The Loner

Lone rebel defies

labels, mating conventions

freedom his play ground

 Humber Bay Park East

City Jungle

Wild forest untamed

below the buildings' cold stares

surreal lake reflects 

Woman at Sea

She looks for answers

water and trees speak of trust

love, forgiveness, growth

 

Promontory

it juts on the lake

a shark pushing boundaries

with us on its back

Waves

 

they swell and splash along the pebbly beach

keep unfurling, relentless, rhythmic

whispers from a distant ocean

my love by my side, his eyes chartreuse

his touch, warm cordial through the plague

his lips ... ah smooth intense wine

we hear music in the rush of waves

soak up the scent of aquamarine mist 

hold eternity in the moment 

Romance at Dusk

They snuggle closer

under the warm sheets of dusk

love blooming on ice

 

Humber Bay Arch

arch rises past trees

artful steel jostles with

sun-speckled buildings

 

Twilight

twilight's muted tones

sad, mournful, evanescent

brushed with sentient rose

 

Bridge

We bridge stone bearings

step from discord towards growth

water under us

 

Lake, Skyline and Mound

placid, the lake flows

between skyline and stone mound

waves to nodding tree

 

Light

Light hugs the cold stones

turns grey to gold, brightens up

tangled reflections

 

Ducks on ice

not on sunny side

perched on winter's glacial patch

the clan's warmth enough

 

Golden Dusk

 

In the glow of love

we fly, soaked in gilded joy

wonder on our wings

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