I've been at the ocean, a wondrous thing, beyond words for me but I do enjoy reading poetry that taps into my own experience - such as Walt Whitman's On the Beach at Night, Alone below after these lovely aquarium pics. They're little pieces of the ocean that I'd like to stare at every day. Not with large fish though, like those in the coffee table, but with tiny fish in their own big world.
1. Aquatic Forest Aqarium by Pinheiro Manso via Aqua Scaping World 2. via Spler 3.& 4. via Opulent Items
ON the beach at night alone,
As the old mother sways her to and fro, singing her husky song,
As I watch the bright stars shining—I think a thought of the clef of the universes, and of
the future.
A VAST SIMILITUDE interlocks all,
All spheres, grown, ungrown, small, large, suns, moons, planets, comets, asteroids,
All the substances of the same, and all that is spiritual upon the same,
All distances of place, however wide,
All distances of time—all inanimate forms,
All Souls—all living bodies, though they be ever so different, or in different worlds,
All gaseous, watery, vegetable, mineral processes—the fishes, the brutes,
All men and women—me also;
All nations, colors, barbarisms, civilizations, languages;
All identities that have existed, or may exist, on this globe, or any globe;
All lives and deaths—all of the past, present, future;
This vast similitude spans them, and always has spann’d, and shall forever span them, and
compactly hold them, and enclose them.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Ocean Cleft of the Universe
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Turkish Delight
Recently a friend showed me a postcard received from a friend of theirs who is holidaying in Turkey. The photo on the card showed a wonderland that I’d never experienced before. So, come with me on a little weekend sojourn to Cappadocia. Truly Turkey’s most visually striking region, especially the 'moonscape' areas where erosion has formed caves, clefts, 'fairy chimneys' and sensuous folds in the soft volcanic rock Cappadocia was once home to many civilizations throughout history: first the Hittite Empire, then Alexander the Great, the Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottomans. They all lived in this geographically beautiful, 60 million-year-old geological wonder without destroying its natural monuments. We can book into a luxury ‘cave room’, put on our exotic travel wardrobe, and sample some of the local wine. Cappadocia is celebrated as the birthplace of wine, because archaeological findings in the area, including wine production tools and goblets, have been dated right back to 3000 B.C. The next morning, we’ll take one of the Cappadocia balloons and tour around its valleys. Then, for a bit of culture, we can stroll through some of the historic painted cave churches. Of course, there will be time for shopping, maybe for a handcrafted rug to take home as the ultimate souvenir. Okay, are you in?
