Magpie Tales #74 and Poetry Jam, "Temptation's Mask"

Photo courtesy of Tess Kincaid for Magpie Tales

Temptation's Mask

With eyes downcast, unshed, behind a mask I hide
and try to overcome my desperate loneliness.
How do I move forward without you by my side?
The thought so painful and foreign, so odious;
my emotions oscillate between vulnerability
and vindictiveness.  A deep breath, I take.  My copious
thoughts filled with stifling revenge, not humility.
Dear God!  I beg of you to save me from such a vice!
With every broken heart beat my body quivers.
Alive I am, but for what purpose?  What price
if I give in to malicious temptation?  I pray my heart withers,
and shrinks.  For loving you, caring for you, is destroying me.

By Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, July 21, 2011

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This is for Magpie Tales & Poetry Jam.  Magpies photo prompt is the awesome African mask and Poetry Jam's theme for the week is temptation.  Just so nobody worries about me, this poem is completely fabricated and does not reflect me current state of heart and mind.  But, do beware of a woman scorned!  :)

Now, this is also for dVerse - Poets Pub: Crit Friday - a means in which a poem is to be approached with a bit of scrutiny and critiqued in order to help make it better.  There are some ground rules explained in this week's post over at dVerse.  But I am really happy to present my poem above.

Temptation's Mask was written in roughly 30 minutes.  I rarely try to rhyme - so that was my challenge.  But I didn't stick with a syllabic rhythm...  I often get to this point and then wound what to do.  I 'm all ears!
Critique away!  :)

I am on a bit of a blog break 'till the end of the month - July 31st.  However, I will have my I-Pad handy and will methodically go through whoever links up to this challenge.  

Macro Monday - A Biltmore Rose

A Biltmore Rose.  This is for Macro Monday.

In Tandem, " Journey into Light" & dVerse

Photo courtesy of Jinksy

Journey into Light

Softly seducing, the
blinding, beautiful light
of childhood memories
engulfs me, embraces me.
Happier, carefree days of yore
shimmer on the horizon.
My mind caresses them,
lovingly.  I hear laughter
and feel my heart race
with youthful exuberance.
My mother's voice calls to me;
I try to hang on, hold it close, but
it slips from my feeble grasp;
my aged and weakened body
resumes its steady heartbeat.

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, July 17, 2011

* * * * *

This is for "In Tandem".  Click on the name to see other takes on this painting!  I should have spent more time on this, but I wanted so to play!  A mere 10 minutes and this is where my mind took me.  I hope it isn't morbid... I find it reassuring.  Let me know what you think... and don't forget to click and play along - or at least read the other creative responses.  And feel free to join in on the fun each week or so... One of my watercolors will be presented here for this week's challenge. 

I am also sharing this for the NEW dVerse - Poets Pub .  A place to gather and celebrate poetry.  They will have three ways each week to either share or just read the poetry presented:  (1) Poetics:  A provided prompt, (2) Open Link Night: link any poem you like and (3) Form For All: teaching on poetry forms.

"Isabelle", a poem

Photography courtesy of Rosie Hardy for One Stop Poetry

Isabelle

Perfectly beautiful Isabelle,
she of smokey blue eyes
and dark silken tresses,
extreme sensitivity her allure;
manipulation, my game, unseen.
A playful, loving heart,
wickedly destroyed
by my powerfully curved talons;
vulnerability my stimulation.
My noble exterior a facade
as I swooped, stalked and ripped.

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, July 17, 2011

* * * * *

This is the LAST of One Stop Poetry.  I will GREATLY miss it and I thank everyone who hosted at this poetry site for the amazing time and effort you put into it.  I believe I have most of you on my blog list now and will continue to follow your individual blogs.   This is for One Shoot Sunday.  Click HERE to see the interview with photographer Rosie Hardy.

Images from the Past, Part 9 - My Grandmother's 1915 Yellowstone Journal

One of Yellowstone's Geyser's ... possibly "The Thumb".  Taken 1915

Saturday, July 3, 1915

Had about 200 dudes last night.  150 were a Texas party being taken through by Rev. Young of Texas.  They were such a jolly bunch, gave yells, songs, etc.  There were so many pretty Southern girls and our boys surely made use of the short time they were here.  The Texas crowd stayed to lunch so we have had to work all day.  The second crowd from Beloit, WI came tonight.  They had their trip before arriving here.  Yesterday, Ethel, Vera, and Phill went by boat to the "Thumb" to help serve lunch to the Texas party.

I believe this is the inside of a tent my Grandmother shared

 Had an exciting time tonight.  Just as we began eating dinner, one of the lights in the office exploded and set the tent on fire.  Drivers and all came to the rescue and cut the tent through the middle saving half of it.  Win was certainly scared.  Ruth L.  had a raincoat burn up.

Holmes Ferris, Esther Kellogg, Phill Sprague & Dorothy Dinsmore - some of my Grandmother's friends from camp.

Ethel & Joe Gibson - my Grandmother's friend's from camp

Ethel & Joe Gibson - close-up

My notes:


Sifting through the plethora of photos, I struggle with what photos go with her journal entries.  I have always loved the last photo - unusual to capture "in-the-moment" smiles like that back then.  I assume my grandmother might have known a few of the Beloit WI "gang" that came to Yellowstone as it was close to Roscoe IL - where she spent much of her early years.

This post is a participant in "Sepia Saturday's, post #83."    If you want to see my Grandmother's journal, which is a work in progress, Click "Images From the Past" .  If you do, please keep in mind the chronological order is the "beginning" is at the end (the very first entry) of the blog.

Magpie Tales #73 "Oblivious" (and Friday Flash 55)

Photo Courtesy of Magpie Tales

Oblivious

Immersed in permissiveness

and gratification, the sea

slowly rises to their knees,

boat rhythmically rocking

to the beat of frivolity.

Oblivious of danger,

consequences unacknowledged,

insidious waves ripple higher.

Laughing and splashing

worshipping beauty and youth,

the distant hurricane

tiptoes and surrounds.

Their search for fulfillment,

for success dances on,

the wind's warning howl

unheard.

by Margaret Bednar, Art Happens 365, July 15, 2011

This is for Magpie Tales #73.  I am on a kind of enforced "blog break" due to spending time with the kids and our search for a new pony (see post below or click HERE).  I missed (gasp) TWO Magpie challenges and it nearly killed me ... I think I'm addicted!  :)

This also ties in nicely with "Mr. Know It All's "Friday Flash 55" - a story in 55 words or less... (I did it G-Man, hooray!)  Check out both challenges and try them yourself.

Smudge - a photo and YouTube Videos

Smudge.  She is a Connemara Pony and I rode her on a rocky mountain trail in the western saddle.  We both rode her english.  Below are a few videos of her at the Mountain Top Ranch.  The first one is from a year ago.

Smudge "In Training"

And here is one of her a bit later...

Smudge "more training".. a trail ride and lunch

and...

Smudge Jumping

and Smudge and friends on her first hunt...

Smudge Hunting

and he second one:

Smudge 2nd Hunt

And a short one I think is cute:

Smudge jumping in the snow

Hope you enjoyed our new pony.  We will pick he up the first of August!  If you are interested in following her and my interest in horses, I have my "Just Horses" blog.

Introducing... Smudge, our new Connemara Pony

We looked high and low in the state of Virginia and finally found our pony at the top of a mountain!  I can't describe the beauty and had NO time to really photograph what we were driving by as we were on a mission to see a number of horses and ride them in 90+ heat.  It was a lot of driving and tiring, but rewarding in the end.  I will be posting my future horse stuff on my "Just Horses" blog in the future.

I am back in North Carolina and will pick Smudge up the beginning of August.  I have a lot of house work and "chores" to do in the next few days, but hope to be "back in the saddle" in blog land soon.  Hope you are all having a wonderful summer.

So, this is a teaser... come back tomorrow to see the unveiling (here or at my "Just Horses" blog!

The first photo below is for "Perceptive Perspectives" - theme "Your Choice".  This gorgeous stallion below is a Gypsy Vanner (or Gypsy Cob).  I ran into him in the Appalachian Mountains and HAD to photograph this handsome horse.  These grand horses were bred in Romani to pull wagons (vardos).  They are a recently recognized breed.  The first registered horses were imported to North America in 1996.   

Where is Margaret?

I have not been able to keep up with my favorite challenges nor visit my blog friends lately.  I have forced myself away from the keyboard to spend time with the kids.  This summer we have had fun swimming and leasing a pony and a bit of bike riding.   This past week and probably next, I am busy looking at a variety of horses to buy for myself and my daughters. (within 150 mile radius)  As I said, we have leased for a few months and now want to be proud owners of a horse of our own.  I miss my poetry challenges immensely but hope to be back in the swing of things in a week or so.  I hope all of you are having a wonderful summer!  I won't be uploading many photos here, but every once in a while I post a horse photo on my horse blog:  Just Horses

Happy Fourth of July

I organized the kid's parade and pool party today - they decorated their bikes and my daughter face painted flags and cute things on many a cheek.   Hot, hot outside - so the balloon toss turned into a balloon fight and then everyone jumped into the pool.  Pizza and, of course, watermelon for lunch and popsicles - of which my little guy ate at least ... 12!  He had a BLUE mouth.  It is time for fireworks soon... and of course, we have been dry, dry here in NC and NOW it decides to rain.  No POUR.  Oh well, my kids are already pulling out the old-fashioned game boards.  Looks like it will still be fun.

This is for Macro Monday.  This little frog may not look like it is a macro... but consider it is smaller than my pinky finger!  And boy can it hop... it was NOT easy capturing this fellow as it was shady and my camera would finally focus and he would hop away.  I had to track him down (he is not easy to spot) and start all over again.   So, are you impressed?  

The Perfect Tree

Not many things in life are perfect, but as far as I'm concerned, this is the perfect tree.  It is in the middle of a beautiful pasture - even has a small lake or big pond in the background and horses walking under it at times - and I hope to capture this tree throughout the seasons.  Happy Fourth of July, to my fellow American bloggers.