

Now I have to admit that having had cats all my life that I personally found the book, while funny, not in line with the true nature of cats. Cats are more dignified, independent, sophisticated, and, well, just unhappy to be seen in such an unseemly manner--or at least that is my own opinion based upon my past. However, there is no way to deny the talent, perseverance, and just amazing beauty of Carli Davidson's photos...And her talent is so apparent in this type of book where she just captures the cats in split-seconds of movement and frames them in one shot! Absolutely Fascinating to see the clarity of movement caught!

After having worked with such an incredible and diverse range of cats, I'm reminded that as humans we are left with the responsibility to make sure they have a place as well as a voice in our society...

~~~

Each cat is captured on a black background with the cat controlling the entire page. A number of breeds are included, both long and short-haired. We miss the beauty of their eyes in most shots, so I was happy to learn that the cats who participated seemed to be enriched from the experience:

Working with cats for this book was exciting, but definitely difference from working with dogs. I was slightly worried that I would have a lot of fearful cats I couldn't with with. Part of this stemmed from Hulk Hogan's absolute hatred of riding in cars, because any time we'd put him in a crate he'd poop and then roll in it.

To my surprise, I discovered that most cats were actually enriched by the experience. When they first arrived at the studio, we'd open their crates and let them explore the space...most went straight to the piles of treats we had around the studio. By the end of the session, many of the cats were casually walking around the studio...

~~~

But she did not that she had a vet assistant working with her and recommended that this never be tried at home, as they say... I was happy to see that she also had help picking out which pictures to use...at least when they got interested... 

 If you enjoy the fun of watching animals in unusual physical situations, you are going to love Shake Cats. And if you are a real cat lover, the quality of the book will make an excellent coffee-table addition for you and your visitors to enjoy, in my opinion...

GABixlerReviews

Now before we go...Carli Davidson is a professional animal photographer, so I raided her sites to share some of my favorites to share here...

Carli Davidson is an internationally recognized, award-winning photographer and animal trainer. Her photographs have been featured in publications such as Vanity Fair, the New York Times, the Huffington Post, Rolling Stone, and Slate. She lives in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Tim, pets Norbert and Yushi, and a rotating cast of foster animals.

Adolfo Caso Visits with Photography and Poetry...

 (Magnolia Eagle)

Fly Bird!

By Adolph Caso

--from Water and Life

Fly, fly,

                                                                     fly away

from the hunter

that pursues you.

Dip, rise,

swerve and dive.

Deceive

                                                                                       the hunter's sight.

If the fire takes you,

drop!

If life is still within,

hide

                                                                       into a hole

of the earth

and bask

                                                                                with the snake.

~~~

 (The Image of a Lake)

(Symbol of Adolfo's Life)

And, of course, the music brought to my mind...

Fall Photos Together With "A Poet's End" - Time With Adolfo...

I always love receiving mail from my friend, Adolfo... It's almost like a gift, a package to open... What has he been doing lately... These two beautiful fall pictures of trees at his home reminded me that he and I are both in the Fall of our lives... It seemed natural to consider and...reconsider life's ending and what that means to each of us... One of Adolfo's poems from Water and Life: Photos and Poems, seemed to merge with those thoughts, don't you think?

A Poet's End

                    Alone,

He seeks the sky of night

the dark of day

the winding road

of death's

                           sinuous paths

in and between

hills of phantasms.

What makes him drive?

What makes him return?

What mental haunts

take from one end

and give the other

unconsummated passions?

What seeks to destroy his soul?

What wants to take his body away?

Deep sky

                           and core of earth:

Why

             do you abound

within this miserable bit of man

who tries to bring together

into a moment

pre-destined poles

                         and God?

In his last moment,

what makes him look?

                          The peace

forever fleeting like spoken words

or

the realization of death

once the harbinger of peace

that does not exist?

                            

[We each stand alone...]

 God!

stretch your hand                              

a little further.

--Photography and poetry by Adolph (Adolfo) Caso

Michelangelo
The Creation of Adam

I wonder Adolfo, were we born as man and die as man...only then able to be finally born of God...

Your words always stimulate wondrous thoughts...

--your inquisitive friend, Glenda

Photos and Words from Adolfo In Recognition of Boston Marathon...

Boston Marathon

By Adolph Adolfo Caso

Deep from within the culture of Greece

Thousands of souls have run into my heart

Each carrying a single candle

Whose lights have illuminated

The heavens in our universe—

Alive and throbbing, even though

Four more un-destructible souls

Have been made

To populate my sad heart.

On perusing the artifacts at Copley Square

And reading the words of those surviving,

Either in phrases or graffiti,

I do not read about those

Who thought-up, helped, planned

And executed another criminal disaster

Against an innocence

Inherent

In the human heart.

Memories stand out on the meaning

Of the Boston Marathon

Shown through

The sandals left behind by those who walked it,

The sneakers left behind by those who ran it, and,

The wheel chairs left behind by those who drove it

To show that life is precious--

To be cherished rather than to be destroyed.

The Marathon is a representation

Of days coming together

With people from all over the world

Of every race, culture and creed

Competing with the sole object

Of finishing,

Together as one,

As if the human race were one Great Spirit

Growing without dimensions or time--

Like water

That should run

Into the oceans of our hearts.

 Come, pick up a cap,

And watch the runners compete against themselves;

Or,

Choose a pair of sneakers and run with me,

However short the distance may be;

Better still,

Take over any wheel chair

And give the people of your world

A heritage of triumphant life

Instead of pre-determined death!

Adolfo Caso, 

Friend, Author, Photographer, Poet, Publisher

is a regular contributor to

Book Reader's Heaven...

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