Where The Sea Greets the Sky

It is a morning in early Spring, the rain has stopped but still the sky is coloured a soft gray blue; a crisp chill lingers in the air. Though the sky looks ominous I am not going to let the weather spoil my enthusiasm, for I feel free and happy with anticipation as I journey to a place I have never been.

I walk down the path where others have been before me as I can see the grass has been worn away from many footsteps. I draw closer to the shrubs where the star flowers are blooming and many other flowers in this magic place for whom I have no name. All I can do is admire & touch their beauty as it has touched me.
I stay a while to take it all in then wander on further until I reach a clearing.
And there beyond a great sandstone ledge, the sea. A deep steely blue, it drifts on forever until it greets the sky.

I move closer to the edge and watch the water swell and subside time after time, forming waves with white foaming crests that crash against the rocks below, only to retreat once more leaving lacey trails of bubbling foam that ripple through the rocks and out of sight. The cool wind whips up the waves and the sea spray splashes and caresses my face, the music of the sea surrounds me, its waves in constant rhythm sculpting the shore since time began.

This is a strange sandstone landscape pitted by the wind, tide and waves, tiny furrows and strange shapes etched into the rock face and small shallow pits of coarse grainy sand.Standing here alone the whole experience seems surreal, the green is far behind me now, I walk on eager to see more.

In the distance I notice something that seems alien to this place. There before me on the grainy sand a solitary plant clinging tenaciously to its spot, it seems so small against this great perspective,it is delicate,its bright yellow petals such a contrast to its harsh surroundings and the starkness of this place,I wonder how it manages to survive.Yet it is here and so am I and I dont want to leave, so I wander on enjoying the vast beauty of this special place...

Author: Dianne

Salvador Dali

A little surprise for my friend /t. - The famous surrealist painter Salvador Dali takes a break from painting to relax and play with nature. I wonder, is there any hidden symbolism here in this photo?

My Knight, My Love

Last night beneath a star filled sky of deepest blue, did you hear the gentle rustling of your tent, moving softly in the coolness of the desert's breeze; like the sails of a ship at sea?

Was it a dream or was it real? For I slipped barefoot quietly past the guards and they did not see me...

I came to you in the moonlight and stood there in awe and silence watching you, my knight, my prince; your chest rising and falling with each breath.I am longing to be near you while you dream of great battles won and lost. I wonder do you ever dream of me. For I stood there in the moon's bright light, silhouetting my nakedness beneath the sheerness of my gown; shafts of light causing shadows where they fell and illuminating your sword and shield which will protect you in battle when the sun does rise..

Did you feel the warmth of me as I brushed against you ever so gently and softly kissed your sweet mouth, for a moment you stirred but I dared not wake you for tomorrow you will need all of your strength. I just wanted to see you once more my love and know that you were safe; but if you had woken and asked I would have stayed with you until the dawn.
For my heart is always full when you are by my side...

Text by Dianne.

'HOPE' by SEVENLAMPS

A beautiful & moving video by Sevenlamps.
Please read her profound words...
Hope...
I am of fair skin and rose
you are the colours of life
my shadow passes in light
as you are the steadfast sun
inside me dwells a love song
your symphonies ambient
a pool in a rushing tide
feeble compares with your sea
leaves that float without a course
nestle in your forest deep
the simple paths lead me on
as your complexity abounds
I am one as you are one
together we are hope...
Earth's Hope

Text: Sevenlamps

Words to Live By - Happier Times

dianne said...

Yes Boney 'Kingdom of Heaven', an absolutely wonderful epic movie, I enjoyed every moment of this film. 'Tis a shame there aren't more noble knights & men of integrity in this day & age, the world could sure do with them, Sigh, if only... ;)

Now how would you look in chain mail, eh? :)

25 May, 2008

boneman said...

well, I sent out my ten letters, but, my luck never did improve.
In fact, it went to hell in a hand basket, so to speak.

So, I don't like chain letters and will no longer support the idea of chain mail.

You mean like that?

We have to be that knight, Dianne. And whoever else would get so far as to read this, it is WE who have to be the knights.
What did he name to do that we cannot do?
Tell the truth even to your death, but, it seems most don't ever come to that end for the sake of truth.
I mean, nobody is gonna shoot you if you tell your kids there's no Santa Claus, eh? Nor would you be killed for doing the traffic laws, your taxes, helping a neighbor....
What else? Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Tough one, but, remember, that doesn't mean you don't feel fear. Just don't let it be your guide, especially in the face of your enemies.
Be brave and upright that God may love thee. That's hard for some because they hear "God" and then there's the religious arguement ensuing, but, wait.
Just be brave and upright because it's right to be so. Be the one that takes the higher road. You will be loved for it.
And if it's God that loves you, the blessing becomes yours, if it's people that love you, fine!
Speak the truth is really one of the hardest ones. Again, though, not for the following of, "even if it leads to your death," but rather, because mankind has really gotten pretty slack in holding up virtues as good form.
Safeguard the helpless.
Is that so hard to accomplish? Surely you have extra clothing that you no longer wear, despite the dreams of eventually getting back into that size seven you wore in high school. Give it up. By offering it on to someone that can use it, you warm up a heart of another human being. If you've stopped reading your books, send them to a place that can use them ( I know of one...write to Gautami Tripathy on the sidebar. She could use all the extra books you can spare. )
Do no wrong. Well, then, stop doing the wrong. Start doing things right and be the right person.


And, if you do these things, will you become a better warrior? A better person for it?

Yes. You will.

25 May, 2008

Sibylla - Kingdom of Heaven

Can you feel and hear the delicate beauty in this music?

I love a Good Crusade & Handsome Knights in Chainmail!

The handsome Balian of Ibelin and the beautiful Princess Sibylla.
Kingdom of Heaven.

Crusade (Choir) Immediate Music - Kingdom of Heaven

Balian's Redemption - Kingdom of Heaven

Gladiator Soundtrack - Now We Are Free

One of my favourite soundtracks, the song 'Now We Are Free' sung by the hauntingly beautiful voice of Lisa Gerrard.

Samhain Night

Music & Lyrics by Loreena McKennitt

Samhain Night

When the moon on a cloud cast night
Hung above the treetops' height
You sang me of some distant past
That made my heart beat strong and fast
Now I know I'm home at last.

You offered me an eagle's wing
That to the sun I might soar and sing
And if I heard the owl's cry
Into the forest I would fly
And in its darkness find you by.

And so our love's not a simple thing
Nor our truths unwavering
But like the moon's pull on the tide
Our fingers touch, our hearts collide
I'll be a moonsbreath from your side...

Words by Loreena McKennitt

A SAD UPDATE

Starving baby whale has been euthanased

August 22, 2008 - 5:40PM

The "harrowing" decision by wildlife authorities to euthanase an abandoned humpback whale calf in a Sydney waterway has prompted an angry community reaction.

The injured mammal - affectionately called Colin and then renamed Colette when identified as a female - was put down by veterinarians on Friday morning after being discovered in shallow waters north of Sydney earlier this week.

The baby whale was found motherless and starving on Sunday in The Basin, inside Sydney's Pittwater, nuzzling yachts in search of her missing mum.

She returned again on Tuesday after having been lured out to sea and authorities opted against making another attempt to shepherd the 4.5-metre calf back into open waters.

National Parks and Wildlife Service NSW (NPWS) decided to put down the starving animal after veterinary advice from Taronga Zoo and Sea World, and in consultation with two animal welfare groups.

NPWS spokesman John Dengate said killing the large mammal had been "distressing and harrowing", but was the "best possible result" under the circumstances.

"That was the best way it could have been done," he told reporters, adding Colette had been treated with dignity and respect by veterinarians.

"You put the animal out of its misery. To an untrained person, it might not look like the most fantastic thing but you can't get a better result than that."

But witnesses say Colette's death was far from dignified.

"(She) actively started trying to get away," nearby resident Cherie Curchod said of the death.

"Then they dragged it to a closed tent and all the while they dragged it, it was flapping its tail, blowing out of its head and moving and trying to get away.

"It was so upsetting because euthanasia is meant to be an easy death and that whale did not have an easy death at all."

A spokesman for an organisation called the Divine Marine Group said he was 100 metres away from where the calf was given six lethal injections.

He compared what he called the "absolutely disgusting" sight of the whale being towed to the shore to the highly graphic scenes of Japanese whale hunting.

"It looked like a scene out of the Antarctic with a Japanese fishing boat. It was absolutely disgusting," Alexander John Littingham, a sea captain, told Fairfax Radio Network.

"She was clearly still alive, she was clearly moving, the line was thrashing.

"We're complaining about what the Japanese are doing in the Antarctic and we're allowing it to happen in Pittwater."

Representatives from the RSPCA and the Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA) said they were satisfied with the way the euthanasia was carried out.

Mr Littingham was one of a group of protesters who tried to organise a NSW Supreme Court injunction to stop the killing but ran out of time.

"She's died a starving death over four days, and over that period of time no one even attempted to feed the whale," he said.

The dead calf was loaded onto a trailer and taken by road to Taronga Zoo, where an autopsy will be carried out to help determine if there was a biological reason Colette was rejected by her mother.

"They'll do a post-mortem to actually see what condition it was in and to actually see what might have been the problem," NPWS director Sally Barnes said.

Ms Barnes said authorities hoped to DNA test a whale carcass off the NSW south coast near Eden to see if it was the calf's mother.

"That carcass is being eaten by sharks at the moment," she said.

"If it's safe, what we'll try and do is actually get some DNA from that carcass to see whether that was in fact Colette's mother and to help us piece together what's been happening to that whale over the last week or so."

The NPWS said it would seek community suggestions for a memorial in honour of the whale at The Basin, which is part of the Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park.

© 2008 AAP
Brought to you by

THE DARK NIGHT OF THE SOUL

Upon a darkened night
the flame of love was burning in my breast
And by a lantern bright
I fled my house while all in quiet rest

Shrouded by the night
And by the secret stair I quickly fled
The veil concealed my eyes
while all within lay quiet as the dead

Oh night thou was my guide
of night more loving than the rising sun
Oh night that joined the lover
to the beloved one
transforming each of them into the other

Upon that misty night
in secrecy, beyond such mortal sight
Without a guide or light
than that which burned so deeply in my heart
That fire t'was led me on
and shone more bright than of the midday sun
To where he waited still
it was a place where no one else could come

Within my pounding heart
which kept itself entirely for him
He fell into his sleep
beneath the cedars all my love I gave
From o'er the fortress walls
the wind would touch his hair against his brow
And with its smoothest hand
caressed my every sense I would allow

I lost myself to him
and laid my face upon my lover's breast
And care and grief grew dim
as in the morning's mist became the light
There they dimmed amongst the lilies fair
and there they dimmed amongst the lilies fair...

Words by St.John of the Cross: arranged & adapted by Loreena McKennitt

Nature Can Be Harsh - Rest In Peace

Lost baby whale euthanised in Australia

Thanks everyone for your comments and prayers for this beautiful little creature, it is just so very sad and as you can see there hasn't been a happy ending for Colin's sad and brief life. I feel so sorry and helpless that he couldnt be reuinted with his Mother; whales feel the same as we feel, they are as intelligent as we are, if not more so for they dont go around destroying the planet as we do. I cant imagine how lost and sad he must have felt when he needed the love, protection and nurturing from his Mother so much.

August 22, 2008 - 11:23AM

A lost baby whale which captured hearts around the world as it tried to suckle from an Australian yacht it thought was its mother was killed Friday to end its suffering, wildlife rangers said.

"The calf has been quietly and humanely euthanised," National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesman Chris McIntosh told AFP. "It was a sad moment, but it went quietly to sleep."

A vet on board a small boat in Pittwater bay near Sydney's Palm Beach first administered an anaesthetic through a large needle, by simply leaning overboard and injecting the weakened humpback calf, he said.

The animal, nicknamed Colin, was then moved into shallow water and given the euthanasia drug.

The calf's fate had been the focus of desperate concern in Australia as efforts to reunite it with passing pods of humpback whales failed.

The army was asked whether it could help float Colin back out to sea while a scientist suggested it could be fed formula milk through an artificial teat.

And an Aboriginal 'whale whisperer' was brought in to comfort him, singing ancient songs which brought Colin to the side of the national parks' boat, where it lifted its head and allowed itself to be patted.

"He felt really lonely and he wanted to be with his mother and family," said Bunna Lawrie of the Mirning tribe from the Great Australian Bight.

But the head of the national parks service, Sally Barnes, said that while the decision to euthanise the whale was difficult there was no other option.

"It was suffering extremely so we've had to make the very difficult decision," she said.

The calf was first spotted on Sunday and had weakened rapidly over the past couple of days without the daily 230 litres of mothers' milk which it would normally consume.

In a remarkable effort to return it to the ocean, the calf was lured out to sea on Monday by a 'mother ship', a whale-sized yacht from which it had been trying to suckle after apparently being abandoned by its mother.

But after failing to find its own mother or an adoptive parent among the pods of whales passing Pittwater, Colin returned to the bay and again began trying to suckle yachts.

The humpbacks are on the return leg of an epic annual round trip from the Antarctic to tropical waters to breed, and they can be seen ploughing homewards not far off Sydney's beaches on most days.

Experts say that the passing whales and Colin would have been able to communicate as they passed by, but that the chance of him being adopted was always extremely slim.

© 2 AFP

All Hope Fades For Colin The Baby Whale

Please spare a thought or a prayer for this beautiful creature who has been stranded in a Sydney waterway since Sunday. It was first spotted on Sunday, nuzzling up to a yacht in the northern Sydney waterway, apparently searching for its mother, who has either abandoned him or lost him.
Because of the shape of the boat it thinks it is his mother and has been trying to feed. Sadly the little calf is starving to death. Affectionately named Colin, the calf is believed to be about two or three weeks old.
A veterinary report late this afternoon found the animal was in very poor condition and would probably not live through the night.
The mammal is suffering from previous shark inflicted injuries, is experiencing breathing difficulties and its flukes are hanging down.

Sydney's love affair with Colin the orphaned whale will end in tears.

Veterinary experts have told the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) that the humpback calf is in dangerously poor condition and that a merciful death is the only option.

"As a result of a veterinary assessment, staff from both Taronga Zoo and Seaworld say the whale's condition has rapidly deteriorated," NPWS spokesman Chris McIntosh told ninemsn.

"It's condition is such that they cannot be sure that it would survive until the morning.

"The recommendation they made to us — which we've accepted — is that they humanely euthanize the whale tonight, provided they can find it.

"We've conveyed this to the RSPCA and they've agreed with our assessment."

Experts from Seaworld were on site discussing the calf’s fate this afternoon and considering whether another attempt to lure it out to sea would be viable.

But it was thought that the exertion imposed on the animal, as well as its slow speed and difficulties of luring the whale with the yacht at virtually no speed may hinder the operation.

Footnote:

Hopefully a miracle will occur and his mum might find him just in time, if not may he go peacefully and suffer no more. I will keep you posted.

As I Wait For Spring

All that I can hope for
is one more Spring
In anticipation I wait
For the wonders it will bring

To wander through my garden
where the white buds will bloom
A banquet for the senses
to take away the gloom

To fill my heart with joy once more
though I know it wont endure

For the beauty that surrounds me
I must treasure while I may
Until the Winter of my ending
will take these gifts away...

Poem by Dianne

Crimson Petals

Like crimson petals
the colour of blood that falls
like tears from my broken heart...

His last words spoken, harsh
and sting like an arrow
as they cruelly pierced my heart...

Careless words echo through me
all hope of love is gone
and the sadness that now surrounds me
my fate and companion from now on...

Poem by Dianne

I looked up to the stars above to find you once again.

Beneath a Phrygian Sky - Loreena McKennitt

Dreams of You

Every day begins with you
in the soft light of the dawn
From my dreams you have come
close by me in the morn

Sweet thoughts of you throughout the day
as the light of you will stay
How I wish these dreams were real
and not end with the day

I thought I was lost to darkest night
until I saw you shine
That is when you awoke my heart
and I hoped you could be mine

Will there come a day when you will stay
until the Sun has gone?
With my hopes soaring high
in the stars above
Wishing for your love.

Poem by Dianne

Where did I go wrong?

She thought she had found a true friend, a kindred spirit - but like most of the men in her life that had mattered to her, he was now rejecting her as well. Had she been too demanding, outspoken about her feelings for him, outstayed her welcome?
She pondered this as she sat there, his last words resonating in her head, tears pouring down her cheeks. She sobbed uncontrollably as she realised the finality of it all. It took her quite some time to regain her composure, then carefully she wiped away the tears and sat there in silence feeling completely abandoned.

Sometimes I wonder why I tried so hard to secure the affection of someone I loved so dearly. Was all of the rejection & sadness worth it in the end? Well at the time I thought so; I foolishly and somewhat naively believed that there would be a happy ending. Love can do that to you.By wanting more and pushing that point I ruined a perfectly good friendship, so what have I got to show for my over enthusiasm in seeking his love? Nothing, for now he wont even speak to me. Now wounded I am wiser, if you have to try so hard with someone and it is all one sided then it is not meant to be. You cannot make someone want you and love you, nor would it work if you could, it is something that has to be there and come naturally, otherwise it would not be worth having.

Thank You

A special thank you to Boney for helping me sort out the problems I was having with my Links list and some other technical advice he has been kind enough to impart. You are a true friend and gentleman. :)

Unrequited Love - Such Sadness Befalls Me

Love poems on tear soaked paper
Wasted words for the undeserving
Paper bubbles & the words are blurred
She pours out her heart,
But is never heard...


Poem by Dianne

Is Love a Fancy, Or A Feeling?

Is love a fancy, or a feeling? No.
It is immortal as immaculate Truth,
'Tis not a blossom shed as soon as youth,
Drops from the stem of life - for it will grow,
In barren regions, where no waters flow,
Nor ray of promise cheats the pensive gloom.

Sunshine

This is another painting I like, it has a warm summery feel to it and is so full of light. I do not know the name of the painting but the artist is Frank Weston Benson (1862 - 1951) an American Impressionist painter. I suspect the young woman is one of his daughters as they were the subjects for many of his works. I do hope you like the brightness and warmth of the colours.

A Loving Touch

There is a lot to be said for the power of a loving touch to make us feel wanted and valued. It can be as simple as a warm smile, a gentle caress, a few kind words, a hug, just to feel the warmth of another human soul to let us know that we matter. This one is for you Jeannie.

For a Celtic Knight

NEVER - ENDING ROAD (AMHRÁN DUIT)

The road now leads onward
As far as can be
Winding lanes
And hedgerows in threes
By purple mountains
And round every bend
All roads lead to you
There is no journey's end

Here is my heart I give it to you
Take me with you across this land
These are my dreams , so simple so few
Dreams we hold in the palm of our hands

Deep in the winter
Amidst falling snow
High in the air
Where the bells they all toll
And now all around me
I feel you still here
Such is the journey
No mystery to fear.

Here is my heart I give it to you
Take me with you across this land
These are my dreams, so simple so few
Dreams we hold in the palm of our hands

The road now leads onwards
And I know not where
I feel in my heart
That you will be there
Whenever a storm comes
Whatever my fears
The journey goes on
As your love ever nears

Here is my heart I give it to you
Take me with you across this land

These are my dreams, so simple and few

Dreams we hold in the palm of our hands.

Music & Lyrics: Loreena McKennitt

Lighthouse Card & Get Well Wishes

I hadn't been inspired to paint anything for quite some time. This is a small painting from June, 2007; it was for the front of a Get Well card which I made for a very dear friend who was going through a rough patch, health-wise.I could have easily bought a card but under the circumstances decided I would make something special for him. I painted it on card and used water colours & water colour pencils which I 'washed' to blend the colours especially for the sky.
Not a great work of art but every line and brush stroke was painted with love and sincerity. Not a good photo either as I have taken it with my mobile/cell phone camera.
The verse I wrote in it went something like this, so much time has passed since then I am finding it difficult to recall...and in case you are wondering as far as I know he is well now.

The Lighthouse
A beacon of light in the darkness
A guiding light to keep you safe
And guide you away from life's rocky shores.

A lovely place to rest amongst the flowers

This is a painting of Ophelia (1889) by
one of my favourite artists John William

Waterhouse.

A journey where I will share my thoughts, the places in my heart and the many faces of me.

Hi guys and you know who you are;you have been gently pushing me in this
direction for some time now. Your names will be in my sidebar.
Well I have finally taken the plunge and started my very own Blog. Berry I hope the water is as warm and inviting as you have often said, you as well Foamie, t/.& Lil Lamb, thanks for the encouragement & gentle persuasion. Time will tell just how warm it is...

I hope you will visit often and find something here that you will enjoy.