28 July 2011

“For everything you have missed, you have gained something else, and for everything you gain, you lose something else.”

Photograph by Paul Samokhvalov. Please note that all photos are HQ and may be slow loading.

Beneath the belly rumble of fan blades beating the deviled heat and needling flesh in hot beds of wettish coverlets and linens, feverish lips fitted over crescent crowns of teeth. Behold the solstice trees softly swollen with cicadas, their impregnated odes flooding the tender nucleus of nostalgia, and songs of the bullfrogs and crickets all stuffed into the flask of dusk as the ebony throat of night swallows the sun, sinking flame engulfed by embryos of the land’s catacombs.

Photograph by 4thethrilofit at Flickr. Please note that all photos are HQ and may be slow loading.

Tempest of the moon and moth-eaten souls, my ribcage weeping where a small wood grows in trellises of dew-lipped leaves, delta blues howling from holy speakers. At which crook of the road did I lose my way?

Photograph by Robert Moses Joyce. Please note that all photos are HQ and may be slow loading.

Oh, the anguish of indecision! I could go nowhere. I could do nothing. I could be no one. I could give in, I could give up. Enough! I’ve bled this burden to its scarlet end. I break, I scar, I grit, I gather up.

Photograph by Helen Korpak. Please note that all photos are HQ and may be slow loading.

It’s all a great gamble, in this genocide of dreams. At war with the workforce, at war with sanity, at war with skepticism, at war with greed. Guns spitting, lick your wounds, licks of blood.

Photograph by Ciorania at Flickr. Please note that all photos are HQ and may be slow loading.

The sun breathes out through your lungs, a rapture, hallowed and sanctified and unafraid. Cosmic rebirth, erupt into stardust. Dreamers, rise ...

Photograph by W.E. Worden. Please note that all photos are HQ and may be slow loading.

P.S. I'm thinking of moving to Goa, India, and living in a palm tree grove on the beach, or to Kolkatā, India.

Title Quote: Ralph Waldo Emerson
Photo Credits: (1) Paul Samokhvalov, (2) 4thethrillofit, (3) Robert Moses Joyce, (4) Helen Korpak, (5) Ciorania, (6) W.E. Worden.

59 comments:

Couture Carrie said...

Exquisite post, darling S-C!
Great to hear from you :)
India sounds amazing!

xoxox,
CC

Bianca said...

And I shall stitch a quilt using only your words and scraps of sky in every color.

Jacqueline Jeannette said...

I am reading Rushdie and his India, though grotesque, is magical.

Jacqueline Jeannette said...

I am reading Rushdie and his India, though grotesque, is magical.

Melwa said...

I love every single one of your entries! Simply stunning photos, so inspiring.

Jacqueline Jeannette said...

I am reading Rushdie and his India, though grotesque, is magical.

Alexandra said...

Lovely pictures, lovely test, lovely post.

Alexandra said...

Oh, don't move to Kolkata. It's a nightmare if your soul is not strong, I have never seen so much poverty in my life.

franca maisha said...

hey darling! this is soooooo beautiful! oooh can I come to India with you? :)

xx

ps: thank you sooo much for the sweet comment :) my finals went really well, so I'm back to blogging (yay!)

Sasha said...

I have to say that when I read your work I have this urge to speak it. I think it's to voice the beauty of your words. I got quite excited when I saw you had posted!

-Sasha

p.s. thank you for your comment. I responded in with a bit too long comment on my post but once you get going, you get going. You know?

J.M. said...

Hey!
Good to hear from you.

The writers club I attend is held at the local community college. We have courteous critiques of each other's work. Some students from the school attend the club as well. One of the advisors is a professor, and a certain amount of attendence is madatory for her students. You only share your work if you want to, but everyone is welcome to read other's stories and poems. A few of our members are writing serialized stories, so it's interesting to follow along.

I've found the group to be very beneficial as far as me getting outside of my own ideas about writing. Of course, I don't agree with every critique, but I think of each person's at length. Sometimes our discussions can get a little long, but I think it's all beneficial to be reading and talking to other writers. I also like the age range of the group, some dual-enrollment high school/college students up to the elderly. The club also publishes a literary magazine yearly.

I reccommend checking out writer's circles for any writer.

One of my past professors is quite a traveler, and he has returned to India several times. He teaches a colliquium on it. In January he is taking a break from work to go to India and write a book.

Keep us all abreast of your adventures!

xo

hila said...

oh I dare you to go - please do! I can see you living there quite comfortably.

Mary Jo from TrustYourStyle said...

I'm so glad to read another post of yours. I think India would be amazing--I still think back on my time there, it's life changing.

xo Mary Jo

Pop Champagne said...

this is so inspirational!! love this!

Felix Curds said...

"sinking flame engulfed by embryos of the land’s catacombs"...WOWZERS that really beautiful. india seems like such an amazing paradox and, i don't know, your post really captured that. i hope you get your palm tree dream:)

Jazzy E (hivenn) said...

Beautiful. x hivenn

Caroline Ergy Erg said...

Your blog really is ever so lovely! I adore the first two photos :)
xxxx

The Internet Garbage said...

You are an awesome writer and these photos work so dramatically with your writing. I think that you should move there! Can you imagine the kind of adventure that you would go through? People are so boring, generally. Go!

The Internet Garbage

Katarzyna Zuzanna said...

great post! xx

http://balletme.blogspot.com/

eliska.h said...

beautiful post as ever, and india sounds idyllic... probably more so than it actually is, but a girl can dream... what makes you want to move?

as for your question: i'm in vietnam partly on holiday and travelling, but mostly doing a summer internship here, getting a bit of the eastern flavour into my life♥

Carolyn said...

This is beautifully poetic, and your pictures are exquisite!
Thank you for your comment. I was embarrassed about my first comment (about the bird's feathers, on Waves blog) after I had done a bit more reading, because I thinkI was pretty ignorant on the subject at first, but I'm glad it gave you a laugh! I went back and wrote a second comment later...!

lilyfm said...

Thank-you for the comment my lovely,
I love this blog post, wonderful pictures!

Lily at Red Brick Lipstick

katarinaonils said...

Wonderful and magical!

Jo said...

Thanks for your comment on my blog. I think you're right about the bag!
Your blog is beautiful, and the penultimate photo on this post if exquisite.

Katie said...

great post :)

Rochelle Fox said...

i am a new reader and i am a big believer in positive energy you blog has such amazing light positivity and energy its been a great read and really moving you should be proud thanx for sharing xx

♥ A fox that meows http://rochellefox.blogspot.com/

Suri May said...

gorgeous! are you really thinking of moving to India? I dream of living in Europe and just riding a bike all over the countryside for days on end :)

O'Melly said...

I'm pretty sure I was destined to find your blog, since the quote in the beginning was my quote on my Yogi tea bag this morning. :)

Thu Nguyen said...

Loving these photos.. very beautiful.

xx

Elle Marie said...

i love your writings. so inspiring.

www.ellemarie.jp
http://elle-marie.blogspot.com

L.A. PLAYLIST said...

ran into your blog randomly!! and love your blog!! :)

check ours out!! Have a great day!! :)

- Jessel

http://thelaplaylist.blogspot.com

rouli said...

how amazin pixx

kiss//rouli~

kate said...

Really great pics !
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le pearl said...

you are amazing, seriously. I mean it so much. If you are ever in doubt in your life remember you have the power to express yourself through the written word and it such a magnificent way. I adore reading your posts, they just have me thinking all the time, like - 'how on earth does she even consider putting those two words together in the one sentence??!?!'

Rohini Manohar said...

When India beckons...GO! I warn you though...no guide book, no story teller, no amount of preparation will ever prepare you for her violent yet gentle love.

I can't wait to go back.

If you ever need a home in Chennai or Kerala, let me know!

I wish you luck.

Tuesdai Noelle said...

I love the closing line: "Dreamers, rise ..."--it leaves so much for the inspired imagination.

lettersinatreehouse.blogspot.com

rental mobil said...

Very nice, thanks for sharing.

Aubrey. said...

these pictures are beautiful.. new follower! x

www.hopethislasts.com

Tuesdai Noelle said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
ZarahA said...

...wow, your blog is so nice and thanks for sharing these photos!! Please check out my new blog about other inspiring stuff (if you like you can also leave a comment or criticize my own art;)
wish you all the best
X zarah
http://zarah-abraham.blogspot.com/

Deb said...

If you never faced hardship/ famine/ prejudice /violence/ poverty/ discrimination / rape I would say stay in the cocoon and don't go to India because once you are there everything is just around the corner and can't be avoided. Goa is particularly idyllic for hippies, rich resort weekenders and weed smokers or any kind drug addicts heavens to some. I was born into it and even worse, so if you can find a way to keep your innocence amidst so much, i would start training because there are things you can't just erase.

Susanna-Cole King said...

Deb,

I'd hardly call living in Baltimore (nicknamed Bodymore, Murdaland for its exceptionally high-rate of murder), one of the country's most violent, impoverished, segregated, AID ridden, poorly educated cities, with all our junkies and gangs, corrupt law enforcement and (local) government, a "cocoon".

I'm not suggesting there aren't places in the world that are even worse than here, cities that might make our manslaughters look gentle, or my bank account balance of $0.14 cents look like wealth ... there are many, I know, however, I wouldn't want to turn a blind eye to the evil and suffering of the world in selfish ambition to preserve my innocence, even if I did still possess full innocence. As Edmund Burke said, "All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

How can I know what I can and cannot handle, what I am capable of as a human being, if I don't continue to push myself out of my comfort zones, if I don't push myself past all known limits?

Deb said...

Amem to that Sister. Although missing the point of the word innocence used there, i should have said naivety, also it wasn't meant to get under you skin.

I only wanted to point, how I reckon its all a matter of vanity, that we westerns idolize the east for what it appears but not for what it is, as its clear in the comments here and maybe unknowing we are the ones forever propagating the idea, that's all.

Jess Tran said...

This is such a magnificent, beautiful blog post...

Shreya Agarwal said...

Come to India girl. Its an amazing place to be. Been here 17 years. Its is beautiful.

Groupdmt said...

Great to know the -- in depth from this blog.This will really help for my forward steps to be taken.
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Josefine Laul said...

Beauty

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the pictures look so stunning!

The PvdH Journal said...

This post is beautiful and inspiring. Beyond words.

India is a country which has always fascinated me, particularly culture wise. Perhaps I'll join you ;)

PvdH

www.ThePvdHJournal.com

Junaluska said...

I just found your blog, and it is truly lovely.

Vickyy said...

I love this website! I need some tips! :) x

Go said...

Awesome is the word
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Lucía said...

This is a really inspiring blog

http://wunderkammer0.blogspot.com/

King of New York Hacks said...

great post...that last pic is brilliant, thanks for sharing them..if you are thinking of India, I hope you have visited Braja Sorenson's blog Lost and Found in India...she has written a book and her stories put you right into the mix of things there...Peace. :)

thatscharm said...

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RINO said...

♥ Lovely pictures ♥

Materurbium said...

enjoying your site. Just came across you through bloglovin. there's something to be said for short bits of writing accompanied by pictures. Keep up the excellent work :)

Anonymous said...

you would not last 5 minutes in India

TracyJackson said...

amazing post !! i love those photos !!