Mistle, epistle & toe

To the one I’ve been writing for

Where is that door with mistletoe?
I wouldn’t want to miss
carrying you across that threshold
with a kiss...

– Leonard Blumfeld (© 2008)

Written for ‘Mistletoe’ at Inspire Me Thursday.

New Year’s Eve Cinquain

To A.B.*

May you
be happy with
the choices you make for
the year to come, no matter what
they are.

* whose choices most likely won’t include hers truly

My first attempt at a cinquain upon instigation by Totally Optional Prompts. The specialty of this one are a few run-on line endings. All in all, this might not be my dearest wish, but it’s wishing someone happiness by doing what she considers to be the right thing with any self-interest on my part removed. And that might not be the worst to wish for somebody.

– Len “On the Brink” Blumfeld (© 2008)

Definition of the form
A cinquain is a short, unrhymed poem consisting of twenty-two syllables distributed as 2, 4, 6, 8, 2, in five lines.
(Definition by Linda Jacobs at Totally Optional Prompts)

I believe ...

that a great many nasty things are coming to a head now*

... but this may also bring about much needed change.

* For example, individual and corporate greed, all-pervasive commercialism, bickering nationalism at the expense of the world's good, religious fanaticism, idiocy despite or because of the availability of information, crime and fraud on the Internet, to cite just a few.

– Len "Seer" Blumfeld

Posted for I believe ... at Sunday Scribblings.

Canjurian dancer

Canjurian dancer wearing traditional costume
Ink and acrylic on photo paper,
digitally edited, 2008

Created for Inspire Me Thursday's Dress.

Antique gift

Antique gift of uncertain significance
Acrylic on cardboard, 2008

Posted for Inspire Me Thursday's Make a Gift.

I didn't have to make this gift - it was on my desk under a layer of papers and other "art", waiting to be discovered as a gift of uncertain significance and slightly revised.

Narrow escape

“Now you be thankful that Fury didn’t run away, son!”
“Aw ma, you wouldn’t have laid a guilt trip on me, would you?”

Written using fury, guilt, thankful from 3WW CXIII.

– Leonard “He Who Never Cared That Much For Horses” Blumfeld

The blunt fib

So

blunt

and mute

today, so

alive and within

a fluid flow just yesterday.

– Leonard Blumfeld (© 2008)

Razor-edge-of-day reporting fresh from the self-observation front.

Coffee & Wild Animals

For "Coffee Break" at Inspire Me Thursday
The photo shows the giraffe tin that holds my coffee powder
and the cheetah and zebra cups company and I drink from.

A walk in the snow, ca. 1975

The merest quiver of air
scatters powdery crystals

Tenderness of rosy cold blush
on Evelyne’s cheeks

– Leonard “Nostalgic Mood” Blumfeld (© 2008)

Remembered upon instigation by the 3WW words blush, quiver, tenderness.

A tinge of Klimt

A tinge of Klimt
Acrylic and ink on photo paper,
digitally modified

My contribution to Inspire Me Thursday's Open Topic.
Actually, the original is more Klimtian, having gold in it.
But I very much like the batik-like blue that replaced the gold.

Defying gravity

As long as there's
at least a nuance of hope

there's hope to shake off
even gravest gravity

– Leonard Blumfeld

Written using hope, gravity and nuance from 3WW.

My style

It’s quite my style
to wait for a while,

to sit back and wait
while holding a bait.

And it’s just bad luck
every once in a muck

that the prey
goes away

without taking a bite.
Nothing caught. Good night.

– Leonard “Amateur Fisherman” Blumfeld

Written for Sunday Scribblings #133, My style.

Today's romantic horoscope

Today's horoscope said:

Your romantic partner could be expressing intense emotions towards you today. These might be positive, but they also could be negative. Try not to let any emotional outbursts disturb you too much. Sometimes it's important to release energy that you have been holding in. Your partner might need to get some things off of the chest, and you should try to listen with an attitude of compassion and empathy.

The main difficulty is the little devil of a romantic partner herself. Is she or is she not? Anyway, feedback today has been both - a smile in the morning and ignorance in the afternoon. Neither very intense... But I always listen with an attitude of compassion and empathy. Even when there's nothing to listen to...

Forbidden

I knew I had done something forbidden – something terribly forbidden.
The faces around me were solemn and accusing, all those faces of people I'd thought I knew well and that now looked as closed as closed books. I'd even thought that they liked me.
No-one came forward to tell me what I'd done that was so terribly forbidden.
But I was all heated up about it, beet red in the face, cheeks burning, hands clenched, an electric feeling all over my body.
Solemn, silent, accusing faces around me.
No-one would talk.
That, perhaps, was the worst.
Worse than whatever I'd done that was so terribly forbidden.

– Leonard Blumfeld

Written for Sunday Scribblings' Forbidden. An improvisation on some of the guilt nightmares I've had.

One cool dissolve

In one dissolve
that trinket –
that measly little
stinky pink thing –
destroyed all my zest

– Len "Falls for Trinkets" Blumfeld

A somewhat deviant haiku written to get dissolve, trinket and zest from 3WW to interact. And a free contribution to Totally Optional Prompts.

Note
Not much work here at work ... and it shows, doesn't it!

Papercut art

A photograph underlayed with a papercut for Inspire Me Thursday's Papercut theme. I made a papercut, scanned it and underlayed a recent flower photo with it. This is just a section of the whole picture.

Good things combine

It's another grey day, with the clouds vacillating between letting go (mildly) and holding back but remaining grey and threatening.
A headache has been at work in the back of my head.
They're killing trees out in the backyard.
The motor saw is adding to the entertainment.

– Leonard "Razor Edge" Blumfeld

Knight on bended knees to his beloved lady

Barely a drop in the evenings now, only glad mist admidst the pallid murmurs of your dark rivulets. Oh how you make me swoon!

– Leonard Blumfeld

Nonsense ditty incorporating all nine words – drop, evenings, glad, mist, motionless, murmur, pallid, rivulets, swoon – from Café Writing.

Social mind at work

A little cartoon from the insect world for Inspire Me Thursday's Storyteller.

African Yellow

African Yellow
Acrylic on paper, photographed, clipped and digitally modified, 2008

A belated entry for Inspire Me Thursday's Yellow.

In the sky - cruising and vacationing

Today's horoscope for the coming week said:

You enjoy being in control, Capricorn, but this week the Universe shows you that it's not always possible for you to be in charge. You may decide you like taking it easy! Mercury turns retrograde on Wednesday. You'll play catch-up with the people and events in your life for the next three weeks. This is a great time to relax and swing in a hammock. On Saturday a new vista opens for you as the Moon in your sector of travel conjuncts your ruler, Saturn. You may embark on a long cruise or sign up for an exotic vacation.

• For a long time I've had the feeling that I'm not very much in control. It's been more like an inescapable road to follow, with some traffic lights and yield or stop signs for guidance.
• Glad to know that the Universe with a capital U is behind it all.
• They guessed right – I like taking it easy. I like things served on a platter, all nicely garnished and ready for the taking. Alas, that's not the way it works, and I'd be very surprised if it did next week.
• Don't have no hammock and don't even like 'em very much, to be honest.
• If it were up to horoscopes, I would have gone on long cruises a lot over the years. Exotic vacation? Perhaps Kazakhstan ... I've been getting interested in it due to infatuation with one of its citizens.
• I'll see, but I'm not holding my breath.
  

Breath from beyond

Breath from beyond

Acrylic and ink on paper, 2006

For Inspire Me Thursday's Breath.
My mother passed away last Friday. Whenever I go
back to look at her, I still expect her to start breathing
again any moment.
This won't happen, of course. If there were any breath,
it would be from beyond, as in the painting. Life,
colors and breathing are underneath the blackness.

Welcome home

The prince is back,
oh princely abode
with your dusting
needs and clothes
strung up to dry.

Go, inhabitor, go
put some music on
and make it some-
what inhabited.

It’s Sunday morning,
someone died Friday,
and you’ve just
taken announcement
letters to the mailbox.

– Leonard Blumfeld (© 2008)

Largely autobiographical, razor-edge-of-time, so to speak.

This also offers some explanation of my recent writing (and blogging) inactivity.

PS:
I’m using the not very existent* word inhabitor on purpose ... somewhere in between inhibitor and inhabitant.

*On the Internet it mostly exists as a spelling problem.

1st of September fib

It's

calm

in here

with my co-

workers gone. A lull

before the chatty storm returns.

– Leonard Blumfeld

Against the clock with music

Created for Inspire Me Thursday as specified ... against the clock in a way - the timing and mood being provided by a sufi music CD purchased today. Further constraint: colors picked at the beginning ... orange, cinnabar, raw umber, black. Executed in acrylic on Fabriano paper in approx. 40 minutes.

Ruby Bear

Ruby Bear for Ruby Tuesday.

Intimate river waiting

I
know
that an
intimate
river is waiting
somewhere to carry me along
infinitely. Where
is that boat,
that oar
it
takes?

– Leonard Blumfeld ( © 2008 )

Written with intimate, river and waiting as ingredients and inspiration from 3WW in the form of a fibonacci diamond.

Not quite polka

A late polka entry for Inspire Me Thursday. I like the liveliness and lightness of polka dot patterns and thought about creating something with polka dots all along, without ever finding the right combination of spare time and right mood. Today I pulled out the roll of a painting I'd started earlier this year. Noting that it had some round elements that had polka dot potential, I went to work with black for enhancement. The whole painting measures about 100 x 180 cm and is acrylic on orange kraft paper.

Transformation

From the last thoughts of Erica M. Youngblood

At age 45 I'd reached a point where I was willing to try anything to transform my imperfect physique. I'd always thought certain parts needed improvement – my overlong, sharp nose, my receding chin, my sagging bosom and flaring hips –, and when I chanced upon Madam Oryema through an ad in an esoteric magazine, I thought I had things licked. Little did I suspect that her patented blue shrinking pill would turn me into a candy-coated blue peanut. Here I am now, immobile on the floor, waiting for somebody to come in, sweep me up and dump me. Or worse: pick me up, wipe me and munch me.

Faithfully recorded by Leonard Blumfeld

Drawn and written for Inspire Me Thursday and 'Shrink'.

Well, I could ...

Do
I
have to?
Nice choice to-
day: sleep in? Go shop?
Paint? Write? Sheer opportunity ...

– Leonard Blumfeld (© 2008)

It’s Saturday, so this is all true. For Sunday Scribblings #122.

Seven shadows

Seven things that cast shadows ... or remove shadows

1. Twists of fate (obviously these work both ways)
2. Love in all its insincere, fitful, joyous, painful and – ultimately, hopefully – genuine, unadulterated incarnations
3. Intersocial play ... the equality – inferiority – superiority game
4. The weather
5. The planets (anything can be blamed on planetary influences)
6. I myself
7. Constraints ... basically anything: taxes, traffic rules, work, the need to have dough ... anything that restricts freedom ... thank God for some of these

List inspired by Café Writing: "So, gimme seven things that cause shadows in your life OR gimme seven things that you do to chase the shadows away."

Black Mexican Turtles

The stylized black turtles (or what else could they be?) I brought back from Mexico many years ago. For Project Black Take 9.

On a blackened door

This one I found near London's Brick Lane this May.
Take 7 for Anna Carson's Project Black.

More about treasures found in Brick Lane.

Approaching black

Another city ground shot for Anna Carson's Project Black.
Shades of asphalt approaching black.

Black holes

Black holes in the city for Anna Carson's Project Black.

Has much black

The Old House in Hereford, UK, built in 1621
for Anna Carson's Project Black.

Twigs, blossoms, sunlight

Twigs, blossoms, sunlight
Acrylic on paper, 2002

Posted for healing at Inspire Me Thursday.

Even though I do not necessarily think of healing as a prime objective of my painting effort and paintings, there definitely is an effect I look for in what I paint and what I'd like viewers to experience.
Several years ago I had an art exhibition titled 'Between harmony and disharmony.' One of my friends who attended the opening said, "You know, in your previous shows there were some paintings that were disharmonious, but there's not a single one here today that feels that way to me." I took that as a compliment and accomplishment.
But back to the experience I'd like to evoke ... I'd like the people who look at my art to feel that they have received something best described, perhaps, as nourishment for the soul.
And that would qualify as some sort of healing, wouldn't it?

Leonard Blumfeld

Sky and thin strip of city

This cloud formation out of my living room window fascinated me the other evening. My contribution to today's Wordless Wednesday.

Artistic games

Old games played with new tools at the Tate Modern in London.
Posted for Ruby Tuesday thanks to qualifying clothes.

Original Ruby Tuesday invitation.

The breather fib

Grey
sky
in July -
a breather -
a breeze before the
next scorcher that is sure to come

– Leonard Blumfeld (© 2008)

A day of emotional relaxation so far, perfect for reporting on something as neutral as the weather. At the same time, I almost reproach myself for being so mercurial: how can it be that someone I felt so passionate about just a few days ago now seems so distant – and not only that, but comfortably so? Or only numbly so – in keeping with the weather?

Hot summer day haiku

Sweating it out in the office all day,
with the addition of A. driving long pointed nails
into my all-too-willing soul

– Leonard “Leached Out” Blumfeld (© 2008)

Potential protest
"But that's not a haiku," some might scream, "because it doesn't have umpteen syllables and is not about bucolic things like cherry blossoms in bloom or the shedding of pine needles!"
Oh well, to me it feels like one in this heat.

My summer poem for Totally Optional Prompts.

Treasures from Brick Lane

Among the treasures I brought back from an excursion to London's Brick Lane – a street full of Bengali/Bangladeshi restaurants and stores – were six Bangladeshi films on DVD and Monica Ali's 2003 novel Brick Lane (now also a movie).

For several years now I've mostly picked books to read that were about a matter I wanted to read about – an interesting biography, personal fate, specific geographical or historical setting.

Brick Lane fits all four categories, is beautifully written and has a deeply human story to tell. I might write about it again once I've made more progress.

Dollhouse by director Morshedul Islam is set in 1971, when Bangladesh (then East Pakistan) was fighting for independence from Pakistan. Rehana, a young woman from Dhaka, comes to the village to seek refuge from the war-ravaged capital city. Essentially a happy, bubbly girl, she displays strange reversals of mood. The film gradually reveals her secret in a series of flashbacks.

A beautifully photographed film that stems from a time zone so different from our hectic one. A domain in which it is possible to feel the significance of every moment, the flow of time. I wish I knew Bengali to fully appreciate this soft-spoken gem of cinema.

Permanence

Will
what
was be
always? Kept
in an infinite
reservoir of thought, action, wish?

– Leonard "Transient" Blumfeld

A fibonacci for One Single Impression and Transience or Permanence.

Everyday art

It's 'art in the everyday' at Inspire Me Thursday this time around, and this photograph is exactly that. It is a snap of a section of a lamppost I took a few weeks ago, which has, over the course of its existence, obviously been exposed to various events and layers, such as posters stuck and removed, rusting, cracking, spray painting, weathering and who knows what other everyday occurrences.

L. Blumfeld

My nights without you

... are terribly boring.

To give you an idea – last night I ate three boring sandwiches (turkey on bread, nothing else), then ironed five shirts while watching Switzerland and Turkey slush it out.* While you were on my mind a lot. While I was thinking that our nights together could be a lot more exciting. For example, we could do ironing together. Or other things.

– Leonard Nightdreamer Blumfeld

For Sunday Scribblings' "My Nights"

* Actually, that turned into quite an exciting match in the second half. I was rooting for the Turks, so I was thrilled when they got the ball in a second time about one minute before the end.

Towering cloud

Evening sky with towering cloud. Taken out of my window last night.
Barely blue – I know. Darkest blue and lightest blue for Project Blue
and Wordless Wednesday.

Blue flowers

Blue flowers in Kensington Park for Anna Carson's Project Blue.

The hummingbird speaks

... and then there are those parts of Nature
ideally made for my fluttering approach,
colored an attractive red, to take a sweet
drink ... even though sometimes
big-eyed beings eye me from close-by ...
and I’ve also found the fount empty at times ...

– Leonard Blumfeld (© 2008)

Inspired by Inspire Me Thursday.

Jivin' in Munich

That's me blurred and jivin' in front of a gigantic art object in Munich last year. Posted for Self at Photo Hunt.

Decadence, sleaze and excess

Discovered in London, UK. Posted for Wordless Wednesday.

Faute de photo

Faute de photo,
faute d'art
faute de poème
je pose ici
les coleurs seules
pures et simples:
pourpre et orange

– Leonard "Franglais" Blumfeld

Sitting in an Internet cafe in Oxford and not having access to photos, art and (temporarily) poetic inspiration, this posting of the colors "pure and simple" occurred to me for Inspire Me Thursday's Purple and Orange.

Crépuscule du matin obliquely reflected

All night long I fought with memory
It was at the door and staging riots
The old wrecks of old times ...
I'd have to decide what to do with them
Crying, peace, power, lies, hope
It was all there in the sleep
that would not come

– Leonard "Imagist" Blumfeld
(after Amy Lowell)

For One Single Impression's Reflecting.

The peony that invaded the park

The peony that invaded the park
Two photos merged for Inspire Me Thursday and Whimsy.

Been walking since 1962

He's been walking wordlessly since 1962, and today is Wordless Wednesday.

Dramatic mountain landscape

Dramatic Mountain Landscape
Gouache and oil crayon on Guardi Artistico paper

Posted for Inspire Me Thursday's Crayon Art theme.

I use this technique quite frequently, starting with light shades of oil crayon, then painting over the crayon with gouache or watercolor. The waxy crayon repels the water-based paint, creating an interesting effect. Thanks to the excellent picture quality of my new reflex camera, not much work on the digital image is needed to obtain colors that are close to the original.

L.B.

The entitled to mope fib

This
morn-
ing is
far from soar –
my soul is flat sprat
on the ground and friendless. Go mope,
I tell myself, now
is the right
time for
sore.
Go.

– Leonard “Downer” Blumfeld (© 2008)

Sunday Scribblings #111 soar/sore for personal treatment.

In permutation of Gertrude Stein

A rose is not a rose not a rose

– Leonard Blumfeld

Totally Optional Prompts asked for Symbolic Poetry. This is one.

Note added in afterthought
Who knows what exactly Gertrude Stein had in mind with her triple rose ("a rose is a rose is a rose"), one of the most frequent quotes ever. I assume that she wanted to draw attention to the essence of what a rose is.
My permutation wants to emphasize the fact that roses are probably the most meaning-laden flowers ever – highly symbolic objects.

Forgotten entrance

It's still Doors for Inspire Me Thursday, and it's Wordless Wednesday.

Warm and cold

Warm and Cold
Gouache and oil crayon, 2004

A painting instead of writing for One Single Impression's "warm" prompt.

Something you've known all along

There's so much good telephone stuff out there in the music world that I could not even click myself into creative telephone mode for Sunday Scribblings #110. The lyrics of a historical Blondie hit from 1979 follow below. I call it historical because the fundamental situation presented ("I'm in the phone booth, it's the one across the hall") is a historical one. Nowadays we all carry our private phone booths around with ourselves.

I particularly love the cheeky line "I want to tell you something you've known all along" (from which the title of this post derives) – isn't that the gist of many phone conversations?

Here goes (I'm also posting the Youtube video below, which is fun to watch – if only because of Deborah Harry's funny eye and finger work):

Hanging on the Telephone

I'm in the phone booth, it's the one across the hall
If you don't answer, I'll just ring it off the wall
I know he's there, but I just had to call
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

I heard your mother now she's going out the door
Did she go to work or just go to the store
All those things she said I told you to ignore
Oh why can't we talk again
Oh why can't we talk again
Oh why can't we talk again
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

It's good to hear your voice, you know it's been so long
If I don't get your call then everything goes wrong
I want to tell you something you've known all along
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

I had to interrupt and stop this conversation
Your voice across the line gives me a strange sensation
I'd like to talk when I can show you my affection
Oh I can't control myself
Oh I can't control myself
Oh I can't control myself
Don't leave me hanging on the telephone

Hang up and run to me
Whoah, hang up and run to me
Whoah, hang up and run to me
Whoah, hang up and run to me
Whoah oh oh oh run to me

(Written by Jack Lee; from Parallel Lines)

Definitely human

A cautious human,
maybe too
cautious at times

Written using today’s three words from 3WW – cautious, human, maybe.

– Leonard Blumfeld

Chief storekeeper

Boy manning the family store in Kolkata
Posted for Wordless Wednesday

I’ll wear a mask for you

I’ll wear a mask for you
– Leonard Cohen

I did that for you
and kept the mask on for many days

At first I didn’t know
where my breathing problems came from

It got worse and worse
I was near suffocation most of the time

You were beginning to look at me strangely,
as at someone you didn’t recognize

I went for medical help,
explained the situation

“Is it that black thing you have on?”
the doctor said

“Now why would you wear that?”
“To please her,

and because I know
she wouldn’t like me without.

What should I do?”
“Take it off. The mask is the source

of your problems.”
“But I will lose her. She’ll be terrified.”

“How do you know?
She’s never seen you without.”

I followed doctor’s orders
and removed the mask.

“Who are you?” you said
My new looks did not please you

It wasn’t long before you left me
I went back to the doctor’s office

“Your breathing is much improved,
your face looks quite relaxed.

How come you’re back?”
“She’s gone. She wanted that mask.”

“You must decide what you want.
My guess is that she is not what you want.”

And with those words
my doctor dismissed me and closed the door

– Leonard Blumfeld

Inspired by the Lyrics and Verse Challenge at Poets Who Blog.

Happy Mirthday

An annotated snapshot from a neighborhood garden for World Laughter Day 2008.

“World Laughter Day” was created in 1998 by Dr. Madan Kataria, founder of the worldwide Laughter Yoga movement. The first “World Laughter Day” gathering took place in Mumbai, India, in 1998. Twelve thousand members from local and international laughter clubs joined together in a mega laughter session.

Where should I live?

You Should Live in a Big City

You don't want anything in particular out of life... you want it all. You crave new and exciting experiences. And you get bored fairly easily. Only very big cities can keep you entertained and stimulated.

Where Should You Live?

Looks like I live where I should live!

Still locks

Taken with my new camera, an Olympus E-410, and posted for Wordless Wednesday on Friday because I missed Wednesday.

Memoir of a reading arranged by a cowbird

Mr. Cowbird was the hyperactive kahuna of the culture scene in Badenweiler, a small spa in the Black Forest which used to be a nobility hangout in the 19th century. Its claims to glory and fame reside more in the past – it is the site of baths from Roman times, the ruins of which are still around, and the place where Anton Chekhov died in 1904.

Russian poet Vyacheslav Kupriyanov – probably better known in Germany than in his native country or anywhere else – had come to give a reading, which I attended to finally meet him in person. His and mine publisher had told me a lot about him.

The reading drew an immense crowd of about 18. Mr. Cowbird presented the poet with a lot of not so succinct words, making reference to this and that – including Kupriyanov’s more famous compatriot and old ties to Russia – and eventually allowed him to read.

Kupriyanov’s poems, particularly the funny ones and the ones he read in Russian, were received with lots of applause – much better than the prose. I seem to recall that he read an excerpt from his novel “The Wet Manuscript,” which left the audience in a state between puzzled and dazed.

Afterwards, Mr. Cowbird and his secretary led a small flock of die-hards to a Weinstube to celebrate the event with some of the excellent local wine and plenty of self-congratulation by Mr. Cowbird.

What do you do when exposed to the incessant onslaught of such an overwhelming ego? I mostly just sat there and blinked my eyes, as did everyone else.

I ordered red wine. Before the waitress could give it to me when she arrived with her tray, Mr. Cowbird, who had been impatiently awaiting the white wine he had ordered, grabbed the glass off the tray, took a good gulp and went on rambling.

Once, when he had asked Kupriyanov a question and actually let him answer it, Mr. Cowbird looked at his wine glass and said, “Did I order that? That’s pretty bad. I didn’t order that.”

“No, you didn’t. That was mine,” I said.

– L. Blumfeld (© 2008)

Written for Totally Optional Prompts.

The unlucky 26

Discovered today,
the first of May:

Rhymed ballads
of personal doom

filled with hilarious
detail of gloom.

Go visit PJD's The Unlucky Twenty-Six.

In the middle of nowhere

Dumped along the highway
somewhere in Texas,
thumb ignored

– Leonard Blumfeld

For 3WW LXXXIV. Also inspired a little bit by remembering the movie Out of Rosenheim (aka Bagdad Cafe).

In the green zone

This is a green sticker for a German low emission zone. Such zones were decreed this March in several cities of Germany. Cars that do not have a sticker are not allowed in low emission zones, i.e. if you're caught without you get fined. There are green (da cleanest), yellow (not so good) and red (barely passable, mostly diesel engines) stickers. The sense or nonsense of this government measure is subject to heated discussion. Owners of older cars – who tend to be the less affluent – are pissed because they are forced to either invest in a particle filter (which is not even available for some makes) or to get another car. While their old polluter will continue polluting somewhere else where there are no low emission zones – most likely in an East European country. While the main polluter still remains the industry, etc., etc.

Another and the final contribution to Anna Carson's Project Green, which comes to an end with take nine.

Oh such flowering

Oh such flowering in April and May!
I wish I could enjoy birch, nettle and bay.

Alas: grasses, bushes and trees, even bamboo
give me but watery eyes and endless achoo...

– Leonard Blumfeld (c) allergy season 2008

Written specifically for flowering at One Single Impression.

Downtown with a greenish tinge

Downtown Stuttgart photographed through the glass front of the new art museum café. The glass is slightly tinted, hence the greenish flavor.

Posted for Anna Carson's Project Green Take Eight.

The economical future of the planet

This apocalyptic painting by German artist Norbert Stockhus might depict the future of the planet if the current neoliberal economical trend is allowed to go on. The rich have erected a fortress in which they defend the wealth they have amassed against the poor left in the arid wasteland outside.

A response to Sunday Scribblings #108 - the future of the planet.

Weekly horoscope

There is a powerfully creative energy at work in your life that is encouraging your natural genius to flow.

Wow! Let it flow.

You are learning that you are capable of far more than you thought possible. Be practical, but dare to challenge yourself as well. Keep moving out of your comfort zone and all will be well.

Good to know that all will be well. But I don't like to leave my comfy zone. Is there anyone who really does?

Monday is excellent for taking risks and showing off your natural talents. Tuesday is not so great, as there are confusing elements in the air that may cause you to make a wrong turn. Take care when signing any new deals or important documents.

Ok, I'll be careful with those deals and documents. None planned anyway.

Venus moves into Taurus on Wednesday which adds a special note of sweetness to your social life. Going on a date should be a lot more romantic and tender at this time.

Let Ms. Venus come!

Thursday in particular could be very passionate with a touch of obsession in the air. Someone may want to get to know you more than you can imagine.

Can't imagine right now, but will be open to imagination.

Saturn turns direct on Friday, which will help you make better progress with all travel affairs, especially any major trips you may be contemplating.

I am contemplating a few indeed. India, U.S., Calabria and a few others.

You will also find that legal issues begin to resolve themselves at last.

There is one that has been weighing on me.

Saturday is not the best day for talking someone around to your point of view, wait a day or two before you do this.

Ok, I'll wait. Even though I usually don't even want to talk people into my point of view.

What a fantastic weekly horoscope. Mr. computer did a good job. Now let's see what happens.

The breathy fib

Each
breath
is in
the mike, and
this exposure to
breathing apparatus goes for
sexy. More voice, please,
and less child-
ish brea-
thi-
ness.

– Leonard “Music Eclect” Blumfeld

Invitable note
Just listened to one of these breathy singers* again while visiting a blog and had to vent my feelings poetically.
* I won’t say who it was in order not to offend anybody’s taste, but there are far too many around anyway. For my taste.

Mr. Green Shadow

For Anna Carson's Project Green / Take Seven.
Picture taken a few minutes ago in bright spring sun.

So I became another Mr. Green (not bad company ... there's Graham Greene, there's Julien Green, there's Peter Green ...) – but only in shadow.

And no, I'm not as bulky as in the picture. Thank God.

How Bunzilla was saved

A real story of incest, pregnancy and medical skill


When we lived in the village and the children were small, we had a female miniature rabbit who gave birth to two babies on Easter Sunday in 1992. One of them was sturdy, the other a little runt. Both of them were incredibly cute. There is nothing sweeter than baby rabbits. We called them Bozo and Priscilla, naturally assuming that the little one had to be a girl. We gave Bozo away after a while and kept mother and daughter together.

Much to our surprise, Priscilla also turned out to be a boy. We noticed because his mother started giving what looked like practical sex education lessons to her offspring. Priscilla was renamed Oedipus, and we kept mother and son separate from then on.

Being sickly, Ed stayed in the kitchen with us, while Bunzilla, who was robust and healthy, stayed in a stall outside. She had developed a nasty temper and could only be touched with leather mittens (hence the name).

However, they managed to get together long enough once, and she got pregnant. She gave birth to a dead baby but seemed uncharacteristically listless for days after the delivery, so we took her to the vet’s. It was amazing to see how this unfriendliest of all rabbits seemed to realize that the vet was trying to help her, and how she cooperated with him as he pushed and massaged her sides to eventually get another dead little rabbit out.

Bunzilla recovered quickly and became her usual ferocious self. We gave her away eventually. Ed, who was smart, loving, musical, funny, had a hay allergy and crooked teeth that needed to be cut regularly – horrible handicaps for a bunny –, remained with us until he died in 2002.

L.B.

I doodled the bunny drawing this morning for no particular reason. When Inspire Me Thursday came up with a request for medical art today, I added the sentimental rabbit memoir above to make it all faintly – very faintly – medical. Or veterinarian, I should say.

Green thingy

Bunny with green ruff adorning my daughter's hair on Easter 2007

Posted for Anna Carson's Project Green / Take Six.

Mostly Green

Public art for Anna Carson's Project Green.

An unknown artist's embellishment
of a switch cabinet in my neighborhood.

Going by the letter of the law, the creator of the graffiti did not violate the rule printed on the switch cabinet – "Bekleben verboten" ("Do not stick posters"). Nothing was said about spray painting.

Project Green - Aquarian

Not what it might seem like – un underwater shot.

Unfortunately I'm not a diver.

In reality this picture is a close-up of a turquoise metallic car hood in bright sunlight. The whitish spots are smudges from a cat visit.

Posted for Anna Carson's Project Green.

Trapped forever between ferocious creatures

For Wordless Wednesday.

Picture reflected stop

This was a message from “unknown” – just these three words, nothing else.

Like a telegram from those times of old when people still sent telegrams:

PICTURE REFLECTED. STOP.

What picture? Reflected by what?

I can’t let this go on irking me – what’s in three words of unknown significance from an unknown source after all?

But why were they sent to me? By whom?

– Leonard Blumfeld

For 3WW #83.

Project Green with Peter Green

As a contribution to Anna Carson's Project Green I'm posting a video of Peter Green performing Man of the World – a song from the early blues days of Fleetwood Mac. Both the picture and sound quality are excellent. Lyrics below.



Man of the World

Shall I tell you about my life
They say I'm a man of the world
I've flown across every tide
And I've seen lots of pretty girls

I guess I've got everything I need
I would't ask for more
And there's no one I'd rather be
But I just wish that I'd never been born

...

And I need a good woman
To make me feel like a good man should
I don't say I'm a good man
Oh, but I would be if I could

I could tell you about my life
And keep you amused I'm sure
About all the times I've cried
And how I don't want to be sad anymore
And how I wish I was in love

Written by Peter Green (song released in 1969)

Composition in red, blue and gold

Composition in Red, Blue and Gold
(detail, acrylic and ink on paper, 2008)
for Sunday Scribblings #107 – Compose and
Reduce Reuse Recycle at Inspire Me Thursday.

This painting, done specifically to create something titled Composition in Red, Blue and Gold, is the outcome of two done simultaneously on two different acrylic paper blocks using the same colors. I ended up disliking one of them so intensely that I tore it up, but then took some of the pieces and glued them onto the other one. Unfortunately, these two layers are hardly discernible in the scan. Gold and black ink I added after the rip-up and paste-on process.