Calliope, the muse of epic poetry, daughter of Zeus and legend says she inspired Homer in his writing of the classics Odyssey and the Iliad. An anthology with her name is offering the Women Who Write 2013 International Poetry and Short Prose contest for a submission cost of $12 with a deadline of June 30, 2013. Continue reading
From the personal book collection of Mrs. Artin K. Shalian, an old family friend, I pulled out Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald and Illustrated by Edmund Dulac. There is no date on the book – but it may have been published around 1909 or so.
I love these old books that offer a message as though there were just yesterday written.
Ah, my Beloved, fill the Cup that clears
To-day of past Regrets and future fears …
Omar Khayyam, a Persian poet, mathematician, philosopher (18 May 1048 – 4 December 1131) Continue reading
Travelers know the risks, know the loneliness and even know the fear of the ‘what ifs’ starting out on the journey. Yet, each journey is filled with a story to give hope, compassion and a reminder that we are all human and connected. Following is “Wandering Around an Albuquerque Airport Terminal” by Naomi Shahib Nye .
After learning my flight was detained 4 hours,
I heard the announcement:
If anyone in the vicinity of gate 4-A understands any Arabic,
Please come to the gate immediately. … Continue reading
What do old tales tells us? We live, we die and the creative spirit within blossoms and sparks the legacy of our life.
Artin K. Shalian captures the spirit of the writer, the storyteller with ancient Armenian tales preserved with great love. Around our kitchen table growing up, I heard the legends of his craft; his love and support for other authors, including Khalil Gibran; and, his devotion to his wife, Baidzar Shalian.
Here is an excerpt, ” Although she was a maiden of the heavens, she still possessed many a caprice of love that could not be satiated in her ethereal state of existence. According to the ordinance of the Great Master, love in its realization would consummate in creativity, and creativity … Continue reading
Sitting on my shelf is a worn, torn and colored Treasured Things children’s book with little poems to recite by poet, Annette Wynne. A telescope into the lives of children and adults in 1922.
Newspapers
If all the news gave out
And there should come a day
With nothing …. Continue reading
Tales from long ago continue to inspire dreams. An old book, a bit worn for its age, 1889, stating it was privately printed, only 300 copies, rests quietly on my shelf. The first line intrigues and more follows. It has been justly remarked that “the literature of a nation furnishes the best guide to researches … Continue reading
Beirut. One word that can conjure up so many intense reactions. Terry Douglas, a poet and author, lived in Beirut at the opening of the Civil War that lasted for well over a decade. His poem is on a sniper’s bullet, chaos of war and life.
“Fingering the burst of lead,
Shark rough after glancing the wall,
I contemplate my fate … . Continue reading
Native American prayer or poem. “O Great Spirit, whose voice I hear in the winds, and whose breath gives life to all the world, hear me. I am small and weak; I need your strength and wisdom. ….” Continue reading
Haiku for Spring from A Net of Fireflies, Japanese Haiku and Haiku Paintings translated by Harold Stewart (1960) offers seasonal haikus with delicate brevity and warmth. Continue reading
“I sit on a rock at the end of the island, peeling off flakes of sunburned nose. Feet dangle in cool water; minnows nibble at toes. Overhead a broad-winged hawk sends a thin whistle…” Poetry by Douglas Wood in Paddle Whispers Continue reading
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