Friday, December 11, 2009

Waikiki Embraces

I have walked past this tree millions of times.
But this time I saw the roots embracing the plants like loving arms.
This time I saw the heart shape.
Do you see it?



"Our task must be to free ourselves...
by widening our circle of compassion
to embrace all living creatures
and the whole of nature and its beauty."
Albert Einstein




Walking on, I noticed this embrace . . . of flotsam & garbage. . .





"You can clutch the past so tightly to your chest
that it leaves your arms too full to embrace the present,"
Jan Glidewell






I knew that I was onto the perfect theme for this post. . .
I was on the lookout for more embraces. This feather was a hint
leading me to my next picture. . .



"A discerning eye needs only a hint.
and understatement leaves the imagination free
to build its own elaboration."
Russell Page


The love-doves.
Coooo!



And there my little doves did sit With feathers softly brown And glittering eyes that showed their right To general "And there my little doves did sit
With feathers softly brown
And glittering eyes that showed their right
To general Nature's deep delight."
Elizabeth Barrett Browning.



<>


"Love...It surrounds every being
and extends slowly to embrace all that shall be."
Kahlil Gibran

<><


I have been walking for years:
Across the living room carpet,
down the street,
through the woods & fields of childhood.





My brother and I
once walked to a family friend's home in a neighboring town.
She looked past us at her door for my mother parking the car.
"You WALKED?!"
Mom had to come and pick us up that time.





Walking to school one day
I realized that one anonymous day of school
was not as worthy
as the amazing day I'd have
if I took public transportation
and walked around
"downtown"
(Thank you Petula Clark)
and I still do remember
that single magic day.




Remember that movie:
"Run Lola Run?"
I often felt as if I were in a movie
as I visited my numerous secret city places.
The streets, back alleys, and buildings
became my especial friends.
They never teased, or yelled at me.




My movie's locations have changed over the years:
New York City streets, New Hampshire's high meadows.
I traversed new realities
mediated by yearning, stress, and "enhancers."
I walked around Woodstock,
hitchhiked from Toronto to Montreal to Boston
(which involved a lot of walking).



Uptown, Downtown,
from adolescence
to "maturity."
My elderly grandmother was a great walker too.
Sometimes she is with me as I walk,
especially as I become
companionably older.


Now I'm walking Waikiki:
Low and High and out to sea,
'neith seas of skies
sailed by cumulus ships.


I walk along the sacred street;
Walking as usual
into the unknown.


Thank YOU
for walking with me!




ALOHA, cloudia

29 comments:

Reader Wil said...

Thank you for the walk! Thank you for the photos! Thank you for the visit! Have a nice walk in your town!

Elizabeth Bradley said...

Walking in Waikiki...

would make a great title.

JTG (Misalyn) said...

As always, thanks for the nice tour. :)

I love the first photo..yes, I saw it, the heart-shaped roots. Lovely.

by the way, i've added your site here:

www.myscrapsandpatches.blogspot.com

Have a nice weekend.Hugs*

RONW said...

I enjoyed the "walk to a family friend's home in another town"....

the walking man said...

Walking is the way to see what you are missing by not walking.

wenn said...

ya..i would love to walk too..

Hilary said...

The walks I take is the one recurring theme I seem to have on my own blog. How else can you really see things unless you're out there in the midst of them. It's amazing to discover new sights every day.. in the same old places. Thanks for this. :)

Charles Gramlich said...

Those love doves reminde me of me and Lana. hurray. Great pic of the tree roots and the heart.

Fireblossom said...

My father was a great one for walking, and I always have been, too, although walking for a living has dampened my enthusiasm for doing it on my own time. Still, any time I am on vacation, or off for any reason, my love of walking comes back like an old friend.

This is such a sweet post, with the embraces and the love-doves. Cooo indeed!

Btw, thanks, my friend, for the comment you left on "Pitch."

Daryl said...

Loved Run, Lola, Run.

Marguerite said...

Nice walk and photos, cher! Have a great weekend! Aloha!

Noe Noe Girl...A Queen of all Trades. said...

I certainly enjoyed the walk with you! That first picture is just wonderful.
<><

Friko said...

and while you're walking, continue to keep your eyes open and pictures as lovely as these will catch your imagination. Those tree roots are quite beautiful.

Jean said...

tat's a long strong root

A smile from SJ =)

magiceye said...

such a pleasure walking waikiki with you! love it! thank you my friend!

namaste /\
aloha!

Nancy said...

Walking always give such a different view and perspective.

Kay said...

I used to walk all the time when I was a kid and loved being out of doors. It's funny that now I look at it as exercise which doesn't seem as fun. Your beautiful post made me put walking into a better perspective.

I did see the heart and it's so appropriate because you have a lot of it.

By the way, thank you for your well wishes for Art. I'll look forward to seeing what you post. I'm getting nervous about Sunday. I sure hope he'll be OK.

Glennis said...

I am glad you saw the way the tree roots embraced the other plants in a heart shape. So perfect.

Kavita Saharia said...

Cloudia ,let me first congratulate you on this beautiful composition on the theme EMBRACE....WOW.Every thing about it is beautiful..the words,the pictures and the thought.ALOHA MY DEAE FRIEND.

Dina said...

Your doves in the circles is just stunning!!
Love walking with you, fellow wanderer.

SandyCarlson said...

Every word and image washed over me like a soothing blessing. Thank you.

Cloudia said...

Thank you!

Teresa said...

I loved this post. The pictures made my day. Sorry I didn't write anything, but I've been rushing about trying to finish this semester. Four more days till I'm relatively free!!

Teresa said...

I loved this post. The pictures made my day. Sorry I didn't write anything, but I've been rushing about trying to finish this semester. Four more days till I'm relatively free!!

Lana Gramlich said...

Yes, I see the heart. That's a lovely tree. The roots are so cool!

Cloudia said...

Thanks for visiting you two!

Kathleen said...

Embraces--lovely theme, lovely words, lovely pictures. You sure made my day. Isn't interesting how those images just "jump" out at us sometimes. The world is so full of magic and mystery and joy. Congratulations on POTW!

Cloudia said...

thanks, Kathleen!

Maria said...

I also walk practically everywhere, and I live in a place where no one likes to....

Congrats on POTW mention!