Friday, May 15, 2015

So I Set Out

So I set out, not really with a plan, just a sense of determination. The path is dry, the leaves are green, the birds are singing. The morning beckons. A sheen of dew glistens in the sunlight, not a cloud in the sky. I am home. I am happy. I am lost.

I can’t help but hold my chin up, close my eyes, and breathe it all in as I take my first steps. A cool breeze sweeps over my face and I am gone. I want my bicycle, but the terrain calls for something less sophisticated. My feet are the vehicle this path demands as the gravel crunches under my soles.

I open my eyes, look down from the sky and study the horizon. Step by step, it seems to stay the same, as if I will never reach the hazy hills in the distance. Do I even want to? My foot suddenly catches on a root protruding from the path and I realize I should focus a little more on where I am now. I steady myself on a wooden fence post, dust off my hands, and continue on.

I can see the path winding as I begin to raise my eyes again. It’s like something out of a fairy tale. A row of small trees line a knoll as the path curves again. The grass sways freely in the breeze as it has lost the grip from the dew. I pass by a field of clover, pick a flower and breathe in its delicately sweet scent. My sights set again on the hills, still hazy, still out of reach. I don’t want to stop.

As I continue my trek, the path suddenly splits into two. As if out of nowhere, a choice is before me, no markers tell me which way to go. For the first time, I want to stop.  Both ways look the same, both seem to lead to the same destination. I have no map, just a sense of direction. I warily make my choice, head down my chosen path, and the hazy hills are still on the horizon.

As I continue to make my way down the path, it suddenly begins to narrow. The gravel turns rough and it is becoming difficult to walk. The sun still shines bright, but it begins to feel hot on my face and the once cool breeze slowly goes away. The path no longer winds and I find myself only walking in a straight line. I no longer want my bicycle. I keep my eyes down, watching the path, making sure I don’t trip on a rock.

As I wearily navigate the stony terrain, a spot of green catches my eye. A patch of clover peaks out from under the rocks and a single flower blooms. I kneel down on the path and put my nose down to the tender little flower. I gently breathe in its sweet scent and remember the field of clovers from earlier in my journey. I lift my eyes to the sky again and breathe it all in as if I were taking my first steps.

The path remains rocky, though not as bad as before, and I feel like I am learning to navigate it. The path steadily begins to widen and wind again; and a gentle breeze fills the air. As the sun crosses the meridian I hold my chin up and close my eyes again. I open my eyes, look down from the sky and study the horizon. I see the hazy hills in the distance but I no longer recognize them. I don’t want to look back to see how far I’ve gone.

Friday, May 1, 2015

Roaming the Planet


Hello Ditalinis! I have thought up a creative writing assignment for May, if you would like to participate we would all LOVE to read your words! This month we will be traveling this wild planet, and sharing our journeys with the group. You won't need a plane ticket, just your imagination! Choose a place to 'travel' to, anywhere on the Earth!Then write and post a travelogue-style journal entry, or series of entries about your adventures. I'm leaving the rest to the imagination. Please use your creative license to make this assignment light-hearted, harrowing, humorous, transformative, completely mundane even if you wish. You could journey to a rest stop in Tennessee and get caught up in a strange conversation with a truck driver... you get the idea. Love & Ink, Katie

Thursday, April 30, 2015

Suprise Ditalini Press Reunion!


Hello Ditalini's! I would like to officially announce the May 1st 2015 Ditalini Press REUNION! Put the water on, dust off your bowls, polish ye ol' forks, so to speak. I was feeling quite "pasta"tively certain that it would be welcomed with open arms! Tomorrow I will announce May's assignment. I hope you are all available and excited to participate. It's been 4 years since our last official DP assignment! May this May birth something special!

Sunday, December 22, 2013

Christmas 2013

copyright © 2002 John Doe
 
 
A Very Merry Christmas to you all! God Bless, Peace & Love! 

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Illumination: 30 December 2011. 3:15 p.m. Glen Mar.


 
as if etched on its surface,
the wall speaks to me in shadowy form.
a silhouette shown brightly,

constant - 
until it’s time to take you down.
and another Eve passes

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Brewed by the Sun


Early morning, sun rising
Summer breeze in the air
The day before you
Clouds passing
Time is of no care

Leap the sprinklers
Ride and skate
Intemperate summer fun
Mason jar, tea bags steep
Brewed by the sun

Simply sweet, crisp and mellow
Savor the time and care
Back porch glider
Sunset horizon
Serenity everywhere

Monday, July 25, 2011

Illumination - Occasion 1



In keeping with the "illumination" theme, I wanted to share a photograph I took around eight years ago. This was taken before the digital revolution when the anticipation of waiting for developed film made the day you finally were able to view the results a very special one. I have titled it "Occasion 1". I chose that title because to me windows and/or doors or any opening from the inside to the out can be symbolic of an opportunity. The contrast is pronounced between the light and the dark and although most of the frame is black, the light still wins.

Sunday, July 17, 2011

Illumination Round-Robin - Sunspots on Wildcat Creek

The final lines of the "Illumination" poem by J Power:

"
Seeing the water
I sat down and said to myself,
'We can be as beautiful as we want to be.'
"

inspired me to select this photo for the Illumination Round-Robin. Taken from the south bank of the Wildcat Creek, just a few yards downstream from the Adams Mill covered bridge, the uneven surface of the water produces not a single reflection of the afternoon sun, but rather turns the sun into hundreds of sunspots. This is fitting, since the image was captured shortly after leaving a reunion picnic of employees of the Sunspot Natural Market, owned by my sister, Joan. The Sunspot Natural Market has two locations, one in Kokomo, Indiana and the other in West Lafayette, Indiana, and is in its 34th year of operation. The event was held on the grounds of Adams Mill, which was constructed on the Wildcat Creek in 1845.

This photograph was taken on July 4, 2011.



Illumination Round-Robin - Adams Mill covered bridge

The Adams Mill covered bridge, located near Cutler, Indiana about halfway between Kokomo and Lafayette, was constructed in 1872 to allow single-lane passage over the Wildcat Creek. The bridge was completely reconstructed in 1999, and features a central open window on each side of the span, which illuminates the interior with natural light. The window openings also afford a view of the creek in each direction. The accompanying "illumination" photograph is a contribution to the Illumination Round-Robin, and was taken on July 4, 2011. Here is a view of the structure before reconstruction, and here are some architectural drawings of the original bridge, drawn in the 1970s by students from Ball State University College of Architecture and Planning under the supervision of the United States Department of the Interior. The Ball Stgate University study shows that the bridge is constructed using Howe trusses with added arches.





Thursday, July 14, 2011

Illumination Round-Robin & Wishing You a Happy Birthday, Ditalini Press!



The latest post by J Power, Illumination, gives me the idea to start a round-robin. I'm continuing his theme with this balloon flower photo - see the star "illumination" center? Want to keep it going? Jump in! Post your photo, poem, tale - true or tall, or do like J Power and link to your YouTube video!

Happy birthday, Ditalini Press! You are all stars!