Poetry 2018

Virtual Continent Hopping, Final day in Lesotho

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Blog City Prompt: What does it mean to be a good neighbor?

Megan, one of the reasons, my neighbors think I’m a great neighbor because I bake a lot. *Rolling*  For me, it’s hard to make portions for two people, and I really don’t want to deprive my husband of the baked goods he enjoys so much, but nor do I want all the calories hanging around. So I send some to two of the families near us. It’s a win situation for us all. I share garden produce, because sometimes it just ripens all at once. For me it’s simply a matter of treating other people the way I want to be treated with kindness and generosity of one’s talents. I don’t get in their business and try not to be noisy. I always let them know when I’m throwing my annual Halloween costume party so they aren’t surprised by all the extra cars and strange looking people wandering around.

30 day Final segment of our excursion in Lesotho
Thank goodness we were rescued in the middle of the night, we got a little sleep, change of clothes and breakfast.
Semonkong to Underberg
After breakfast, we either hike to or take a 4×4 drive to the Maletsunyane Falls. The weather determines whether we drive or hike. Depart the Lesotho Highlands via passes that enter South Africa at Qacha’s Nek. We snake our way through the last remote villages of Lesotho. We cross the Senqu river again – which we first saw on Day 1 and then follow it along the Senqu River valleys toward the border town of Qachas Nek. Once back in South Africa we travel through to the small town of Matatiele. From Matatiele we skirt alongside the Drakensberg mountains and return to Underberg along scenic back roads, returning usually around 15:00-16:00. (3-4 pm)

https://www.wri.org/resources/data-sets/orange-senqu-river-basin-study

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qacha%27s_Nek

Discuss what you’ve seen today. Impress us with your observation skills.

I don’t know how I missed this one detail, Lesotho is completely landlocked inside South Africa. The views are incredible but I have to admit I was terrified once we began the abseil down the large cliff next to the fall. Petra, Blue, and Sandy volunteered to go first but that didn’t help my stomach one iota. It was doing somersaults. I didn’t think this part of the trip through, I hate heights. Alright, I’m done whining, I just focused straight ahead and let my foot find the next footing. It’s beyond words, how raw the beauty is around us. Even the monkeys were curious about the crazy humans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORdRkjpbzc8

Qacha’s Nek is home to Lesotho’s  Snake Park It’s located at the foot of the historic Letloepe hill/rock formation. This is where the cave of Qacha, the son of the Baphuthi chief Moorosi, after whom the town is named, is situated.  Letloepe means the cobra’s defensive hood, some people say it’s the alternative name for Qacha’s Nek. This sleepy border town has an attractive church, the quirky snake park and an interesting variety of colonial-era sandstone buildings, plus groves of California redwood trees.

I noted one oddity, that I can’t wait to research is how did California’s Redwood trees get here. Well I learned  presently redwoods grow only one place on Earth – right on the Pacific coast, from Big Sur to southern Oregon. But earlier in the Earth’s history, redwoods actually had a much wider range, including western North America and the coasts of Europe and Asia. But the redwoods we’re seeing are approximately 50 years old. But I didn’t find a link confirming it was a tree planting mission but it may have been because redwoods are noted for their ability to consume carbon monoxide. Plus it’s helpful in another way, because so many of the redwoods are at risk in California with the wildfires and droughts. I’m all in favor of saving every tree possible.

https://www.snakeparkqacha.com/RedWoodTree.php
https://www.lesotho-info.co.za/country/town/733/qacha-s-nek


BCoF Your tour guide isn’t up to par so your’re planning the activities for Durhan’s late afternoon and night time.

https://www.tripadvisor.com/AttractionProductReview-g312595-d16911364-Durban_Cit…

Check out the restaurants and tell us which one you prefer and why:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312595-d6033553-Reviews-Mali_s_In…

or

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g312595-d5029013-Reviews-The_Grill…

don’t worry we have hotel reservations at:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotel_Review-g312595-d299216-Reviews-Garden_Court_Ma…

I can’t complain our lodging has been interesting since we arrived in Lesotho that this one seems boring with the exception of the pool and the crashing waves of the ocean. I’m really happy my room borders the ocean side. I’m going to leave the window open hopefully the salty smell will drift into the room. I quickly hopped in the shower before joining the crew for a visit to the Durban Botanical Gardens. Breathtaking displays along brick walk paths even an interesting group of  wooden reindeer and sleigh. I chuckled at the antics of the monkeys in the trees and the lizards that popped up from time to time. This day’s adventure has sure made me hungry. I’m so happy I left it in the hands of the BCoF bloggers.

4.5 out of 5 on Tripadvisor, I think we’re in for an enjoyable feast. All the fresh air has made me quite hungry and the Jichana steak with steamed fresh market vegetables looked incredible when the waiter passed by our table. I didn’t finish looking at the menu, because the aroma was mouthwatering. The steaks are specially selected Karan Beef from Heidelberg. The meaning of Jichana is eating good in Swahili and it was. I ordered the baked lemon tart with a cup of coffee while we talked about the day. I’m going to miss the impromptu concerts we’ve enjoyed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=safXbLv1qfc

“Now more than ever do I realize that I will never be content with a sedentary life, that I will always be haunted by thoughts of a sun-drenched elsewhere.” ― Isabelle Eberhardt

Re-evaluating life

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Have you ever wondered why as women we fall into sexist traps? Is false flattery necessary for our self-esteem?  Are we so oblivious to this pattern, we hold ourselves back from reaching our full potential? Has it become more accessible to sound liberated than to go through the problematic psychological changes necessary to become liberated from sexual stereotypes?

The more I embrace Wicca, the more I realize how restrictive my life is.  I failed to see how much my life has been determined by male chauvinism. A society defined by male needs.  Recently, I heard my eldest son and longtime male friends spout NRA male driven propaganda crap creating panic over the right to own guns. It saddened me how much his father and men like influenced him. Our children’s right to be safe wasn’t a priority.

Daily, the different news spouts about a president who brags he’s a pussy grabber. His blatant disrespect of his wife, family are condoned by his male counterparts. His accepted lies are proof that we exist in a male run, man-made society.  Even the media is an extension of the patriarchy that has denied women throughout time. We’ve been crippled by tradition. We are the product sadly of two thousand years of suppression and oppression.

Seeking spiritual guidance is disappointing because the vast majority is led by men. It’s the driving factor for me in seeking Wicca because there isn’t as strong a male influence as other religions.

I read a comparison of our society recently as a tree, metaphorically traditions are merely roots and roots are only one part of the whole tree. The roots provide a base but don’t define the shape or the beauty of the tree as it reaches its potential. It’s the external influences that impact the tree the most. I ask why is it so impossible to see men and women exactly the same except for a minute anatomical difference?  It saddens me the answer is primarily because we are socially conditioned to believe otherwise.

I’ve believed for a long time we must embrace a society without gender or role divisions for us to evolve to our full potential as human beings and for discrimination to end. We need to rethink the male-female polarity if the change is going to happen and embrace chromosomal diversity. Sadly, women have been brainwashed in a patriarchal society for so many years they’ve forgotten how to use their positive energy for a better world. We’ve made progress with women’s spiritually, but, we haven’t found a solution for our co-existence because women still seek safe harbors from men instead of working together for human potential. We can’t remain divided or become stagnant if our children’s future is going to be better.

Rupi Kaur says “The most significant lesson a woman can learn is from day one… a woman has everything she needs within herself. It’s the world that has convinced women otherwise.”

 

Change is inevitable

Reflect, absorb and embrace life
Imitate all things to make one smile
Experience what one should not miss

Resist familiarity, embrace change
Intuition says to be careful but not incapaciated
Excel in ways you never dreamed possible

Reality may knock on your door but
Inspiration will incite desire
Expect prosperity and love as a norm

©Lyn Crain

 

I am a maiden, I am a mother, I am a crone, I am a goddess and I am a witch.

I am a strong woman who feels deeply and loves fiercely.  My tears flow as abundantly as my laughter. I choose to be practical and spiritual and maybe my poetic gift will influence this world.

Blessed be.

 

 

Breath

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by Lyn Crain

A breath

A tree crashes shatters the window.

the ground shudders with its weight.

The storm rages… rips every fragile

fragment of nature to shreds.

A  life is born, fighting to live

in a desperate struggle for air.

An old life shudders  a frenzied surrender

death claims his last gasp.

A breath

What once was …

Rage and Injustice

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Political Abuse Invites Promises

Promises denied in darkness

Darkness and lies comprise

Comprise lures trusting souls

Souls led into complacency

Complacency allowed zealots to strike

Strike fears flamed into silence

Silence enabled more abusive behaviors

Behaviors accelerate without boundaries

Boundaries violate trust and dignity.

Dignity denied to the innocent

Innocent betrayed by political abuse.

 

 

Loop Poetry is a poetry form created by Hellon. There are no restrictions on the number of stanzas nor on the syllable count for each line. In each stanza, the last word of the first line becomes the first word of line two, the last word of line 2 becomes the first word of line 3, last word of line 3 becomes the first word of line 4.

 

In this poem, I am not discussing physical or mental abuse but that of our present leadership. Hardworking immigrants betrayed and cast out because they were not born on this soil. Soil that we ourselves stole from the Native Americans with lies and guns. Here we are again, using political tactics, force when needed based on lies. Religious zealots claiming they’re making America great again when in fact all we’re showing is what an abusive culture we really are.

Normally, I do not engage in political commentary on my blog but then something happened to change my mind. A dear woman I’ve had the pleasure of sharing many writing experiences was one of the innocent immigrants tossed out of our country. She’s been twenty two years, has a social security card, worked, paid taxes. She’s done everything asked of her but time and time again red tape has denied her citizenship. She was tossed in a detention camp and treated similarly to how Hilter treated the Jews. We refused to believe that atrocities happened then as well. We’ve become a country that has selective sight, we overlook anything that doesn’t directly affect us. I’m guilty as well or I was until this became personal. She is a delightful woman who did not deserve to cast out of our country. She has broken no laws. She reported every week faithfully as required by the immigration board in  Atlanta. That belief in the system and that goodness would outweigh evil allowed this to happen. She should have fled but she didn’t.

We need to take our country back from this nightmare it is existing in. Normally, I don’t support violence but I’m beginning to believe revolution must occur for these tragedies to end. Innocent lives should not be treated as if they have no value. Families should not be ripped apart because of laws pushed by parties to gain influence.

I speak for the women, the children like my friend that believed this country was special but were hurt by the deception of our lies, America is not great. Bullies have become the new norm.

 

Motivation Monday

/ lyncrain / 1 Comment

“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: It is the courage to continue that counts. It is better to fail in originality than to succeed in imitation.”

I’ve been working on poetry forms again. The focus I find is helping me rethink my word usage in my book. Writers are guilty of using extra verbiage that doesn’t add to the story.

I decided to give a Fib aka Fibonacci for short a try because of its rigid structure.

Form: Fibonacci~ 8 Lines~ Syllabic Structure: 1/1/2/3/5/8/13/21

In mathematics, the Fibonacci numbers are the numbers in the following integer sequence, called the Fibonacci sequence, and characterized by the fact that every number after the first two is the sum of the two preceding. Fib is an experimental Western poetry form, bearing similarities to haiku, but based on the Fibonacci sequence. That is, the typical fib and one version of the contemporary Western haiku both follow a strict structure. The typical fib is a six line, 20 syllable poem with a syllable count by line of 1/1/2/3/5/8 – with as many syllables per line as the line’s corresponding place in the Fibonacci sequence; the specific form of contemporary Western haiku uses three (or fewer) lines of no more than 17 syllables in total. The only restriction on a Fib is that the syllable count follows the Fibonacci sequence.

 

Barriers Aside

I

need
freedom
to take steps.
A bold move beyond
the usual path love follows.
I want no boundaries, no rules to confine my heart.
I wonder if you are the one to join me on this elusive passion-filled journey.