impressions at the river

Friday, 4. April 2008, 23:43:07

smells, river, food, poetry, alone, spring, long walk

i discovered the tujunga tributary not far from where i live...
assailed by several spring scents at once, i penned this unpolished pile of words.
pictures tomorrow.

when i got home i was starving so i made a healthy snack.

alone

i found a little river while walking about today
the scent of sage and roses and sometimes

orange blossom trees

i've heard that burbling brooks can whisper secrets
so i listened.

winding my way amongst young grapevines

i trapsed through some garrulous grasses

above,
a swarm of swallows
were dancing in the sky
they circled round and round above

a lone kite cut through their midst
not disturbing their happy speed
the wise and whispering brook then
chortled...
"why are you all alone?"

always refresh leftoversouch

Comments

Looks like a delicious snack.

I was eating a dill pickle when I logged on tonight!!

By cakkleberrylane, # 5. April 2008, 00:13:25

good for the stomach. i often eat a pickle with my snack.
i made my own pickles... but they don't taste as good as this one.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 00:15:33

Mine is Publix store brand, it was pretty good. I used to make my own - back when my kids were little - the recipe I used said to add enough salt, I think or maybe it was sugar, but anyway, enough to float an egg. I had to call my dad on that one, he did some calculations (he's an engineer) and figured the specific gravity, anyway, we figured it out and they turned out all right.

By cakkleberrylane, # 5. April 2008, 00:21:36

there's nothing better than a good jewish pickle like they give you on the side in new york delicatessens, 'vlasic' is the closest to that.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 00:27:15

My brother's spanish teacher's father contracted stomach cancer. That fall he ate nothing but "summer's end," the picked remains of the garden. Cancer cured!

By noah counte, # 5. April 2008, 00:35:42

now that is interesting. divine providence... one has to wonder what possessed him to do that.

i mean, where did this instruction come from which helped him cure himself. fascinating.

i am reminded of the man who, paralysed by cancer, went home, watched every funny movie he could get his mitts on and now he's fully recovered. he laughed himself back to life. coussins or something like that. he wrote a book about it.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 00:56:04

Good question - we'll never know the answer. Of course, cure can happen spontaneously (not very often!), but associating remission with some bizarre home remedy is a great deal more satisfying for me.

By noah counte, # 5. April 2008, 01:38:20

right... let's look in the dark. too much material about what is obvious. hmmm that triggers one of my mulla nasr eddin stories.

the mulla is sauntering in the evening and comes upon a friend crawling around on the ground looking for something. he asks
"what are you looking for, friend?"
"my keys. i've lost my keys!"

so the mulla begins to help him and searches around on his hands and knees for a while, then asks,

"well, just about where do you think you lost your keys?"

"over in the barn." answered the man.

"well, why are you looking for them out here?"

"there's more light out here."

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 01:48:25

Hahaha. I swear to God, I saw that in a Bazooka Joe comic when I was a kid!

You can see a lot by looking, but you don't always see what you're looking for.

By noah counte, # 5. April 2008, 02:09:36

probably did.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 02:35:23

It does me good to think the guys who did those comics were reading Mulla Masr Eddin

By noah counte, # 5. April 2008, 02:47:11

hey, i learned a lot from bazooka.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 02:52:06

I learned how to wear a turtleneck.

By noah counte, # 5. April 2008, 04:09:28

o.k. i give up... i can't see the connection.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 06:05:08

Hahah. It's the amazing Mort!

By noah counte, # 5. April 2008, 06:18:21

lol , i see, i see... after my bazooka years. i really am getting ancient, i guess. lmao. i'm talking bazooka 1950. seriously, it was very educational. i never got the jokes. but the subtext was my realm. they even used to define words.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 06:26:03

"garrulous grasses" eh?

I hear them too at times. Though they say I'm abnormally talkative, i find nature more so than me.

Your photos regarding foods are always so fresh... I'll have to visit you some day (for the food AND the paintings AND the poems).

By symphonied, # 5. April 2008, 15:27:59

Wasn't Mort around at the beginning? his calls for research!

By noah counte, # 5. April 2008, 17:38:49

it really seemed like everything was talking, but especially the grasses. i may be losing my grip.

matthew,
now i get the turtleneck allusion... that was mort. i only remember gloomy gus... i liked his name.

"Jane says to Joe: “I made this cake myself, Joe!”

Joe: “Jane, this cake tastes awful!”

Jane: “Oh, yeah! Smarty! The cookbook says it’s delicious!”

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 19:09:53

Hahaha. I guess every generation finds their own Mulla, eh?

I liked Gloomy Gus, too. Probably owing to my dysthymia. I was never much of a gum chewer, though. To this day, I never put more than a 1/4 stick of chewing gum in my mouth. I even get three tries out of a stick of Dentyne.

By noah counte, # 5. April 2008, 19:47:10

matthew,
how do you do it. you have forced me to go to the dictionery.

i had no idea there was a word for despondency with greek roots.

i can only thank my lucky stars that my moods almost never dip lower than dysthymia.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 20:05:42

Mine didn't either, for 28 years. Then a severe depressive episde, for which I'll always be thankful, taught me that life has ups and downs. I never want another down like that, but I'm so much more receptive to the ups now.

By noah counte, # 5. April 2008, 20:28:05

now in the light of a new day, and perusing these comments again, i am drawn back to matthew's,

"My brother's spanish teacher's father contracted stomach cancer. That fall he ate nothing but "summer's end," the picked remains of the garden. Cancer cured!"

there must be some real knowledge contained in that statement; having to do with the intentional maintenance of our stomach ecology. that reminds me of a friend who became a 'holistic healer' and the stress he put on the food we eat.

also, i have been told, and it may be untrue, that doctors are not required in their 'schooling' to study nutrition.

but there may be many answers in those woods.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 20:29:47

good think I had Mulla Masr Eddin stories growing up,I did learn a lot from those stories.
We had no TV till I started High Scool and "bazooka" was a treat at the newsstand where I was working at the age of 8! I was rolling tobacco cigarettes and I was getting paid in bazookas.
My exposure to nicotine started at a very early age.Even when I was threating tobacco leaves at friends houses.

Later Doctor Zhivango was the one that taught me about turtle necks.I was crazy about Omar Sharif."Lara's Theme" still one of my favorites.

What makes me smile Scott is that with Matt's vocabulary I only get the words based in Greek.For the rest I need a dictionary

By ellinidata, # 5. April 2008, 21:20:31

cool.

did you know that i can play lara's theme on the balalaika?
no of course you didn't.

not to create the wrong impression...
that's all i can play on the balalaika.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 21:27:18

get out!

balalaika and great food??

I think I will cancel my summer vacation to Pennsylvania and I will visit my late husbands relatives in California! One step away from your place

You can play one song and still be my hero!

I have the 30th Anniversary Edition of Doctor Zhivango sound track .
I am reminded often what a great job Maurice Jarre did on this one.

By ellinidata, # 5. April 2008, 21:37:40

a deep story like "doctor zhivago" really deserved the efforts of david lean and maurice jarre. what a perfect cast also.

yes, do come. i can certainly entertain you. you have already guessed that. we will climb above the sylmar hills and ride the malibu waves... efkaristo

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 21:43:22

it sure was,they put the effort and it paid back to them and us too.

I had a neighbor her name was Kitty Romano. Cuban born married to an Italian composer.

Every time PBS had Dr Zhivango running we had a "balalaika party" .
She is long gone now but when PBS has the movie on I still tape it in her memory

Silly me, I guess it's because of the balalaika!
It's music is like impressions in my heart.

By ellinidata, # 5. April 2008, 21:51:07

lovely little poem! the scents floating in the breeze... what images your words brought to my mind! thanks!

By wickedlizard, # 5. April 2008, 22:54:25

i love it when you drop in isabel. you are a true appreciator of the simple life.

By I_ArtMan, # 5. April 2008, 23:08:32

Very Nice! Thanks for sharing your day, Scott and the perfect ending...

By JilleeBean, # 6. April 2008, 03:03:05

Beautiful and i am glad i drop by here.

By BabyJay99, # 6. April 2008, 13:17:55

Write a comment

scott cumming

"There is no cosmetic for beauty like happiness." countes blessington

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I_ArtMan
2008-07-19 04:17:29
god save the queen. thanks
BabyJay99
2008-07-19 02:52:34
Have a good weekend Sir Scott
I_ArtMan
2008-07-07 02:25:42
glad to have an opportunity to help. thanks for the feedback.
Bluesoul91
2008-07-06 16:54:24
thank you for ur gud advice. I feel better now!!!
Panzerplatte
2008-06-27 16:26:33
:eyes:
I_ArtMan
2008-06-25 06:21:53
it's too late to not look

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