This was my experiment with painting in Black and White this week.
The red door was an afterthought.
My Farmall M hauling wood
Month: March 2017
1959
1959 Black and White
Back then things were pretty much black and white
The TVs the schools and our 59 Chevy
Two little guys not a worry in the world
Cousins at play and pose for me today
One a redhead the other a blond
Rosy cheeks and full of giggles and hats that match
Great friends together sharing a common bond
It was a slower time no cellphone or computers
Just High School football cute cheerleaders
poodle skirts Elvis and April Love
How fast we grow old as we look back and sigh
Remembering 1959 when we played outside
Batman and Robin were in black and white
Superman and cartoons and Jetson’s flight
Dick Tracy was a comic strip so was Ally Oop
Lone Ranger and Tonto gave us all a big whoop
Had so much fun as we screamed and shouted
Running through the woods with wild abandon
Daniel Boone Davy Crockett and coon skin caps
We learned just as much we were still just as smart
In our black and white world where we played all alone
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Center of My Universe
Center of My Universe
The universe revolves around me
No matter how I try to reach out
Or bring others in
It all comes back to me like it or not
Just when I thought it was my brain
Controlling the planets revolving round me
Instead it is my feet
Running to or away from
Climbing to new heights
Sinking into the depths
Of receding sand on the beach
Sometimes not moving at all
Where the feet go so goes my universe
Taking me to all places both good and bad
The brain might be my gyroscope
But my feet control
Where I will end up
What is the next step?
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Living Joyfully
T
This is a poem I posted earlier that brought a lot of good response. I thought I would repost it for those of you who are new to my blog. I hope you enjoy it as well.
The Oil of Gladness
Ever try celebrating when no one cares?
A big event a great surprise
Yet no one seems phased
Inside you are jumping up and down
Outside you are sliding on a splintered board
The oil of gladness
A necessary part of healthy living
Sharing joy with those who rejoice
Finding well-earned success
The oil of gladness
Celebrating with the child who comes in second
Eating over baked cookies with a smile
Finding joy in the little things of life
The oil of gladness
Makes every day run smoother
Seals relationships with a lasting bond
Love begins and ends
With the oil of gladness
Photos: Dwight L. Roth
The Beach has Soul
The Beach has Soul
Went to the beach today only a week into spring
Sunshine a cool breeze and no phone to ring
Drove three hours for a day of fun
I asked myself why we go through all this
But for her it‘s worth it a moment of bliss
Sand dunes with beach chairs lugged across
Better than summer I love this time of year
The waves are gentle the sky is clear
Low temps warm sun less people to deal with
Families know it’s all about kids
Shovels sandcastles and coolers with lids
Running and squealing with each cold wave
It is now seven-thirty see the sun’s orange hue
Can’t believe those kids are not turning blue
Three little ones still playing in the icy cold waves
The ocean’s beauty draws all to its shores
The beach has soul we keep coming back for more
Sunburns and jellyfish riptides and grit
Memories of fun we will never forget
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Photos of Myrtle Beach, SC: Dwight L. Roth
Wash Line Memories
Wash Line Memories
Lines strung across the yard to the apple tree
Electric pole and butternut make three
Held up in the middle with a big long prop
Just a long skinny pole with a nail in the top
Morning dew quickly takes leave
Clothes carried from the basement in a basket of weave
Wooden clothes pins in a bulging bag
Some have heads others squeeze to hold the rags
Shirts and underwear flap pretty as you please
Jeans and sheets hang carefree in the breeze
Neighbors next door see everything you wear
Back then it didn’t matter we didn’t give a care
Towels loose moisture but not their good smell
When you wash with Tide you know all is well
The best part of all are those wind blown sheets
Crawling in bed getting ready to sleep
There’s no better bed in the entire world
Than one just made with windblown sheets
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Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Nightmares
Bad Dreams
Driving into the darkness
The fog closes in around me
I see nothing but pitch black
But I’m still moving
I look for a way to stop
Nothing seems to work
And I am still moving forward
Driving up the hill
The slope gets steeper and steeper
Two-Thirds of the way to the top
Cannot go any further
I stop stranded in mid-climb
Can’t turn around
Can’t back up
It is time for school to start
I am not in my classroom
All the students are there
I keep trying to find my way there
I never get there
I know I ‘m late in a panic
Can’t seem to find my way
What am I going to do
I wake up!!!
Head way back over my pillow
I’ve got to go to the bathroom
Nightmares go away
My heart is still beating wildly
Adrenalin still pumping
Eyes That See
Eyes That See
Open the eyes of your mind
To see what is trying to peek in
Creativity begins there
Imagining seeing with an architect’s view
Grabbing the flicker coercing a flame
Starting with a glint creating a diamond
Open the eyes of you mind
Envision realities yet to be
Let them ruminate through the labyrinth
Collecting body forming a foundation
Visions of visions embedded in confidence
Evolving into being like the breath of God
Creating from nothing something of beauty
Seeing is believing with open eyes
Knowing what you see with your mind’s eye
Can become reality and form
Words you write can become visions
Inspiring others to see and believe
They too can create with open eyes
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Photo: Ruth A. Roth
Frogs Will Soon Be Singing
Frogs of Spring
Shivering in the grip of winter
Avoiding the cold wind
I sit in my chair and remind myself
That soon this too will end
When the hoarfrost is gone
With the ever rising sun
The earth will thaw
The woods will ring
With a hauntingly familiar hum
A chorus of frogs
Singing their mating calls
Looking for one another
To celebrate the thaw
When I hear that song rising
In the cool clear air
I know spring is near
Flowers will soon be here
As frogs of spring shout out their joyous song
Joy springs in my heart
I know it won’t be long
Till with the frogs of spring
I too will sing along
With that symphony of joy by the woodland’s throng
Photo: Dwight L. Roth
Signs of Spring
Poetry without words… the blue bird checking out my rental house!
Photos from my backyard: Dwight L. Roth
Roth Poetry 