Serendipity

"A Toad's reach should exceed her grasp," says Old Toad(Sherry), to Ella. Old Toad has had her eye on this poet and artist, for some time. Ella's life is a busy one, that of wife, mother and Girl Friday. She struggles to persevere with her art and writing. Her writing is in moments, snatched here and there between the demands of an active family.  Every now and then Ella sings a sad froggy song. She feels the need to make a leap beyond her lily pad, out in the Big World of Art. A frog who longs to fly. Don't ever tell her, it is anything, but possible. "If you can dream it, you can achieve it," is Old Toad's motto. When Old Toad was asked to choose someone in the pond, for a challenge, she thought of Ella. Ella has a blog of beauty, constantly changing it with photos, art, quotes and poetry. Old Toad's challenge was rather all-encompassing: "Ella, " she croaked, "write a poem based on a quote, that is meaningful to you.  It should touch upon your wish to follow your art, as far as it will lead you." Then Old Toad fell over onto her lily pad, for a little snooze.

When Sherry gave me this challenge, I was torn where to begin. The day I received her email I was looking for a quote about the ocean, for my blog. I found this one:

 "Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."~Andre Gide.


 His words spoke to me, my life. I wanted to look further, for the challenge. I went into my FROG(Furnished Room Over Garage) and grabbed an art book,"The Impressionists" by Corinne Graber and Jean-Francois Guillou.  I opened it at random onto page 152. This part of the book was about the artist Paul Cezanne.

 My eyes popped opened wide: "In 1900, Maurice Denis painted, "Hommage to Cezanne".  The painting was bought by Andre Gide. HUH?! I knew I had to find an Andre Gide quote that fit me. I felt serendipity had played a hand. The next day, I received an email that I had won an online class, it is for painting.

 Andre Gide was French, he grew up living a privileged life. He didn't need to work and ended up being a philanthropist, writer, and poet. Gide's life, like his work embraced many ambiguities. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1946; he won it in 1947.  I selected a quote,which I think speaks to the talent in all of us:

 "Be faithful to that which exists within yourself"~Andre Gide

Tonight as I was finishing up this challenge, I decided I needed some fresh air. My beagle, Buster also needed a walk. As he skipped along his favorite path, I kept thinking my poem was too simple. As we approached the STOP sign, I saw a shooting star. It lazily dropped, it's light bright and big cascading downward. I knew when I returned home I had to share what I had wrote. It didn't matter if it was simple, it's message was clear. We all need to listen and have faith in ourselves.

Evening walk 

enveloped in solitude

gray thoughts spiraling

serenaded in blue 

chilled, you look up to heaven's theater

a falling star make her debut

do you listen?

A dove glides her tilted wings

towards spring's silver threaded light

a bleached white feather 

flutters to your feet

do you listen?

Fair eyed daisies sway in meadow's brow

four leaf clover peers at you

 it bows and nods

a brisk shower

washes earth clean

watercolor view rises

do you listen?  

Along a pebbled beach

a rare pink shell glistens in the

 bay's blue tidal pool

it's tangled in seaweed 

and tiny snails

do you listen? 

Maple leaf stretches to bask in glory

red passion reaches for gold

her dismount twirls 

in graceful flair

 she lands

upright

a

tiny 

heart shape

exposed

do you listen?

Pristine cold lace falls gently

 on your lashes

iridescent geometry

6 sided perfection

no two

are

 alike

do you listen?

Listen to your grace

the strings

 of your heart
being
tugged

open

the

 sacred door

to 

your 

divine gifts

the 

hymn 

of 

you

will 

play

When you listen~