monday polemic

Did anyone stay up to watch the Oscars last night? I intended to, and tried, but the show was so boring, I finally followed my tiredness to bed about 10:00. The intensity of the hype is ultimately so ridiculous compared to what the show actually delivers; amazing my feeble brain doesn't remember it year after year. Got mindlessly sucked into the anticipation, tricked into thinking that all the "new technology" had something meaningful to enhance my life. It did not. Ah, the ruse of marketing. Had I a less-fallible brain or a more well-developed intuition, I would have clairvoyantly known to avoid the whole thing.

But — c'est la vie, as we Americans who know no French like to say. What attempted to pass as an unprecedented interactive experience was actually mere pander to the now-prevalent biologic aberration: the fractionalized attention span. Dozens of cams offered presumed exclusive views into the experience — fan cam, fashion cam, announcer cam, famous faces cam, 360 skyview cam, paparazzi cam, host cam, 360 grand stair cam, thank you cam, backstage cam, control booth cam, winners' photo cam, on and on and on.... My faves were the shameless "champagne cam" and "lobby bar cam" encouraging you to keep track of who was drinking what. Reality is, was just one experience chopped up into meaningless, unrecognizable bits called "options." (Read Barry Schwartz' The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less) Anyway, I eventually "woke" from the snorefest and chose the time-tested more productive dreamland.

joie debut

Piano tuner due
A’loll with morning brew 

Home sparkle nearly through 

For New Year's joie debut.

taking ten

Taking ten and tender break from hopeful home assembly serial sleepless nights for rest and respite late with coffee righting reading Stan Getz sunshine shepherding contentment tending interlude to wondering weary wake.

With 40 due plus likely 8 this week's a measured scramble toward Sunday 2nd finish. Three nights running I am 3 a.m. awake till 5 or so with quiet riot writing wandering wondering rooms each shimmer christmas lights their sparkle nearly polished ready soon for show. From chaos wreck a peak of lovely starts her slow reveal each brilliance hinting happy soon with friendly filling. Delightful elegance to feel her mettle best when shared enjoyed embraced. Each room near twinkling live with imminent embracing due.

who sprinkles dreams

who plants the thought-seeds in the night,
careful sprouts by waking,
tender shoots by light?

who sprinkles dreams with fertile-dust
to germinate by dawn
creation's tidy lust?

who pushes up the life from non-
through belly, heart,
to voice —  beyond?

with stillness and the moon the sparks
to stir idea's beginnings in the dark

they send her reaching restive toward the day
toward notion's petal
and inkling's burgeon-play.

chandelier pink is IN

Despite skeptical winces from all well-meaning design counsel, I am thrilled to have my Aunt Ruthie’s chandelier position prominent in my post-renovation home. Of course I'd rather have my Aunt Ruthie, but grateful regardless for surround of her memory and things. Post cleaning, rewiring, globe re-gluing, and stem-cutting, this Victorian gem is now secured with distinction, readily inspiring flushed heart and widened smile whenever periphery catches a delightful glimpse.

And how clever of Pantone to have enlisted her posthumous counsel to pick its 2011 Color of the Year — Chandelier Pink! (http://www.pantone.com/pages/pantone/Pantone.aspx?pg=20821&ca=4) Savvy as she was, I am certain it was Ruthie who advised the name “Honeysuckle,” whole-heartedly endorsing its marketing advantage over Chandelier Pink.

Those who knew her will grasp the serendipity on another level. Always a trendsetter, Ruthie’s style was undeniable — confident, elegant, exceptional — admired by us all. To us is no surprise to find her brilliance still in influence so far beyond her death.

winter woo

bourbon summer
scotch au fall
winter woo
from spring enthrall

season tempered
wonder's quell
scent apricot
taste caramel
on which we dwell
inspire swell (another shot?)
not posit tremor fell

what of words
exchange of tales
stories shared
of life travails?

ideas paired
like cheese and drink
with whiskey company
to sync encourage kosher
dialogue distinct
imbibe platonic think
and more?

where back and forth we two
in perfect measure drew
a universe of answers
neither knew before nor
could eschew once drunk
with notion’s roux
and your adore

what of wry
enlightened pour
of palate opened
mind implored?

clink imbued
with winter due
conference stirred
and chaser queued?

may toddy now ensue?

seabird dream

Waves pound gently steady at my door; they too are powerless charmed crash beat against the shore.

Lapping steady steady minding moon as all we are and moved to rhythm known or deeper far inherently intoned.

Powerless, yes, to steady heartbeat lapping moon beat tempering all to seabird dream — she knowing too what always we forget: all wisdom in the string.

And finally cool air follows too to bring the drifting breeze at last and newness settles silent all my worries, stirs, and coos.

Cool air indeed rides mentor wave reprieve to brave wherever arc should carry crave or heed them tandem to my door, they whisper minder silent save for whoosh or woo.

They tell us lapping rhythm score rapport is more than worries can implore. The world is safe tonight all safe is safe restore for seabird string l’amour.