Student Poems–Four

February 26, 2020 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

In the beginning of the world

nature provided.

Poachers, factories, deforestation,

We abuse nature.

Nature now has too much to carry,

Greed, selfishness, money.

Nature is being destroyed.

We are the ones who have destroyed.

If we continue,

then no one knows what the future will hold.

Luke Mason

All the birds are chirping.

The dogs are barking.

The leaves are falling.

The deer are eating.

As we lay here

in these oakwood desks

Learning!

Animals get to relax

and eat.

While we learn and

work.

WHY!

Ellwood Jennings.

The sun,

The moon,

The animals.

This is nature.

When the sun goes down

the moon comes out.

Animals howl, bellow and bark.

They are all part of

the animal kingdom.

This is nature.

Brooke Madill

Student Poems-Three

February 17, 2020 / Juliana Lightle / 1 Comment

Three poems follow:

Nature

Nature is

a beautiful place

so start

kicking that

can all over

the place

we will

rock

you

Ethan Singletary

As I am laying at home

I hear a loud thunderous noise

The sound startled me out of my seat

I looked out the window

There was a giant funnel

I heard the tornado siren

As the trees were coming out of ground

I run downstairs to take cover

The storm was ruling the land, but

I was safe from the natural catastrophe.

Makenna Byrd

The Grip

As the wind blows and the storm flows through this

Desolate wasteland

As you wonder the numbing thunder puts you at peace

As the wind whips and the storm grips the desolate ground

As it whirls and twirls bringing wreckage

to the sky

Someone brings a tractor to clean up

this decay

For this storm may bring sorrow but all through

the hollow the great sorrow is met with a great

peace

As the family sifts among the rubble and

finds on this trouble at least they are in

one piece

Corbin McKinney

Beauty

February 7, 2020 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Once I was married to a man who sarcastically commented that I could find beauty anywhere. It’s probably true. Taking a hike in semi-arid country, I find tiny flowers, hidden lichens, cactus the size of my thumbnail. I keep thinking of the miniscule lavender flowers near the rock walkway by the garage. They only appear briefly in the spring. They are so tiny, tinier than my pinkie nail. How can I see them? They stand out so brightly against the rocks, they’re hard to miss. Well, hard for me to miss.

Every natural place has its own beauty. I can only think of one place I’ve been where I questioned this: a place on the Interstate east of LA next to the Arizona border. In June when it was 118 and the hot wind nearly knocked me over, I recall asking myself, “How can anyone live here?” Yet I’ve seen photos of the same desert carpeted with hot pink flowers in the spring.

Every natural place has its own beauty. You just have to be open to seeing., feeling, experiencing its magic.

Note: This essay was part of an assignment for a writing class from the Story Circle Network. The assignment is to write six minutes each day using just one word to get you started and writing about that word. You can make a list of topics or just pick a word out of a book. The teacher is Yesim Cimcoz. It would seem I never took of photo of the tiny flower mentioned above. Below are photos of native flowers taken around my house.

The World in One Room

January 26, 2020 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Four jaguar heads stare at me,

Mexican, Costa Rican.

A third guards the mantel,

partially hidden in tropical plants,

attack ready, tail raised, jaws open,

teeth bared.

My feet rest on a coffee table

carved in Kashmir. I look at the photo

of the young man whose family made it.

He took me home to meet his mom,

to the floating market.

Once peace reigned there.

Now I wonder if he is safe, alive.

The Hoop Dancer raises his arms,

the Acoma pot exudes ancient

black on white beauty, painted

by the tips of yucca stems.

The Thai Spirit House begs

to appease evil spirits.

I should put food and flowers there;

I never do.

Corn plant of life–for Navaho, Hopi,

me, painted, growing up my wall,

blue and red birds flitting through

the stalks, singing ancient songs.

Corn Maiden rug hanging on the wall;

an Isleta Pueblo girl won a contest

with its design. Four Corn Maiden

Kachinas watch the room.

Corn everywhere–Sacred Corn.

Three Ethiopian crosses, St. George

and the Dragon, Frida Kahlo doll,

Argentinian Madonna, Tohono O’odham

baskets, a painted cow skull, Nigerian carved

wooden elephants, including a Chieftains chair,

the stained glass transom window from the house

where my dad lived from birth to ten.

In a room filled with windows, there

is little room for paintings, yet–

purple bison glide across the prairie,

an Iraqi woman flies through an azure

sky filled with dark blue birds,

a 15th century mystic, Kabir, tells

a tale in poetry, Navaho spirits,

pumas walking toward me–

my obsession.

Rugs scattered–Kerman,

an unknown Persian city, Afghani,

Egyptian, Indian, Zapotec, scraps of old

Turkish rugs sewn together.

In one cabinet, Grandmother’s china,

Mom’s Czech crystal–a wedding present

decades ago, Grandson’s painted art,

the silverware Dad gave Mom on their

first wedding anniversary, Mom’s

everyday dishes–flowers blooming.

I use them every day.

These objects–a testament to who I am:

World wanderer, seeker, citizen.

SAM_0912

SAM_0035

Italy–a day in Naples

January 4, 2020 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Naples is big; it is old; it contains stark extremes. How old? The New Castle was built in the 13th century; yes, that one is the new one. Coming from Sorrento one first sees the ship yards, huge apartment complexes where the less fortunate dwell, industrial areas.

Some said they thought it looked dingy. I laughed to myself. These buildings are old and near the sea. Will anything built in the US last this long?

Then we drove up higher and higher into another part of Naples. You can see Mt. Vesuvius in the background.

The island to the right in the distance is Capri. More on Capri in a later post. In this part of Naples it is obvious that some people live very well there.

Then we went lower again driving along the seafront and parked where we could walk to the oldest part of Naples.

A very old cathedral in the background to the left. We wanted to go in but it was closed until later in the day. To the right of this photo, a large group of protestors were shouting slogans, etc. through loud speakers. Military were evident in the square.

A city government building. The statues are of various famous people in the history of Naples.

Looking across the square from the church steps.

The oldest opera house is in Naples. Operas are still performed here.

We walked to another area and went inside this building which is filled with restaurants and shops, many with very high end clothing.

As we left, I noticed the bay was filled with tiny sailboats. It was very windy and I thought they were very brave. Later, I learned that these tiny boats are training boats, the ones you use when you are first learning to sail. It looks daunting to me. I have only sailed on boats much bigger.

Why do so many people still live so near a non-dormant volcano? Someone asked this question. The response was: Why do people live in Florida, Houston where there are hurricanes rather often. Why do people live where there are tornadoes, earthquakes, mudslides? At least Vesuvius provides a beautiful backdrop.

Italy–Sirens’ Song

December 15, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

As we drove along the Amalfi Coast, the guide told us the mythological story of the Sirens. My daughter took a photo out the window of the Sirens’ islands.

Later I wrote this poem remembering the travails of Odysseus.

The melodious Sirens’ song

lured Odysseus

begging to be untied from

the mast.

Even the roaring sea’s

voice whispered in

comparison.

They sang honeyed

love songs to starving

sailors, longing for a woman’s

touch, a kiss, ecstasy.

With knife claws, they

ripped them asunder,

crunching bones, blood

erupting.

Satiated, they sang,

eternal, etherial, deceptive.

Several days later at a shop in Sorrento, while my daughter was looking for a medusa cameo, the owner, a cameo artist, brought out Siren cameos. He insisted the Siren’s have been terribly misunderstood. I wanted clarification but unfortunately other customers appeared and I remain mystified.

Cooking in Italy

December 12, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / 1 Comment

After spending most of the day exploring Pompeii, we rushed back to Sorrento for an evening cooking class up on a mountainside above the main part of the city. We made eggplant parmesan and cheese ravioli. Their take on the eggplant dish was different from any I have seen in the US. They had sliced the eggplant on the diagonal and already cooked it. Each person received several pieces of the already cooked eggplant and a bowl of their homemade mozzarella cheese. We were instructed to place a teaspoon of the cheese in the middle of each piece of eggplant, roll it up, and place it in a small casserole dish with their homemade tomato sauce already in the dish. Instead of layers of eggplant, sauce, and cheese, this was rolls of eggplant filled with cheese atop a tomato sauce in a casserole dish which they baked while we made ravioli.

For making the ravioli, in front of each person they placed a pile of a couple cups of flour and dishes of water and oil. We were instructed to add the oil and a little water to make a stiff dough. Then we were told that the key to really good ravioli dough (and I am guessing any pasta dough) is to knead it a lot. Yes, to do all this, we had to use our hands. After the dough was thoroughly kneaded, we patted it out into an oval and then ran it through a pasta maker several times to make it thin. We laid this rolled dough on the table and then with a ravioli cutter, we cut circles, filled them with mozzarella cheese, but not too much. The key is to get just the right amount of cheese so you have enough but can still fold it over and seal the edges with the cheese inside. It must be sealed thoroughly so it does not fall apart when being boiled in the salty water.

The owner asked my grandson to help cook the ravioli. Here he is working away.

After the ravioli was done, we all sat down and enjoyed the eggplant, the ravioli with their homemade tomato sauce, and their local wines. Making both dishes was much easier than I expected. And fun. The evening was filled with joy, laughter, and good company.

Italy–Pompeii

December 1, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

Although I had heard about, read articles, seen photos and documentaries, nothing prepared me for its size, grandeur, and wealth.

To get here you have to climb up a hill. This is where the gladiators lived and trained.

The doors are copies, the rest not. Gladiators lived in the rooms behind the doors and exercised and practiced in the green area shown in the previous two photos.

This is the tiny amphitheater which holds about 1000 persons. Occasionally, performances, e.g. concerts, are still held here.

An we walked around, I took pictures of the various buildings, streets, walls.

Looking back toward the small amphitheater.

This is the large amphitheater which holds 5000. Just like in theaters now, the seats vary in size, view, etc. so that the where you get to sit depends on who you are and how much you have to spend.

Looking toward what remains of the stage and area behind the stage.

Streets were laid out in a grid at right angles to each other. This is a typical street with sidewalks on each side. Notice the large stones in the middle. At times with excessive rain, the streets would flood. The large stones allowed people to cross without getting their feet wet. The spaces in the middle were designed so carts could pass through. Along the sides are spaces for shops.

The wealthy in Pompeii lived in very large, elegant houses, with water collection systems, heated and running water. This is the entry to one such house.

The courtyard at the same house.

What remain of the frescoes there. Considering this was buried for nearly 2000 years…

Part of the dining room. There, like in Rome, people reclined while eating.

We moved on to another house.

More frescoes. Most of them tell a well known story.

When they excavated this second house, they found this table with three legs–common then apparently. This is not a new table, it is one from Pompeii found in this house.

Decorated walls in this second house.

An original floor in the same house.

A place where someone had a shop with items for sale.

We also visited the bathhouse area where there would be separate bathhouses for men and women, exercise rooms, hot water, steam, just like today.

Although the walls, floors, streets and sidewalks are as they were before the volcanic eruption, in some places they have restored roofs to look like what they would have looked like then.

They knew that domed structures are more stable.

Next we walked to the brothel. Many of the sexually graphic frescoes remain. They illustrate different positions. I might also add that both stone and painted penises are everywhere in Pompeii. Why? They were the symbol of a good life, of prosperity, of fertility, of joy, of, well, everything good. I took some photos of the frescoes at the brothel but do not want to get thrown off my blogging site so will not put them here.

Another typical street headed toward the giant city square.

Standing in the middle, looking toward one direction. I was astonished at the size of this place. We went a good time of the year–the off season. The guide told us that in high season there are so many people here, it is difficult to move through them at times.

Looking the other direction with Mount Vesuvius in the background. Before the eruption this volcano was just a tall mountain or so the people there thought. Then it was approximately 10,000 feet. The eruption made it fall into itself and decrease by about 6000 feet.

More photos of the square.

The countryside near Pompeii is lush green.

The view walking down the steps leaving Pompeii.

Thanksgiving

November 28, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / 2 Comments

An icy morning awaited me when I awoke. A slippery slope up to the barn to feed the horses.

Ice covered branches above the kitchen sink window.

Ice and fog looking up the canyon. Yet I think of everything for which I am thankful:

A life filled with adventure

Friends and family worldwide

A job I love

My students

Music and dancing

Good health

Natural beauty surrounding me

Cooking and celebrating life with friends and family

Oh, the list is endless!!

Wishing all of you a joyful day filled with gratitude.

Italy–the Amalfi Coast

November 25, 2019 / Juliana Lightle / Leave a comment

On one of our day trips from Sorrento, we headed down the Amalfi Coast. For years I have seen photos and told myself, “Wow”. No photo can do this coastline justice. The highway is excellent but narrow. On many of the turns, only one vehicle can proceed. A large bus cannot travel this highway. Even with the small ones we took, the driver would often honk as we turned a corner which we could not see around.

We stopped at one of the few turnoffs along the highway and took a short hike down to an overlook. This is the town of Positano. I took the following photos while at this overlook.

I love bougainvillea and all colors grew everywhere.

Looking across the Mediterranean.

The land is rugged with both new and ancient buildings hanging off mountainsides and cliffs.

A closer view of Positano.

Another view across the Mediterranean.

The highway, houses hanging off the edge, olive trees, lushness everywhere.

It was a stormy looking day. We kept thinking it would rain but luckily it did not.

The Amalfi Cathedral in the town of Almalfi. Its design is unique and shows the cultural influence of the Muslim world with whom the town was a major trading center for centuries–arches, gold and green.

A typical street in Amalfi. We walked all the way up this street to just below the school, found all sorts of delightful shops, and ate our favorite food of the entire trip. My favorite was spaghetti with a lemon creme sauce. Recipe comes later.