A Visit from Le Flaneur

Le Flaneur asks.

I say, I don't know.  Other things have come up.  I haven't given it any thought.

Finally, I post the details of a 100 Discoveries box: a green field, the black outline of a hand.

Le Flaneur asks, Is that it?  Don't you think you should let people know if it's done?

She is the only one who asks.

The last time I checked, I had just over 900 posts.

I wondered if I was getting close.

I stared, flabbergasted when I saw

Published Posts: 1000

What does it mean?

Why do we put such importance into certain numbers?

How different is it from any other?

Is it over?

What more needs to be said?

Selections from 100 Discoveries: News you may have missed during Trump's first 100 days.

this and other decorated boxes

showing this weekend at Jambalaya

colorful squares found

inside

the knit purse

i bought for $2

from a little girl

the day before we left Guatemala

art school teacher: on writing nonsense

as a way to discover rhythm in words

i suggest to the students: try writing nonsense

it's not as easy as you may think

writing whatever words rise to the surface

without having to make it make sense

i tell them i once made a habit of writing nonsense

months of months of nonsense

they stare at me

unimpressed

Art School Teacher: Comics Class

art by Renaissance High School students

photo comic by Chloe

We each scribbled on newsprint with a colored marker

until there emerged:

a face,

an object,

a figure,

a landscape.

We each arranged our four drawings

as a four panel comic,

adding details with a black marker.

About Rose's, I pondered all week:

The astonished cat,

The grounded stag,

A twisted shadow, surprised

The mountains echoing the birds' cry.

Then we added characters and voice bubbles.

And made new four panel comics

by photographing details.

the night i found a perfect poster for peter

no one showed

for the mindful artist class

which i didn't really mind

since there was a print making workshop

in the cool art space by the river!

by the time i walked there

the gallery was full of ladies 

in various stages of the printing process

and on the bar, next to a stack of cups

there were some open bottles of wine!

turns out the event wasn't open to the public

feeling too awkward to leave

i browsed through the rack of prints

and found this one for peter

Art School Teacher: six word stories assigned, rebellion staged

teacher assigns

students groan

teacher sighs

students know

the teacher

doesn't know

students demand

no restrictions!

teacher cries

teacher books

spring break

to Guadalajara

resignation letter

signed, sealed

never sent

teacher 

spends weekend

grading papers

again

poem for chakra ajna

one pointed focus

two petaled flower

violet third eye

cultivating wisdom

seeing clearly

non-duality

all opposites as one

awakening unity

between the eyebrows

sounding om

all seeing third eye

limitless Self

discerning clearly

limited personality

two petaled

violet flower

all beings unified

full of vibration

opening fully

one-pointed clarity

poem for chakra vishuddha

sky blue

sounding ham

sixteen petaled flower

throat blossom

listening inward

receiving guidance

thumbs touching

breath lifting

upward current

inner listening

attuned to subtle feeling

noticing sensation

collar bone, neck, throat, shoulders

aligning cervical spine

balancing metabolism

receiving messages

clear communication

inner being

deep listening

sky blue blossom

poem for chakra anahata

twelve petaled 

emerald flower

love and compassion

heart center

index fingers touching

softening and opening

harmonious

universal

love

sounding yam

emerald blossom

uplifting

self acceptance

all beings

compassion awakening

noticing emotions

allowing without clinging

twelve petals opening

heart center expanding

love

Western Versus Eastern Philosophy: Perception of the Center Body

poem for chakra manipura

yellow sun

solar plexus

vital energy

balanced activities

ten golden petals

exhaling into center

inhaling in all directions

fire elements

self confidence

yellow light

vital sun

middle fingers touching

blooming energy

ten petals golden

envisioning balance

fully vibrant

unfolding possibility

sounding ram

solar plexus

yellow sun

poem for chakra svadhisthana

orange wave

energy currents
self established

internal comfort 

nourishing relationships

six-petaled flower

interlacing ring fingers

waves of self healing

blossoming flower

adaptable, flexible, fluid

water, pelvis, womb

healthy intimacy

six petaled bloom

glands and organs

inner sea

sounding vam

deep breath

infused with wellness

gently bathe

inherent wholeness

poem for chakra muladhara

root red

four petaled

perineum

flower

root red 

deep breath

drawing down

root chakra

red flower

four petaled

pinkie fingers touching

earth connection

dirt connection

nutrient rich

sustaining

sounding lam

a low note

a red root

a deep breath

a four petaled flower

Art School Teacher: A Six-Sentence Story

1.  The teacher assigns a six-sentence story.

2.  The tall student asks, "Does it have to be six sentences?"

3.  The stout student asks, "Do we have to write about something specific?"

4.  The one who has trouble sticking to past tense asks, "Does it have to be in present tense?"

5.  The boy who wears make-up asks, "Can the sentences be any length, and is it due next week?"

6.  The sly student asks, "What if it isn't really a story, but still is six sentences?"

River Falls Sunday

Art School Teacher: Encountering Legends

The girls in podcasting class were arguing over whether it was called

the Anne Frank Room or the Marilyn Monroe Room.

What I gleaned from their conversation about the room; 

perched above the balcony, boarded up, supposedly haunted, 

seemed more Anne Frank.

But when we went to get the microphone from the theatre shop, 

there was a giant painting of Marilyn Monroe.

"See!" the oldest girl said.  "This painting used to be in that room 

before someone died in there and they boarded it up."

Only one of the three was willing to make a spooky laugh on tape.

But they all chatted excitedly for over 15 minutes
sharing what they know about the legends of West High.

high school haiku (free verse)

the bell rings

joyous reunions

lockers slamming

new clothes though unsure

where to go for homeroom

searching for a friend

old teacher shocked

how short the girls’ skirts 

how long the boys' hair

leaves falling

sweater weather

dreaming of kissing

teacher announces quiz

students groan

fooled again!

the first snow

everyone at the windows

lessons abandoned

loud speaker blaring

report to the auditorium

students slump, yawning

passing in the hall

hands briefly touching

hearts loudly thumping

after the students

exit the auditorium

a glove left on a seat

smells of tater tots

fish sticks and ketchup;

lunch!

absurd high schoolers

wondering what is absurd

and deciding everything

thick snow falling

praying for a snow day

instead, school

oh no! forgot

to study for the test

again!

muddy tracks through snow

a paper tumbling, a cold wind

winter school yard

day dreaming in class

notes passing, hearts breaking

teacher calling for attention

hallway empty

except one student

head bent, crying

warm sun, robins call

after school students loiter

holding coats, laughing

windows open wide

last day of school, finally!

the lake beckons

staying out late with friends

cicadas calling

hoping summer never ends