A Couple of Trees

natural bonding

majestic flirts with graceful 

resonance mutual

 

Winter of Extremes

winter of extremes

harsh to soft, ice to water

cloudy to sunny

 

Steam Fog on Lake Ontario

warmth brushed with cold turns

into rolling steam, magic

on moving water

 

Commemorative Bench

many will sit here

remembering loved ones gone

dreaming they're present

 

Man and Trees

Tall, tough, they dwarf man

improve air, preserve soil, boost

wild life, nourish us

 

Snowed Bikes

Snowed bikes believe

they and the grass will move soon

they shouldn't trust winter

 

Dancing dots

joy dots our vision

till we focus on clearer

deeper perspective 

 

Lake watch

far out in the clouds

he searches, then feeds the ducks

captures them in shots

 

Reflections

reflections at dusk

out on the lake, lightening

our inner darkness 

 

Snow Covered Trees

flimsy, feathery

sprinkled with white, they stretch up

kiss the lake and sky

 

City Fishing

a thin line is cast 

will the twists of luck win him

a prize from the lake?

 

Snow Fluffs

snow fluffs spill over 

streets, trees, homes in a white daze

slow our hurried steps

 

Between Rocks

between rocks, it lies

a concrete build up of stress

appeased by the lake

Warm Rays of Hope

cold blasts our souls bare

but the sun breaks through the clouds

with warm rays of hope

 

Lunar New Year Lion Dance

Dancing lions shake off 

evil spirits to bring good luck

on Lunar New Year

 

Sun-kissed Swan

graceful, gliding past

others, the sun-kissed swan reigns

assured, contented

 

Ice Floats

Remnants of ice float

tenacious ... wait ... spring fever

will melt their resolve

 

Still Water

Serene, you loosen

tangled psyches, complex tales

still water, quiet self

 

The Snow Path

We choose the snow path

breathing freely, unrestrained

sun, love warming us 

 

A Man and his Dog

a man and his dog

contemplate infinity

meld into nature

 

Icy Reflections

 

icy reflections

frozen sheet, smooth, treacherous

where has your warmth gone?

A Striking Presence

on the snowy shore

stands tall, robust yet wispy

a striking presence

 

Evening Blues

Evening blues impart

their obscure weight over us

let's dance, light the stars

Blooms

effusive blooms thrive

in sunlight, exude friendship's

joyful intention 

Ephemeral

ephemeral, we

slip from real to mystical

float unseen, aware

 

Toronto by Night

jewels scintillate

on a cloak of midnight blue

a secret bond shared

Dusk's Palette

two trees guard the mound

adorn dusk's pastel sky 

with filigreed grace

 

Bouquet

 bouquet of friendship

still life's deep colours glow

vivid, heart-warming

Highrises

they reach for the sky

vertical homes, city dreams

a foggy future

 

Toronto's Gainsborough Landscape

Wistful, nostalgic

Gainsborough's landscapes revived

in Toronto's bay

 

The shroud of love

A photo of art is not an artistic photo but I'm sharing this today as I can't find anything better.  This work in progress is part of a mural that I've been painting.  It's cool to see the story unfold as I paint.

from mankind's first kiss

dreams, magic, myth blur reason

in the shroud of love

 

Weeping Willows

 bare willows weeping

their scraggly limbs exposed

waiting for spring cover

                    

Leonard Cohen at AGO

lone poet's darkness glows

romance with musical words

alive forever

Flower Power

 ha! flower power

blooming bright, bold, defying

snow freeze, naked trees

Winter Swan

 a swan swims serene

fearless, free on the cold lake

nature's law prevails

A Poem a Day

Wishing you a great beginning to 2023. May your wishes come true.

I’m back after a long pause to share with you a short poem each day this year. Most will be in haiku style, my way of honouring the memory of a very dear loved one who had a passion for haikus. I will also post a photo or video I've taken each day. Enjoy. Comments welcome.

a new year of love

passion, creation in motion

rapture melts the frost

Wishing you Peace, Health and Love

 

Wishing you health and love this holiday season

 

Feeling blessed with love

and sharing it with you all.

Keep healthy and safe.

Dusk by the lake

The beauty of the sky and the lake,

the changing colours and moods of nature

stir in me so much awe and love.

Sharing a few poems and words of wisdom by Rumi that reflect how I feel.

He is a poet that a dear nephew introduced me to 

when he gave me a book of poetry titled

La religion de l'amour

When I read Rumi, I think of my nephew, his kindness,

his calm individuality and his philosophy of love.

I am thankful for his priceless gift.

***

I am so small I can barely be seen.

How can this great love be inside me?

Look at your eyes. They are small,

But they see enormous things.

***

When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.

***

In your light I learn how to love. 

In your beauty, how to make poems. 

You dance inside my chest where no-one sees you, 

but sometimes I do, and that sight becomes this art.

***

Faith

“To have faith is to trust yourself to the water. When you swim you don't grab hold of the water because if you do you will sink and drown. Instead you relax, and float.” Alan Wilson Watts

I came across this quote and would like to share its wisdom during Covid's fourth wave.

To me, faith in myself means not fearing the unknown, and taking on challenges whether from the pandemic or relationships, and learning from them. When we don't trust ourselves, we tend to search for approval from others, cling to what is not there, and we eventually drown in disappointment and self-pity. When we love who we are, accept ourselves, flaws and all, and extend that love and faith towards others, we keep afloat in uncertain waters.

Wishing you the best in your personal growth as the fourth wave takes over. We will overcome the plague when we have faith in ourselves and others and put our best efforts in working together.

Love defied the plague

when we touched, floated above

the raging water

We had faith in us

embraced fear, risks, pain, and learned

to heal each other

Summer Sky

A fleeting moment when the pastel lights of dusk

beamed from the lake into the immense sky.

We watched, awed by the divine view,

happy to be under its spell.

Beauty is simply reality seen through the eyes of love.

Rabindranath Tagore

Fading Fog

So thrilled that we are slowly lifting restrictions with caution.

Wishing you all a safe re-opening.

Walks by the water with friends have been morale boosters

during these rough times. The pandemic has been as depressing as the wars, 

residential school horrors and other cases of human depravity.

Let's try to spread more love in this world.

Light in the city

fog of sadness dissipates

hope and dreams renewed

Wild spring flowers

On a distanced walk through the ravine with a very dear friend

these flowers appeared from the hard winter soil

happy colours, brightening our day.

Out of the tough grit

blooms of renewal sprawl

faith within unfurl 

Light shining through the pandemic

Light is shining its way through the pandemic.

We will soon enjoy some freedom with the help of vaccines but the cautionary measures will remain as we battle the third wave. 

I'm thrilled that spring is here and brings with it many positive changes. There will be challenges but with love, kindness, and resilience, light will keep shining through.

Still working on my short stories. Looking forward to writing in café patios again. and to dance to live music in gardens, patios, streets... 

Wishing you all a beautiful spring.

Light and love shine through

the blur, madness of rough times 

sprout hope and solace

Toronto's Winter Wonderland

Love our winter wonderland

a precious gift from nature

in the heart of the city

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and all the best in 2021

 

a tough year is gone

new challenges await us

with love we'll survive

Creativity during the pandemic

With the pandemic confinement, many of us have taken the opportunity to focus on projects 

we never had enough time for.  A surge of productivity is brewing among those

 who are keeping busy and creative at home to beat Covid,

and I'm eager to see and feel it all when

we're over these rough times.

I'm hopeful that scientists and health care workers will help us overcome this virus, 

but we all have to do our share to contain it. When we go crazy indoors, 

the outdoors is always there to welcome us.

No matter how cold it is, if we're dressed warm, and wear our masks, 

we can go for walks to connect with family and friends 

and let nature soothe us and inspire us 

to be better and kinder.

winter sunset warms

up hearts filled with fear and doom

so love will prevail

The Coral Heart and Coeur de Corail at University of Mauritius

I am very honoured that Sachita R Samboo, Senior Lecturer at University of Mauritius, chose The Coral Heart and its French translation, Coeur de Corail for her 3rd year students to study as part of the BA (Hons) French with Translation Studies.

Thank you Sachita, and congratulations to you and all your students who graduated on November 17, 2020 in the BA (Hons) French with Translation Studies.

I hope my books as well as the other books they studied, inspired them, and I wish them the very best in their future careers.

Fall at Guild Park and Gardens

It was so uplifting and magical to stroll through Guild Park this fall.

The dazzling colours and earthy scents were intoxicating

as we stepped on the crisp carpet of leaves

the sun sparkling through the trees.

I'm so grateful that we have large parks in Greater Toronto  

where we can socialize safely and enjoy nature.

despite Covid restrictions.

It was also a precious treat to see Toronto's history scattered throughout the garden

in the remains of old buildings with exquisite sculptural details.

For more information on Guild Park 

check this trip guide and the Guild Park site

Écrits sur Maurice 1708-2019

I'm so thrilled and honoured that an excerpt from my book is included in Écrits sur Maurice 1708-2019, an anthology of 105 authors who wrote about Mauritius. The book's aim is to highlight and preserve the rich cultural history of Mauritius and the literary legacy of the island.

Thank you to Barlen Pyamootoo for the conception of this book, and thanks also to his amazing team of editors who worked on this anthology and made it happen.

Unfortunately, I can't be in Mauritius for the launch on November 5th. I hope that friends in Mauritius will be there in great numbers. Looking forward to reading the other authors in the anthology.

C'est un grand honneur pour moi d'être inclus dans Écrits sur Maurice 1708-2019, et d'être parmi les 105 auteurs dont les écrits sur Maurice sont dans cette anthologie. "Ce livre a pour but de mettre en lumière, de faire connaître et d'aider à sauvegarder notre riche et unique patrimoine culturel."

Merci à Barlen Pyamootoo pour avoir conçu ce livre et merci à son équipe d'éditeurs pour leur soutien et collaboration  sur cette anthologie.

Je suis navrée que je ne pourrai pas être à Maurice pour le lancement le 5 novembre. J'espère que les amis à Maurice y seront en grand nombre. J'ai hâte de lire les écrits des autres auteurs dans cette anthologie.

Live Music

I love the magic of live music, the thrill of connecting with

the musicians' creative energy and emotive flow.

I miss dancing to the blissful rhythm,

and forgetting everything else. 

I'm grateful for the few safe venues where musicians can play.

I was thrilled to be at my first backyard concert this summer

at The Canopy Music Theatre run by Josh Piché,

a talented singer and guitarist who welcomes

artists to perform there.

Even though we were all sitting far apart and could not dance,

it was such an amazing treat to be at a live performance

under the cool shade of the canopy of trees.

Sharing the enchantment of live music in this photo montage

Let your heart's rhythm

dance wild and free, chords swirling  

in rapt melody