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)