The Lone Cypress…

As seen on: Monochromia today.

Please check out my black and white photography posted every Thursday on Monochromia!

Magical Things of Life

Magical Things of Life

The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. – W.B. Yeats

The Beast

Watch, don’t turn your back,

Never let your senses slack,

When into the woods

You journey.

For it is there,

That wild beasts lay idle,

And hide,

Until dusk draws near.

Then, just as the sun’s glow

Begins to fade,

The beasts awaken,

No longer hiding from the day’s trespassers.

They pounce,

And if you are not prepared,

Your heart may skip a beat, and

With a fleeting moment of fear,

You’ll run, then disappear. 

copyright Robyn Graham

Complexity and Simplicity

Complexity and Simplicity of Nature and Light

“To love is so startling it leaves little time for anything else.” – Emily Dickinson

The Tree

Oh the stories I could tell

If you had the time to dwell

Underneath my branches as they sway

And create shade on a warm day.

♦

The loves that sat in the very spot

You choose today to stand and plot,

You could be listening to my stories

That warn of worries unnecessary.

♦

I’ve seen it all

From love, lust, and great falls.

My bark impressed with countless tales

Of hearts and names and even wedding vows.

♦

The hearts that broke

When someone spoke

Unkind thoughts

That were not provoked.

♦

The laughter, joy, and fun

While children did run

And play childhood games

 While shouting each other’s names.

♦

The smiles and tears

The hugs and the shrugs

The pain and the gain

The love from above.

♦

I’ve given to all

What they needed in time

But I’ve taken

All that was mine.

♦

The things that I’ve witnessed

Gave me sight to be seen

For without all the experiences underneath me

I would not be green.

♦

I’ve been nourished

Through them all

For even a tree

Has hopes and desires

To enjoy what’s free.

copyright Robyn Graham

The Tree

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

The World Spins

Stress Enters.

Life becomes overwhelming.

Stress becomes life.

The world spins.

We forget to breath.

The world spins.

Then suddenly,

The spinning slows.

And we stop,

And breath.

Once again

Light guides us forward,

And we carry on.

Carry on.

copyright Robyn Graham

Image taken while hiking in Northern Idaho, March 2013.

 

Last of the Dogwood Images….for now.

“All works of love are works of peace.” – Mother Teresa

Dogwood Flowers in Fantastic Light

Did you notice Dogwood trees today, after reading last night’s post?  I hope so!  Here are a couple more shots of Dogwood tree flowers in which I loved the light!  That’s what photography is all about, right?  Capturing light!

The Legend of the Dogwood

All my life I have loved the Dogwood Tree.  As a child growing up in Southern Illinois, we would see them amongst the Redbud, Oak, Maple, and other trees along Interstate 64 and marvel at their beauty.  My parents told my sisters and I the legend of the tree when we were young.  Since that time, the trees have had even more meaning to me.  My husband and I have had them at both of our homes and enjoy the blooms every spring.  Below is the legend as well as some links that you can visit to learn more details about it.  Over the next few days, I’ll post images of the Dogwood tree in our front yard.  You’ll understand why it gives us such pleasure when you see the pretty flowers it bares each spring.

The Beautiful Legend of the Dogwood Tree

Legend has it that at the time of Christ’s crucifixion, the dogwood was comparable in size to the oak tree and other monarchs of the forest. Because of its firmness and strength it was selected as the wood for the cross. To be put to such a cruel use greatly distressed and saddened the tree. Sensing this, the crucified Christ, in his gentle pity for the sorrow and suffering of all, said to the tree – “Because of your sorrow and pity for My suffering, never again will the dogwood tree grow large enough to be used as a gibbet. Henceforth it will be slender, bent and twisted and its blossoms will be in the form of a cross — two long and two short petals. In the center of the outer edge of each petal there will be nail prints, brown with rust and stained with red, and in the center of the flower will be a crown of thorns, and all who see this will remember.”

http://www.promiseofgod.com/dogwood/

http://www.angelfire.com/ga/sweetgeorgiapeach/dogwood.html

How it Begins

Maple tree seeds…..Another sign of spring.