The Last Candle
July 10, 2011 § Leave a comment
My most cherished childhood memory.
At 4:oo am french time on july 21 1969.
Our parents woke us up without warning.
To see the first humans walking on the moon.
Live.
Never before
Had I been awakened in the middle of the night for
No children reason.
The slow transmission
Grainy images
The coolest language
In radio voices.
The light of black and white TV
In the moonless night.
My parents’ faces
And their eyes,
no one saying a word,
made it a magical
indelible moment.
Only a few days later
Lying in a hay field
high up
In the Alps
I looked at the moon.
The Americans were walking there?
Five, Four, Three, Two, One, ..., And Lift Off
An exhilarating feeling of looking at a human
Destination, far, far,
Straight from my eyes to there.
Not in my imagination.
Real.
Ever since that day I was fascinated by the Space Program, watching launches religiously, my heart beating fast, my eyes tearing. So beautiful, going straight up, away from the world, with awesome fire, smoke, roar and speed. Astronauts where my gods, powerful and beautiful riders, and NASA, a word that made me dream.
Many years forward I went to Cape Canaveral and saw Atlantis launch with my husband and 10 years old son. It was again so real, taking my breath away, just beautiful, beautiful.
On Friday July 8th, I watched the “last launch” on my television.
The last candle on my childhood birthday cake.
Cy Twombly
July 6, 2011 § Leave a comment
Cy Twombly died yesterday in Rome.
He was one of my favorite contemporary painters. His work was pure poetry for me.
His father “Cy” was nicknamed after CY Young as he pitched for the White Socks.
He liked the work of Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665)
I wonder what the work of the artist who will like Cy Twombly in 400 years will look like.
A chance to stop and think
July 2, 2011 § Leave a comment
Today started full of power and want. My steps were light, hopeful and confident that today would be the day. The day to live so fully that I would fall asleep at night like a happy child who swore she would stay awake.
The day when I would write, draw, make and finish.
A perfect day, so sunny and warm. I went outside, sat, lay down and started looking, listening and then dreaming. I couldn’t decide anymore. The present moment was too beautiful to go ahead and miss it. It lasted so long that the future of the day was gone by mid afternoon.
I looked for a poem, hoping it would jumpstart my creativity and I found this one by Richard Wilbur:
PARABLE
“I read how Quixote in his random ride
Came to a crossing once, and lest he lose
The purity of chance, would not decide
Whiter to fare, but wished his horse to choose.
For glory lay wherever he might turn.
His head was light with pride, his horse’s shoes
Were heavy, and he headed for the barn.”
And so it has been a perfect day…and tomorrow is another one.
Tonight I will watch the fireworks and write again, maybe draw and finish, falling asleep like a happy child.
I was looking around when walking
June 27, 2011 § 3 Comments
I first saw a circle and went to look for others… I could have gone lost forever…
First Day of Summer. First Post
June 21, 2011 § 3 Comments
This my first post, my first blog and the first day of summer. Short and simple. For my first steps into this realm are hesitant, cautious and small.
I am excited and nervous.
A bed without blankets in the morning is a first sign of summer.
I went outside and looked a my garden. This is my favorite patch, wild and just green. I didn’t plant, weed, water or design it. It was always here, it comes back every year and I look at it every day as it grows. It changes with the time of the day and the weather. A small, simple, perfect and constant source of happiness for me.
I made a new season resolution. Every day this summer, and wherever I will be, I will stop and look for a small, simple, perfect and constant source of happiness at least once a day.
I will share some with you too.
Marchand de Couleurs 