Coming Up For Air, Minneapolis, Minnesota, March 2008, photo © 2008 by QuoinMonkey. All rights reserved.
buried in March snow
cedar branches flex and bend
coming up for air
-posted on red Ravine, Saturday, March 22nd, 2008
-related to post: haiku (one-a-day)
great imagery–I know that is over used–but is wionderful
LikeLike
QM,
Your haiku fits the photo perfectly! I just read this great quote:
“If you hear a voice within you say,’You are not a painter,’
then by all means paint…and that voice will be silenced.”
Vincent Van Gogh
March moon is the crows’
crows flew out of the corn field
Van Gogh left this life
LikeLike
blankets of white snow
covering the branches of green
beauty warms my soul
LikeLike
Thanks everyone! It’s a reading and writing afternoon. Winter inside day. Yet, it’s warmed up again, as March will do. And the snow is almost off the trees!
spring sticks out her tongue
slurps the melting cedar drips
winter stands naked
LikeLike
hey oliverowl – are you reading a book about Van Gogh? I’ve noticed the references in your haiku. Interestingly, I visited a friend’s art studio last week and she was working on a triptych. I noticed some of her circular swirls looked Van Goghish. His work has so much energy.
LikeLike
QM – I recently saw a segment on PBS, where theyshowed paintings that have been recovered from what the Nazis took from Jewish homes in the Netherlands. Among them were some Van Gogh’s, that had not been seen for all these years!
Then, I read that the March moon is called the moon of the Crow, which brought to mind his last painting of the crows over the corn field. I had also been remembering the first winter that I lived in ND, my mother-in-law & I took a bus up to Winnipeg to see an exhibit of Dutch paintings that ordinarily never leave Holland…they were on loan to Canada, traveling around the country, as a “thank you” for letting the Dutch royalty stay in Canada during the Nazis’ occupation of Holland. It was the first time I had seen Van Gogh’s paintings, other than in photographs. I was truly amazed! One cannot perceive the rich texture and depth of color of his work from photos! Finally, the other day, the Librarian in Cody put this quote in her monthly e-newsletter…one thing leads to another, right?
LikeLike
oliverowl, that sounds like a great PBS segment. Especially interesting is that you saw your first Van Gogh’s up in Winnipeg while you were living in North Dakota. What a great story.
Great Van Gogh quote, too. About silencing the critic by doing your art (or writing). I can’t remember if or when I’ve seen a Van Gogh. If I did, it was at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. That bugs me. I want to remember. 8)
Yes, the Crow Moon. I need to do my Moon Writing Practice for March. I haven’t done it yet. Last night was the full moon but we couldn’t see it because of the storm. The last moon was so amazing because of the eclipse. I also saw a couple of other names for the March Moon. But I’ll save them for my Practice!
Happy Saturday evening in Wyoming. Say hi to the mountains. Oh, and the stars! The stars in Wyoming are very Van Goghish. 8)
LikeLike
QM, the stars ARE amazing in WY, especially in comparison with the murky, brown night skies of Los Angeles!
BTW, I watched all your NM photos, and there’s no bluer sky than in that beautiful State!
Oh, You’ll get a chuckle out of this…as well as YB…when the bus crossed the border from ND to Manitoba, we all had to declare to the customs officer the place of our birth. When I stated New Mexico, he asked, “Are you a citizen of the United States NOW?” I replied, that’s NEW Mexico, one of the States. He eyed me suspiciously, as he moved on to the next passenger.
LikeLike
Wild to see such heavy snow in late March, but then not so wild to think that the sun came out and melted it all away.
QM, these photos and haikus are wonderful. They’re light AND profound. And inspiring.
I am up late but about to go to bed. I’ve been preparing for Easter feast here at our house. Hosting holiday meals is a lot of work. I have a so much gratitude for those in my family and Jim’s who have hosted Easter (and other holidays) in the past.
Night.
LikeLike
ybonesy, have a good meal with your family today. I’m sure it will all be wonderful in your new home. Liz and I and the 3 cats are staying in today. Liz brought some flowers home and a honey-baked ham from the Honey-Baked Ham store. I can’t wait for our late afternoon meal.
oliverowl, it’s such a small world. I’m always amazed at how connected everyone is by places they were born, places they grew up, places their families are buried. We live in a transient society. But there is still this longing to go back and reclaim the places we once knew as home.
Happy day everyone. It’s quietly snowing in Minnesota. We got over a foot over the last few days. It almost melted off the trees, then when I woke up, it was magically back again.
LikeLike
QM I believe you were with me as a toddler when I went to see an exhibition of Van Gogh paintings in Augusta. They were on loan also. So many years ago!!!!!! It was my first experience to see actual paintings by a great artist and very inspiring.
LikeLike
Mom, I had no idea you had been to a Van Gogh exhibit in Augusta. Wow, I saw Van Gogh as a toddler. 8) Hey, do you remember where you saw the paintings? Was it a gallery in downtown Augusta or an art institute? Just curious.
LikeLike
As well as I can remember it was in North Augusta(a suburb of Augusta). The Women’s club had arranged for it. It was quite exciting for me as I was in my early 20’s and fairly new at enjoying art. I had only been busy with life as a mother and daily life, which that part of the world had not been part of until then. I had had some introduction in art at school and was aware of the Art Instute which I walked by many times going from my grandmother’s house to Aunt Cassie’s., the wall around the Institute was covered with the most beautiful Wisteria vines. That’s where my love of Wisteria’s came from.
LikeLike
Oh, that’s cool. It was part of your time with the Women’s club. I’d like to go into that Art Institute near Aunt Cassie’s next time we go home. I don’t know if it’s the same one you are talking about, but I think so.
Remember the building we drove by that day – the Herbert Gertrude Herbert Memorial Institute of Art on Telfair near Aunt Cassie’s. Is that the same one? That’s the one I’d love to visit next time.
Oh, here’s a photo link to the steps there: Grand Entrance (LINK)
Also, here are the ones I did get posted. They are in The South set (LINK) on Flickr.
LikeLike
QM,
I don’t always comment, but I want you to know how much I enjoy your stunning nature photos with accomanying haiku. The images and the words bring me right to a moment in the outdoors.
LikeLike
Thank you, Christine. Much appreciated. I’m grateful for the Clark Strand book, Seeds from a Birch Tree, and to Natalie for teaching me how to use it, and getting me hooked on haiku last year. And then for breathepeace who inspired me to keep going with it this year. She is dedicated to her practice. Thank you!
LikeLike
Beautiful image…though, I can only imagine as a Florida girl.
I loved the haiku especially “coming up for air”
Thank you!
LikeLike