Nugget and Root

Triplicate

Searching

That _____

The umph and ahhh

The something-something that changes and unravels the mystery of one's life

Searching

Digging

Breaking up

Giving up

Surrendering

And trying again and again and again

Searching

Seeking

Getting advice

And venting one's soul

Replacing

Substituting

Hoping 'this' will be a reasonable replacement for 'that'

Looking in eyes

Examining hair and expressions

Hoping "he" or "she"

Will be the solution for the ache

Giving up

Settling

Disillusion becoming dis-ease in your mind body and soul

Holding a glimmer of hope

An ember buried in the dust of years of trying

Waiting for someone, something somewhere

To BE

Thought for The Day - Searching for...

A new experience

Another nightmare

Lost Love

New Love

The quintessential song

The right words

Spoken in the right time

To the right person

That subtle moment when the colors on the brush

Convey your state of mind

And the state of your emotions

Thought for The Day - Troublin' Times

Oh it's a troublin'
These days and times
We don't know where we're goin
 And we sho' don't know how to get there!

I look out my window and see the movement of traffic north and south. All day, cars (people) going and coming, visiting and leaving, here and there. A billion thoughts, feelings, memories, todays and tomorrows going by. While it is dark, their thoughts are driving by, not resting, not enjoying a warm bed or the arms of a lover. It is, indeed 'troubled times.' Like a constant churning of waters from below, it leaves us all 'unsettled' and wondering.

I guess we love our drama...we like it served on fine china, on mahogany dining tables underneath crystal chandeliers. We like to trouble the waters - in another's life - and complain when others aren't giving us our dessert with the silver plated dessert fork. We are a troubled people.

All across the land, over the seas and in the far reaches of continents undiscovered (Maybe they should remain undiscovered; there might be peace there. But Lord knows we won't let it remain that way!), trouble rules the land! And when we lie down, our dreams are full of the raging, boiling waters of turmoil and chaos.

And yet the children play when we let them... undisturbed, full of laughter and not a care (trouble) in the world. But not for long; we need them as fodder for this fight!

Thought for The Day - Subterranean

The Phoenix 18 x 24 pastels

Years ago on one of our many trips to the South to visit my parents' relatives, we stayed with one of my father's aunts, living in Mississippi. The land was my father's family land, a sprawling bit of acreage used for farming and growing trees. The narrow road going up to the place will probably remain rough and grown over until one of 'us' decides to make something of the place.

My aunt "Callie" - not sure if that's her real name - lived in a two room home a distance from the spot where my father and his siblings were raised, and I had the impression the land was used by many family members over the years. The house was far from fancy; it was as basic as one would imagine. No electricity, no phone and no running water; if you needed to use the "facilities, there was a small outside "closet" with a door, if you know what I mean. And water? there was a large well in her front yard.

Thinking back on the place, that well comes to mind. Her home is long gone and amazingly, the last time I visited the land, my grandfather's smaller home was still standing. He also had a well in his front yard, though it has collapsed as well. But it was looking at this land through adult eyes that lead me to write this morning. Creeks run around the land, beside the spot where my grandfather's home stands and in other spots. Wells and creeks; water running beneath the surface of the land. Water, from sources we can't see, but someone had foresight to dig to find.

Sources we can't see.

Water, nourishment you have to dig to discover

Places, resources one doesn't "know" but upon digging, you find what's needed and desired...

There are resources for which we search. We dig around, we scrape about, looking, longing and needing.

And one day you find exactly what you're looking for, but in the most unlikely places.

If not for the effort, the searching, what's needed would go undiscovered...

Thought for The Day - Peer into Your Soul!

I've noticed that many people, either the first time or for a short while after we've met, seem to look at me as if I'm staring too intently. Some folks look away or simply shy away. I wondered if I was doing something wrong, if my face indicated I was crazy; did I have a look of insanity? Did a third eye that pop up in the middle of my forehead?

But I've taken time to "see what I'm seeing," to examine who I am. I look intently at people. It's partly because I am an artist and I'm always in anatomical mode. Meaning, I look at details of people's noses, their expressions and the way "all the parts" come together. Musician Bilal's opening line from his song "All Matter" says it best: "we're all the same, but all so very different. Divine by design, it all intertwines."

There are so many parts to us, both seen and unseen. When I have time to sit with someone, try as I might, I'm examining their face, the movement of their body and I'm looking for more than the visual representation of the individual; I'm looking for your soul! Sitting and talking with my children, my parents, friends and family, I'm always looking for truths that aren't being spoken, I want to know if you believe what you're saying; tell me how you "really feel!" I may not voice this regularly and I'm not always in this "mode," but I am interested.

We are taught to cover our selves; from childhood, we are taught to sit quietly, laugh softly and yet, somehow we are supposed to love freely. How does one love, when we are so afraid of being ourselves and as a result being hurt?

Forgive me if I stare; I'm just trying to see your soul!