It is real

It is real.....

Once I doubted, but no longer.
Its very existence is real!

I have felt it on my skin,
I have heard it on the wind and wires,
I have looked into it with my own eyes,
I have embraced it in my arms,
I have cared for and nurtured it and it me,
I have dreamed of it in my sleep,
I have tasted it on my lips,
I have smelled it in the air,
I have been overjoyed,
I have endured its pain,
I have swallowed its essence,
I have accepted it into my soul,
I have lost it,
I have lived it.

I shall never doubt it again.
I believe! I believe!

It waits for me.
It searches for me.

I am here! I am here!
I wait! I am waiting!
Find me my old friend!

Love is real…….

Table For One

Table For One

I dined at your favorite cafe last night,
There on the corner where it all began.
Holding in my grasp a glass of wine,
Same fingers that once held your hand.

Linen table service for one instead of two,
Relishing the fairytale put me at ease.
I held the glass high, a grand toast to you,
A red vintage as sweet as our memories.

Do you think fondly of me?
When the wind blows in your hair?
Reliving those nights walking by the sea,
Do you remember me there?
On this, our anniversary?

Main course was the usual,
Petite portions of our favorite foods.
Silent communion with all the rituals,
Cozy booth we shared completed the mood.

Settling the check, an evening incomplete,
Looking around, half expecting you there.
Gazing upon you, a delicate dessert so sweet,
Would have answered the most fervent of prayers

Do you ever hear my voice?
Echoing inside your thoughts?
Did we make the right choice?
Do you feel the same sense of loss?
On this, our anniversary?

The cool, still night was just like it was,
In that whirlwind season now past.
Turning to go, giving moment to pause,
Pondering when we were together last.

I wonder where you are tonight,
Living out those dreams we often shared?
Are you still searching for the light?
As we did together when I was there?
On this, our anniversary?

This was indeed a significant day,
Both monument and eulogy for you and me.
Yet sadly I was alone with no bouquet,
Celebrating what would; what could; what should have been, our anniversary.

Remember me……

TAH

Wicked

I love “Wicked"

After many months of waiting, I finally had the honor and the privilege to see Wicked, the musical stage production based on the novel by Gregory McGuire. I don’t even know how to begin to describe the performance. Let me start simply by saying I left the theatre in awe. I have heard from many friends both inside and outside the theatre community what a phenomenal production this is. When I heard that it was coming to Tampa, I used one of my connections and was able to procure tickets before they went on sale to the general public to assure I did not miss it. Since that time I have been waiting patiently while the anticipation grew to a final crescendo which culminated in Friday evening’s performance. If you are not aware of the back story for this show, it is the story of the world introduced in The Wizard of Oz long before the events of Dorothy and Toto and how these characters came to be leading up to the event of the tornado. The set design was breathtaking in it’s simplicity to accommodate set changes yet kept your attention when the performers were not on stage as you inspected every minute detail. This combined with the artistic and precise placement of the lighting completed a beautiful stage. The costumes and make-up were intricately elaborate and colorful. Stephanie J. Block’s interpretation of Elphaba, the Wicked Witch, was both engaging and intoxicating as by the end of the show, you fell in love with her character and felt compassion for the reason behind her actions. I’ve had the pleasure of seeing Ms. Block previously in New York in The Boy From Oz with Hugh Jackman where her impersonation of Liza Minnelli was dead on. I was absolutely captivated by her voice in every number. Her incredible range and powerful ability to project hypnotized the audience. Kendra Kassebaum played the perfect foil to Elphaba as Glinda the Good Witch. (Or should I say "Ga-Linda") Her air headed, little rich girl yet sincere and loving interpretation of her role was vastly entertaining and kept me in stitches. Carolle Shelley as Madame Morrible was entertaining as always for this well known character actress although it was somewhat reminiscent of Dame Edna. David Garrison as the Wizard was somewhat believable but it was hard for me to see him as the character early on due to his previous typecasting in Married With Children. By the end of the show, he won me over and allowed me to see the more sinister side of the wizard that you would not normally expect based on our childhood memories from the Wizard of Oz. Both Sebastian Arcelus as Fiyero and Jena Leigh Green as Nessarose were believable but I’m afraid their characters were overshadowed by the other four. The same holds true for rest of the cast. The wirework for the Flying Monkeys and ensemble was very impressive for a stage play. The wires were barely visible and the swinging combined with the mid air choreography actually gave the illusion of flying. For the most part however, the story revolved around Elphaba and Glinda and they stole the show. The musical score by Stephen Schwartz was magical as each number flowed so easily into each scene. The lyrics of “For Good” affected me the most and had the most profound impact on my emotions. As each note and word was being sung by these lovely actresses, I could close my eyes and picture every person in my life both past and present and how each continues to have such a profound impact in making me who I am today.

On the philosophical side, this was more than just a production to provide entertainment. If you pay attention and look for the undertones and subplots, it is an allegorical tale told in fantasy, metaphor and parable about the state of the world we live in and it’s history. The things I walked away with are that no matter what comes between the relationships we establish in our lives, each person in our life is a sum of all of our parts that define us. There were numerous references to history and the message here is that history is written by the victors, seldom by the losers of any conflict. The body politic and those who manage it are not always as benevolent as they appear and a person can be turned from good to wicked in the eye of the public through propaganda to meet a government agenda. One can only imagine how our text books would read today if written by those who were defeated. Finally, being an animal lover, the animal rights subplot was not lost on me as it was also a metaphor for racism and prejudice and it’s continued existence even in a modern world. I realize this may not make much sense to you if you have never witnessed the performance of this fine musical. But if the fates should grant you with such good fortune, look for these as they are there. I will definitely be purchasing the books of which this story is based and reading them in the near future.

Many of my theatre friends have always spoken of their favorite show or musical production. I have never had one I could choose as my favorite until now. While I did not get to see this on Broadway, I cannot imagine it being any better than the fine performance I enjoyed from this touring company. I will be seeing this show again and again not matter where my travels take me. If you should have the time or inclination, I highly recommend and strongly suggest you run to buy tickets as soon as they are available.

“T”

Hangin' with The Crime Band

I've only written poetry this week and haven't really sat down to post anything other than that. And with the week and month I have had, I needed to get out and loosen up a little. As luck would have it, I had a pretty good weekend. I have not been to a happy hour with co-workers in almost a year so Friday night I was invited and went to enjoy a couple of cocktails. We ran into a very nice couple who invited us to see their band the following evening at the Rock Hard Café, a little sports bar in Tampa. (I love the play and reversal of the name.) Apparently the original band cancelled and these folks were called at the last minute to fill in. Now I don’t normally hang out at bars and listen to bands too much, I’m more of a quiet English pub and good conversation kind of guy. This is for two reasons really. I grew out of that stage of my life back in my 20’s and two, to be quite frank, most of the bands all sound the same and are stuck on the old 70’s and 80’s covers. Especially the beach bands out here where I live. But I thought what the heck, I love music, (especially alternative rock), I have no plans and maybe I could get in a few shots with the camera if they didn’t mind. Well I must say I was pleasantly surprised. They performed all the current music that I enjoy from all my favorite bands from the late 90’s to the present. I either knew almost every song or own every CD that they came from. I had a wonderful time and made some very good new friends. These three guys are incredibly talented and play for the love of the art of music rather than playing because they have to. That’s’ the reason I had never heard of them before. They engaged the crowd very well and the lead vocalist is also the percussionist which you don’t see very often in bands and covered each song seamlessly. I’ve always admired the guys who can do that. Anyway, I went with some friends, listened to the band and before the evening was up, I had taken over a hundred shots on the camera. They said they would post some of them on their website at www.TheCrimeBand.com . It will be nice to see my work there. I’ve attached a few to this post as well. If you live or are visiting in and around the Tampa Bay area, I encourage you to give these guys a listen.

...............30 Days...............

What can I say? It has been an extremely difficult month. It helps to write and create. Art and form given to thought. Today I present the "Blues" in "Celtic" prose. It is certainly an interesting combination.

30 Days

Once I believed I finally figured it out,
This thing we live and call “life”.
Ups and downs, convictions and doubts,
Days filled with joy, others with strife.

Convinced and confident that I knew everything,
The facts of life appeared crystal clear.
Discovering now in all this I knew nothing,
Lacking knowledge consumes me with fear.

I knew that my parents would live forever,
There always when others have vanished.
Age and disease now require my care,
New feelings of helplessness unleashed.

I knew my friend’s marriage would never die.
A model lifelong commitment from folklore.
Of late they can barely look each in the eye,
Further testament, no one stays together anymore.

I believed in my heart that lovers never lie,
Loving you as much as they claim they do.
Then suddenly the words turn and are denied,
Discovering that love was only felt by you.

I envisioned my own family by my side,
Dreams of a child all those years ago.
Alas, loving women lacking the will to decide,
Suffering plagues of wanderlust to and fro.

I acknowledge the career and all my passions,
Assured there was nothing I could not achieve.
Monotonous now and growing out of fashion,
Temptation to truss up and leave.

A mere month ago I savored all of these,
Feeble meekness left behind in my wake.
My world has changed; I’ve been brought to my knees,
What a difference thirty days can make.

TAH

Weary World

I almost didn’t publish this for fear that it may appear too dark. However, in retrospect, I have decided to do so. Please know, it is not quite as bleak as it seems but rather an observation in prose on a weary world. I am just so tired of all the “bad news” that surrounds us from all directions and it got me down a little today. What we “know” to be the truth in anything, may be gone tomorrow and how we endure it, depends on who we are. As Socrates said, “Know Thyself”. This poem is the result of that thought process.

Weary World

Childhood puppy frolics in a memory of fog,
Canine friend transformed to the rabid dog.
Foaming from the mouth while running rampant,
Gnarling teeth toward a hand held with portent.

You thought you knew him, he thought he knew you.
Did you really know him? Do you know You?

Frequent beatings from an abusive father,
Cowering in dark corner, the timid mother.
Swinging each fist with words of love,
Only hatred beneath the hand in the glove.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Battlefields covered with blood and death of wars,
Tortured souls sleep under smoke and shooting stars.
Documents of peace available for purchase,
While the next conflict bubbles under the surface.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Friends and colleagues with patting of shoulders,
Caught unaware your head held underwater.
Drowning in a sea of facades, betrayal and deceit,
Trust, honor and faith crumbling at your feet.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Words and platitudes from husbands, wives and lovers,
A smokescreen of love for you above all others.
One day awakened finding yourself all alone,
The lies and those who spoke them suddenly gone.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Worship of Gods and deities allow this to happen,
Creations of dead ancestors now long forgotten.
Where are they now when needed the most?
Prayers unheard, falling on ears of spirits and ghosts.

You thought you knew them, they thought they knew you.
Did you really know them? Do you know You?

Undeterred by a weary world that still stands,
Wandering the streets in search of a master plan.
Perhaps tomorrow we will all know what to do.
Before finding the unknowable, you must first know You.

TAH

The Rules

A bit of humor in truth or truth in humor depending on your point of view. I’ve seen this in many forms but received it again today and felt it worthy of publishing. Please try to take this with the humor in which it is implied ladies. However I must point out there is a lot of truth in here.

We always hear "the rules" from the female side.Now here are the rules from the male side.These are our rules!Please note... these are all numbered "1" ON PURPOSE!

1. Learn to work the toilet seat. You're a big girl. If it's up, put it down. We need it up, you need it down. You don't hear us complaining about you leaving it down.

1. Sunday sports. It's like the full moon or the changing of the tides. Let it be.

1. Shopping is NOT a sport. And no, we are never going to think of it that way.

1. Crying is blackmail.

1. Ask for what you want. Let us be clear on this one: Subtle hints do not work! Strong hints do not work! Obvious hints do not work! Just say it!

1. Yes and No are perfectly acceptable answers to almost every question.

1. Come to us with a problem only if you want help solving it. That's what we do. Sympathy is what your girlfriends are for.

1. A headache that lasts for 17 months is a problem. See a doctor.

1. Anything we said 6 months ago is inadmissible in an argument. In fact, all comments become null and void after 7 days.

1. If you won't dress like the Victoria's Secret girls, don't expect us to act like soap opera guys.

1. If something we said can be interpreted two ways and one of the ways makes you sad or angry, we meant the other one.

1. You can either ask us to do something or tell us how you want it done. Not both. If you already know best how to do it, just do it yourself.

1. Whenever possible, please say whatever you have to say during commercials.

1. Christopher Columbus did not need directions and neither do we.

1. ALL men see in only 16 colors, like Windows default settings. Peach, for example, is a fruit, not a color. Pumpkin is also a fruit. We have no idea what mauve is.

1. If we ask what is wrong and you say "nothing," we will act like nothing's wrong. We know you are lying, but it is just not worth the hassle.

1. If you ask a question you don't want an answer to, expect an answer you don't want to hear.

1. When we have to go somewhere, absolutely anything you wear is fine...Really.

1. Don't ask us what we're thinking about unless you are prepared to discuss such topics as baseball, the shotgun formation, or monster trucks.

1. You have enough clothes.

1. You have too many shoes.

1. I am in shape. Round is a shape.

1. Sleeping on the couch is not so bad and men really don't mind that. It's like camping.

Amen brother.......

Sun Blind

I remember green of grass and foam of the sea,
White and black feathered seagulls badgering hungrily.
Waves of water bathing my feet in an emerald green,
Course massage of yellow sand giving way beneath me.

I remember the hues of red, thorny roses in bloom,
Wilted teal stalks, creamy leaves of the Iris perfumes.
Distressed and rustic balance in a bench of cedar wood,
Artistry created from a towering tree that once stood.

I remember the dark silkiness of a maiden’s hair,
Speckled rainbows colored her faraway stare.
Crystal separation of light from the hearts prism,
Distinct individuality emerging out of amorphism.

I remember cotton clouds floating in blue upon high,
Pinpoints of light traveling black abyss of night sky.
Purple morning horizon beginning each new day,
Orange evenings setting westward over the bay.

I remember infinite details through minds eye imagery,
Through these faded blue dead orbs all this I can see.
No regrets from those golden impulses, over before having begun,
For I am one of few who have survived, staring into the eyes of the sun.

T A H

The past week...

I haven’t had a chance to post in a few days. I’ve been incredibly busy at work and a full weekend. I did manage to see “The Chronicles of Narnia” and “Brokeback Mountain” this week. Two very excellent films! Last night I attended a friend’s birthday party where I was teamed up with another guy and we won the TV Theme Song contest and received the coveted Wal-Mart Gift Card as a prize!! (I know…it’s the little things in life..... L to R: Me, Stuart and Jimmy.) I took the above photos of the moon last night as it appeared from my front porch. One in B&W, one in color. I was in a rush and didn’t get a chance to get a better shot but the imagery will give you a general idea of how beautiful it was.

Will try to write again soon and hopefully it will be something more substantial and profound. But for now…….this is it.

T.A.H.

The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

Have you ever had one of those days? Have you ever had a major life changing, earth shattering event that just rocks you to your very core? The death of a loved one, loss of a pet, divorce, a best friend moving away, ending a relationship, losing your job, getting your heart broken etc, etc…..just to name a few. We go on with our lives and try to put it behind us because it’s what we have to do. It is not as if we have a choice, right? As the French say, “C’est La vie”. Then we have good days and not so good days. Just when you think you are getting to a point of acceptance some sign or reminder appears that brings the whole event crashing back down on you. A certain sight, place, smell, taste, a song on the radio, a movie or TV show or even the very temperature of the air. You open a drawer or a cabinet and you unexpectedly find something associated with the event staring back at you and before you know it, like some form of time machine, you are transported back there in the moment. Then this lovely organ none of us can do without called a brain starts doing what it was designed to do…thinking. Thinking about all the stuff you’ve worked so hard to forget. It makes you wish you had one of those little machines from “The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind” so you could erase the memories you don’t want and keep the ones you do. But unfortunately this is real life and not the movies so we just have to deal with it. I’m just having one of those days.

So I leave us all with a few “life” quotes today:

“Life is rarely as we would like it to be; rather it is exactly as it is.” – Anonymous

“My life has a superb cast but I can’t figure out the plot!” – Ashleigh Brilliant

“Don’t take life too seriously. You’ll never get out alive.” – Bugs Bunny

“Trouble is part of your life. If you don’t share it, you don’t give the person who loves you a chance to love you enough.” – Dinah Shore

So taking Dinah Shore’s lead, I’m just sharing today.

Luminographic Concert

"Luminographic Concert" Artist: Jorge Orta
University of Tampa
Jorge Orta is a Paris based Spanish artist who is one of the leading contemporary masters in this art form. Photos by TAH

Marquee

"Marquee" Artist: Tobey Archer
Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center, Photos by TAH

LuminoCity

"LuminoCity" Artist: Bay Stage Lighting
The News Center, Tampa - Photos by TAH

Fade III

"Fade III" Artist: Erwin Redi
The Pavilion at Rivergate Tower, Tampa - Photos by TAH

Taking Breath

"Taking Breath" Artist: Wendy Babcox
National Wall Art Gallery, Tampa, FL - Photos by TAH

Luminous Affirmations

"Luminous Affirmations" Artist: Stephen Knapp
Tampa Municipal Office Building - Photos by TAH

"Lights on Tampa" Photos

Quite unexpectedly, I ended up with a professional photographers camera for Christmas 2005. Since then, It has been sitting here in the various and a sundry boxes staring me in the face. I know next to nothing about photography but I do like to try new things. One night I pulled everything out and read the King James style owners manual and picked up as much information as I could understand as it is written in “tech speak”. Saturday night the city of Tampa held a public art display entitled “Lights on Tampa” with Mayor Pam Iorio flipping the switch to light up downtown. I thought that this would be a unique opportunity to try out this new camera so I will post a few photos here of the city at night. (The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were losing the playoff game to the Washington Redskins anyway! Sad game!) I was playing around with the various lenses and settings and such as you will see. I was with a friend of mine who is no stranger to the art of photography and I didn’t do too badly for my first time out, but I still have much too learn.

The art exhibit was spread throughout downtown and according to the newspaper, this art form has gained popularity over the last 30 years. I will post the photos of each exhibit separately under their individual titles by artist. If you are looking at these and like them, let me know. I would love the feedback.

Enjoy!