Choices

It pains my heart to see the way one policeman’s deadly action has reopened the door to division and strife that has been stewing for years in the United States. Peaceful protests are very much in order, but the violence of opportunistic looters and destructive vandalism in no way honors the memory of George Floyd. How can one call for respect when their actions show otherwise. The lack of wisdom and understanding in this situation is very disheartening!

Choices affect everyone;
changing the course of a nation
Choices are the difference between life and death;
altering the lives of everyone around us.
Wise choices lead to life…

“Above all, seek wisdom and understanding…” Proverbs

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

On and Off

Painting by: Piet Mondrian, ‘Broadway Boogie Woogie’, 1942-43, moma.org

Kim at d’Verse, introduced us to the painting above, and asked that we use it as inspiration for our *Haibun Monday. As I looked at the implication of streets and intersections, I thought that would be too obvious to write about. My wife thought it looked like a circuit board, which really connected with me.

Circuit boards have gone from large boards of soldered tubes, transistors, capacitors, and switches to boards so small you can’t even see the pathways. My hearing aids have four channels and three volume settings, and are hidden neatly behind each ear. Pushing one button controls both at the same time. Now we have wrist watches that can check body functions and even do electrocardiograms. Who knows what they will come up with next.

Hidden solder paths
Connect on and off switches
Summer tree roots ‘twined

******

*Haibuns are a form of Japanese Poetry with two or three short crisp paragraphs of prose followed by a traditional Haiku, that references a season.

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When Death Comes Knocking

It does make us rethink life when death is knocking
making us withdraw into our cocoons
Time to rethink our way of life // our values // our purpose
while we quarantine in our homes
Forced reflection demanded when death offers its portal
Looking out on quiet streets
Neighbors now masked strangers
Some live in fear // most take precautions
Others choose denial // finding reality hard to face
We now live in a time warp somewhere out in space
Getting prepared to make entrance
into a strange new world
Uncertain what walking through this portal may reveal
We step out cautiously and do as we’re told
Life is precious // some will die // most will live
We just hope and pray death’s portal
is not our chamber door

Staircase Painting: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, Anmol asked to consider the word portal for our prompt today! As we move into a new way of living with the dangers that are all around us, I chose to write about how it affects us mentally as well as physically.

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Unfinished

 

This painting caused me great frustration in getting the turtle to look right in the sand. As a result it remained unfinished. Finally, I simply redid the painting, keeping the moon and changing the scene from the beach to the mountains. I like the way it turned out.  A friend that I work with decided he wanted it, so now it has a good home.

Some things in life don’t

turn out the way you had planned

Time to change the scene

Rethink what is important

Recreate something you love

 

Paintings: Dwight l. Roth

*The turtle lies at the point where the stream turns!

 

 

 

Imagine

The thrill of the imagination
Takes us places we can never go
Beyond this earthly home
Out into the solar system
Wrapping our minds around the
Concept of a galaxy in a world far far away
Imagine going into the depths of the earth
“All the way to China,” as we used to say
…Our way of saying very deep

Imagine riding with Voyager
As it continues to sail out into the universe
Beyond our solar system to worlds unknown
Having paid its dues in 2012 sailing on
Singing, “I’ll fly away oh glory, I’ll fly away!”

Who are the imagineers of the present
With visions beyond this realm
Pushing the outer limits in ways yet to be
Not content to live in Earth’s isolation
Rather seeking ways to imagine
The reality of a Star Trek generation
That will stretch our imaginations even more

Painting “Earth Rise” – Dwight L. Roth

Posting for Open Link night on d’Verse.  Join us  at: https://dversepoets.com

Keeping Busy in Isolation

Since the weather has warmed up I have been out in my garage painting again. The 42 x 42 inch painting above was given to my neighbor. They asked me to paint a large sunflower for their daughter. That is the last painting which I worked on today. I still a have some work to do on the seed part of the sunflower.  The middle photos are a painting I did on my old Washburn Guitar. It has had significant damage with a hole patched in the body and a head that got snapped and glued back together. Amazingly, it still holds tuning and plays very well. I am a fan of old steam trains as you can see.

Painting // passing time

Waiting for Summer release

Ready for a hug

Paintings: Dwight L. Roth

I finished the Sunflower today…

Paradise

Dreaming paradise

where life is laid back and slow

Summer will be here

****

Saw Painting: Dwight L. Roth

First Grade Impressions

Teachers thrive on order…

When I was young on my first day of school
One little boy cried tears to fill a pool
The classroom was a scary place that day
Marching in line // no time to poke or play

Our small wooden desks were in long straight lines
Like staunch rigid backbones of long straight spines
Evenly spaced with seats that folded down
Waiting for life where none was to be found

Not a soul whispered //no one made a sound
We all sat stiff and rigid as the teacher made her rounds
Every child’s little heart was now beating fast
I wondered in my mind if this would last

Turns out I’m not made for rigid rows of desks
nor for all those difficult tests
I seem to have one foot outside the box
With a mind running free to write my thoughts

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse we are looking at the word order and applying it to poetry. Lara asked us to write a poem that reflects how we feel about order.  I have never been one to stay inside the lines so order for me has always been difficult as you see in my poem above. You can see First Grade in school made quite an impression on me!

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Feeling Rejected

On Good Friday Christians reflect on the death of Christ on the cross, and what his sacrifice means for us. The human side of Jesus suffered unspeakable physical pain. Some say that God will give you strength in your time of need. But it is my experience that when that time comes, it is very difficult to feel that presence. Even Jesus cried out on the cross, wondering why God had forsaken him in his darkest hour. Pain and rejection seem to be Siamese Twins! It is very hard to have your whole world collapse and not feel rejected. This is why it is so important to have persons who will walk with you and help you regain your perspective once more, understanding that God loves you even when you don’t feel it.

Dark night of the soul
Feelings rejection’s pain
Forsaken // alone
Stretched out on life’s cruel cross
Has God turned his face from us?

In His pain he cried
“My God, my God, why have
you forsaken me!?”
Feeling rejection’s pain
In that dark night of the soul

*****

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

Call to Prayer

Why do we wait till crisis comes
When fear sets in and the body grows numb
To raise our hearts and voice in prayer
Calling to God // now made aware

And why do we think our begging and pleading
Will now be heard by Almighty God’s heeding
As folks are dying and we are reeling
Our invincible life precariously careening

Prayer is not the magic wand // making all serene
Nor the serpent on the pole to look upon for healing
God is not simply at your beck and call
Now that you have need and life’s about to fall

Crisis makes all aware that God has always been there
From everlasting to everlasting // though we never gave a care
Prayer does not bring OUR answers in time of despair
But rather strength and endurance to face all that’s there

So weep not for the grateful dead now no longer in pain
Rather weep for the soul who’s life has not yet waned
And for healthcare workers in the midst of crashing towers
Who find strength to help others in their final hours

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

Posting this for d’Verse open link night…

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