On the road to El Dorado
I saw myself crumbling
like the shards of slate-stone
and each making tread
more treacherous
Lemony fields revealed
to be much closer to
the rest of the plants
yet none with transmogrifying
effects
I sat in the shade of my own ego
just long enough to regain
my strength to justify
the reason for this road trip
on two feet
and as I approached the canyon
opened itself to me
like some coiled layer
of feminine sensibility
ready to assume a new
position
the palpable moisture
from the canyon floor
and the openness of the
flow invited me deeper
into the walk or maybe it was by then
a dance
thrusting the hips of rock upwards
till the meeting of stone and water
carved shapes in the backs of beasts
never wanting to relent
but
the water
always wins
and El Dorado gave way
to a lucid image
of myself I simply could not stand
so I watched the dream
end with the same emotion
I watched it
begin
Reblogged this on Tracey in Maine.
It’s fascinating how different in form and function, but still reminds me of an illuminated manuscript.
Thank you. I take that as a huge compliment as I am hoping so much to write for the screen. Cheers to you!
That sounds like a great fit for the way you look at the world, good luck!
I hope so. Thank you for saying as much. Your blog is really awesome today!
Love the colors. Nice shots.
Thank you very much I am so glad you enjoyed them!
Lovely alliteration and assonance in this poem. I am taken with the absence of punctuation and the delicious simile of the fourth strophe. I love the rich, dynamic, sensual imagery you use, particularly in the 6th strophe where the rhythm of the lines and the water imagery join forces to propel us (and the “I” of the poem) out of the dream, into reality, where we land ever so quietly… back at the beginning. Wonderful! I thoroughly enjoyed this, Michael! The photographs are stunning (and in a way serve as the punctuation, it seems to me). Thank you for the “Lemony fields”
I loved that.
you completely grasped my intent here. The photos were the de-facto puntuation..and I am so glad you read it without as the every dot or absence of was intended. we should talk more poetry my observant friend
btw – thank you for the detailed comment
Beautiful, sensual. I love the way you’ve likened the walk through nature to the openness of femininity – beautiful combination of words and images.
it is like walking on the body of an amazing woman
nice.
Wonderful pictures, and I can’t believe you also do poems, among all the other things, but I know of course. Love the El Dorado…
thanks! The El Dorado is cool
You were right to go back to your poetic roots. Very well done! The pictures were good but once I got into the poem the images interrupted my reading – the poetry was that compelling. Please take that as a compliment to your writing!
thank you very much..this was an exercise in this and I am getting some “love it” on the image mix and some that would prefer there to be no words. More often than not it will likely be a single photo. I am glad you enjoyed and thank you for your kind feedback!
Lovely shots.
Beautiful words.
thanks London Caller! Let me guess, your blog is about Germany?
j/k
IMO (Look at me use my new knowledge!), this was an amazing and deeply beautiful post. Thank you so much for sharing.
Currie,
I am so pleased you found this beautiful. I sense you have a knack for this
Well done, Michael. I like it.
thanks…I wrote poetry for 20+ years and it had returned with a vengeance
I see that, and it’s good too.
how have you found the Rockwell guide?
I haven’t gotten into the D300 information. My guru was logged into my box for hours fixing her up. She got as slow as dial-up so I had to summon him.
Get this: http://www.anthonyhereld.com/buyer-beware-ken-rockwell/. Somebody is not happy with old Ken.
lots of people don’t like him…if I listened to dissenting opinions as much as I could I would never make a decision…I will check this out though since you have taken the time to inform me
The comments on this link are so polarizing. I like the Rockwell guide more as an understanding of the function of my camera vs the awful included instructions. I play with my own settings and try and develop new techniques all the time to spin my images. I like what ol’ Ken did for me enough to endorse his very cheap guides. At the end of the day we all are going to create with methods we find most comfortable. Thanks for the link now I hate photographers as much as politicians
j/k
Ha Ha… Me too. I’m sure his instructions for use of cameras is good. The other stuff is merchandising. Actually, I didn’t read the whole thing. The people I know have followed him forever and found his tutorials to be really helpful. There is nothing without controversy now, you know. Everything is a war on something! I’m going to read his info on the D300. I just thought this was too funny since I Googled him and found that first.
Everything is a war on something! – you nailed that…so true..so true
Awesome..
thank you!
I love this! Perfect words and images for dreaming. Funny how the outdoors can be so sensual.
if you only knew Sheila
This has a distinctly erotic feel to it, and it is well done.
thank you Mike…eros ergo sum
I enjoyed it so much. Very special work where is easy to get insipration from this “dram”…
it was indeed and thank you for your comments
Beautiful blend of visuals and words. Well done!!! The first picture with the blue skies was like a pathway into the Heavens
colorado can certainly be this pathway
thanks boomie!
whew, I blush.
beautiful photos.
blushing is good
I like it!
thank you
awesome expression!
thank you sir…I appreciate the support
Lucid images, indeed! You are really a gifted poet, Michael. Have you submitted anything for publication? “I sat in the shade of my own ego” ~ this line speaks to me, somehow. There are so many shades of experience, shades of grey, shades of night, and (of course) shades for privacy. Keep posting, please!
Lilian,
I have not published but am in the works on a first book release here in 2012. I am confident it will be rife with all the components you see in my work.
I am so excited to have you as a supporter and I believe time in knowing is relative to the desire to know (speaking on your prior comment). Did you receive my note regarding travel etc? I have very thin shades of privacy….your comment made me smile
Hi Michael,
A book in the works ~ how exciting!
I did receive your note about travel and I think we have similar interests in that regard. I won’t be able to travel for some time, though, as I’m living on a shoe-string budget (with champaigne taste, of course!). Are you able to get discount flights, etc., through your work? Now that would be an awesome fringe benefit!
Lilian-Sofia
No deals on flights but huge benefits once I am there
How is your website coming? I look forward to your posts. Cheers!
My website is dragging its proverbial heels. ugh. I’m working on taxes and it is sooo taxing!
Lilian-Sofia
yuck, we just finished ours…finally
What a beautiful pic!
thanks!
Quite sexy! I barely looked at the photos!
me either
Thank you!
Your on a roll! This is stunning, the way you use the pictures and blend and bend your poem to them. Then to caue it all to mirrors an inner struggle–masterful. Very enjoyable post!
Charles thank you! You are such a pro at this so your words are extremely encouraging. You are one of the 3 or 4 bloggers here who have convinced me through your own excellence that I could return to these roots. It is a wonderful feeling