Two Different Perspectives

A few years ago I painted this waterfall. It started out from a completely different perspective. It was originally a painting of Looking Glass Falls in the Pisgah National Forest, NC. I had it sitting upside down in my garage. When I looked at it, I loved the way the perspective of the overhanging rocks changed as the painting rotated. I decided to turn it sideways and paint the waterfall flowing from the opposite direction.

The bottom painting was the original and the top painting is the redo. I added in more rocks and extended the waterfall to the bottom. I like the way it turned out. If you rotate the bottom painting you can see how the perspective changes.

Rotation changes

Rocks and water perspective

The world keeps turning

Paintings: Dwight L. Roth

Hue

Painting horizons

I create blends dark and light

across evening skies

mellowing reds and yellows

Call me Orange Hue

*

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

This evening at d’Verse, Mish asked us to write a poem from the perspective of a color. I chose Orange.

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Painting the Farm

I have a friend of my family who grew up in my home community in Pennsylvania. When my two brothers and I visited there a couple of years ago, we drove past the farm where her grandfather once lived, and was passed down through the generations. It was still in good condition, although the trees had grown quite large over time. The little white barn and tile silo were still there. On the hill above the farm, sat a little brethren church. Tombstones in the cemetery contained the names of many of her friends and family members. I took a few photos while we were there.

We had a few warmer days the past two weeks that allowed me to paint, so I decided to paint the farm picture and send it to her in Virginia. I had two good shots, one close and one far away. Not being able to decide which one to paint, I decided to paint them both at the same time. This was the first I tried painting two at once. They are on 11 x 14 canvas board. I hope she will enjoy them.

Family farm stories

left in memories long past

Silo stands empty

Painting the Debolt Farm – Dwight L. Roth

Rise Above

Condor rises high

Above churning ocean waves

Others ride strong swells

*****

Rise above life’s ebb and flow

Find your true perspective there

Painting: Dwight L. Roth

The Tree of Life

Today I am sharing a poem from a dear friend, Ike Glick, who lives in Edmonton, Alberta. He sent this poem with his Christmas Letter, and I thought it was very creative and well written. The word Sophia is a feminine name which means wisdom. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

The Tree of Life

Sophia *

‘God’s wisdom’

The essence of Being

Even before creation, “I Am”

“On the heights” for life perspective

“Along the way” in unexpected places

Confronting, “On the path I take my stand”

I may be found outside the gates of power

I am ubiquitous

I am available

I am optional

Most free are they who choose my ways

“Those who find me find Life.”

As they follow the star . . . *

Echoes of Prov.8, Mt.2, Luke.2 Isaac Glick 12/2020

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

A Gathering of the Dead

What do you see as you come to the emergence of Winter?

Lying together

Some see death others see hope

Death waiting for life

***

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

This came to me this morning as I was reading through the collection of Jisei poems from Frank Tassone’s prompt on d’Verse. We are to write a death poem or a Jisei. Jisei poems were of Japanese origins, and were often written in waka (tanka) or haiku, but death poems are not restricted to those forms. What is essential is the expression of both imminent death and the significance of life in the face of it. In this sense, Jisei is the poetry of both memorial and celebration.

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The God Perspective

“You know,” he mused, “Some folks don’t believe there is a God. They get all tangled up with religion and theological arguments about who is right and who is wrong, and miss the bigger picture.”

Grandpa always did have a unique perspective on life. He was wise beyond his years, but only shared his wisdom if asked.

“Aren’t your afraid of catching Covid and dying,” I asked?

“You know son, there are a lot worse things in living than in dying. Death is knocking on all of our doors!”

“I believe there is a God who is the source of all life, and that my life will continue on long after this old pain-ridden body is gone.”

I thought about what he said, as he continued, ‘We look at him through the wrong end of the long telescope of Time’.

“God’s Love is eternal!”

***********

Painting By Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, Kim is having us do Prosery. This is when we write a prose piece of flash fiction (144 words) that includes a random line form a poem she chooses for us. She gave us this line from the D. H. Lawerence poem, Hummingbird: ‘We look at him through the wrong end of the long telescope of Time’. I decided to write my piece as a conversation.

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Our Own Truth

Perhaps I should have added this as an addendum to my Selfie poem yesterday, on d’Verse! It is not hard to become jaded as we grow older, especially in the political climate of today. I can identify with many of the attitudes shown here.

Seems the only room we have for truth

is for our own

We know we are right

with answers to change the world

Through biased eyes we look // we judge

unable to understand any divergent thinking

Even when reality stares us in the face

we close our mind’s eyes and fail to listen

We lash out proclaiming our kindness

while demanding others believe our truth

How could they not // after all we are right

Seems so clear to us

Why do they not see and fall in line

How could they possibly question our truth

especially when we are demanding care

and compassion in the name of love

Why would we listen to a second opinion

When we know we are right

**********

Self-portrait: Dwight L. Roth

Seeing Clearly

Looking in mind’s mirror of cracked broken glass

I see myself as cracked and broken as well

Peering through hammered glass, I see

images and shapes through cataracts clouded

Looking out through tinted windows, I see

The world around me clearly // unglaring

“Carrying on” as usual, as it cycles on and on

As though looking in a mirror of clear glass

reflecting my image in true perspective…

Whole // an eternal soul in an aging body

Created in the image of God!

Photo: Dwight L. Roth

A View From My Window

Perspective is everything when it comes to a buying a home.

We said we wanted a house with trees // but there was only one on our lot

When we walked in,  it was the window view out the back that sold us

A woods filled with trees reaching for the sky joined our barren lot

Since then, much was added to the ever changing seen.

Two wild willows,  now thirty feet tall,  shade our Shangri-La

There’s a lilac and a crape myrtle,  and a garden lush and green

The bird feeder entertains me all day long it seems

and not just the birds, but squirrels and chipmunks too

So when I look out the window my heart thrills with the view

Now in this summer heat, I’ll go back to my reclining chair 

Drink some ice tea, prop up my feet, and enjoy the view from there!

The view of our back yard in February 2011 when we saw it for the first time. We knew it had potential to become something more than this!!

Photos: Dwight L. Roth

Today at d’Verse, Peter asked to to take a photo from our window and then write a poem about it. When I look at the early photos of our back yard, and then at the ones I took this evening, It is amazing how much the view changed. Vision and perspective change everything.

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