Tag Archives: poetry

High Coo – August 19 – World Photography Day

High Coo – August 18 – KISS

Somedays I just want it simple. Sweet and simple. Inhale, exhale. Here and now. But life is not always simple.

Songwriter Dick Feller wrote and recorded Some Days Are Diamonds (Some Days Are Stone). His recording of this song never hit the charts. John Denver covered it five years later and it was a hit. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Some_Days_Are_Diamonds_Some_Days_Are_Stone). But there’s more to this story.

Dick Feller, born Richard Dean Feller in 1943, wrote many hit songs that were recorded by others such as Tex Ritter, Jimmy Dean, Jerry Reed et al. But there’s more to this story.

Dick Feller published his/her autobiography Some Days Are Diamonds in 2014 when “she came out publicly as a trans woman and adopted the name Deena Kaye Rose. Her book was rejected by the Nashville library system in 2019.” (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deena_Kaye_Rose).

My heart goes out to all of us today as we try to keep it simple, sweetheart. And when life isn’t simple, I invite you to pause, breathe and smile.

Today’s haiku: KISS

Let’s keep it simple

when we can and when we can’t

take a peaceful breath.

High Coo – August 14 – Love Your Bookshop Day

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Me standing outside the Beat Poetry HQ in San Francisco two weeks ago

One of today’s national holidays is Love Your Bookshop Day. I have many favorite bookshops; especially those that have displayed my books of poetry on their shelves and/or their websites. See logos at the bottom of this post.

Today’s haiku: Love Your Bookshop Day

See, smell, touch, absorb

surrounded by written words

creativity

What’s your favorite bookshop?

For more information on today’s holiday see https://nationaltoday.com/love-your-bookshop-day/

High Coo – July 24 – Walking in Beauty

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Today is the 205th day of the year; 160 days remain until the end of the year. As the Navajo Saying above reminds us, may we walk in beauty today and in the days ahead.

Today’s haiku: Walking in Beauty

Regardless of time

temperature or the sky

let’s see the beauty

My partner who reminds me of Lord Byron’s poem: **She Walks in Beauty** https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43844/she-walks-in-beauty

High (& Low) Coo – July 13 – Barbershop Music Appreciation Day

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“There is no bad day that can’t be overcome by listening to a barbershop quartet. This is just truth, plain and simple.” ~ Aldous Huxley

Today’s haiku:

Vocal Smorgasbord

A cappella joy –

base, baritone, tenor and

soprano delight

Check out this year’s top 5 international quartets here: https://www.barbershop.org/

For more information on this holiday see: https://nationaldaycalendar.com/national-barbershop-music-appreciation-day-july-13/

High Coo – July 8 – Jean Moulin

High Coo – 7/7/22 – What’s in a Number?

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I’m feeling discombobulated today and don’t know why. I have always loved numbers. I don’t know numerology but would be interested in hearing from anyone who does.

One, two, three: numbers comfort me

I watch them parade with perfect symmetry

I love how they add, subtract and multiply

consistently predictable, enough to make me cry

with tears of joy and calm security

numbers so reliable; perfect harmony.

Does anyone know what the numerological significance would be for today’s date?

Thank God for ‘Doubting’ Thomas!

Check out this post from Malcolm Guite today. Copied below and at his site: https://malcolmguite.wordpress.com/2022/07/03/thank-god-for-doubting-thomas-10/

July the 3rd is the Feast of St. Thomas the apostle.

Sometimes known as ‘doubting’ Thomas, but maybe honest Thomas, courageous Thomas, even Tenacious Thomas would be nearer the mark!

I thank God for St. Thomas, the one disciple who had the courage to say what everyone else was thinking but didnt dare say, the courage to ask the awkward questions that drew from Jesus some of the most beautiful and profoundly comforting of all his sayings. “We dont know where you’re going, how can we know the way”? asked Thomas, and because he had the courage to confess his ignorance, we were given that beautiful saying “I am the way the Truth and the Life”

Here is the poem I have written for St. Thomas, and also a sermon called ‘Touching the Wounds’ which I preached at St. Edwards. This sonnet is drawn from my collection Sounding the Seasons, published by Canterbury Press here in England. The book is now back in stock on both Amazon UK and USA . The book is now also out on Kindle.

Please feel free to make use of these sonnets in church services and to copy and share them. If you can mention the book from which they are taken that would be great. I am grateful to Margot Krebs Neale for the thought-provoking image above, you can hear the poem by clicking on the ‘play’ button below or on the title of the poem and you can hear the sermon on my podcast site by clicking here: Touching The Wounds
758321-doubting-thomas.mp3

St. Thomas the Apostle
“We do not know… how can we know the way?”
Courageous master of the awkward question,
You spoke the words the others dared not say
And cut through their evasion and abstraction.
Oh doubting Thomas, father of my faith,
You put your finger on the nub of things
We cannot love some disembodied wraith,
But flesh and blood must be our king of kings.
Your teaching is to touch, embrace, anoint,
Feel after Him and find Him in the flesh.
Because He loved your awkward counter-point
The Word has heard and granted you your wish.
Oh, place my hands with yours, help me divine
The wounded God whose wounds are healing mine.
Oh, place my hands with yours, help me divine
the wounded God whose wounds are healing mine

High Coo – June 30 – National Handshake Day

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Expressing gratitude, goodwill or the message “you can trust me;” the handshake is a way to reassure one another we are non-threatening, we can be allies.

Today is National Handshake Day, celebrated the last Thursday of June each year. Today’s haiku is:

Extending friendship

confirming our gratitude

thank you, supporter

For more information on this holiday see: https://nationaltoday.com/national-handshake-day/

National Handshake Day

High Coo – June 29 – Hug Holiday

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Increase oxytocin and decrease cortisol, hugging is a physical way to show and receive affection. You can be spontaneous or formal. You can hug a tree, a pet, a friend or simply hug yourself.

Today is Hug Holiday

Hugging another

or hugging yourself is love

delivered warmly

For more information on this holiday check out: https://nationaltoday.com/hug-holiday/

For information on combining hugging with meditation see this article: https://www.lionsroar.com/how-to-practice-hugging-meditation/

Life Matters

CHOOSE LOVE

Tag Archives: poetry

High Coo – August 19 – World Photography Day

High Coo – August 18 – KISS

High Coo – August 14 – Love Your Bookshop Day

High Coo – July 24 – Walking in Beauty

High (& Low) Coo – July 13 – Barbershop Music Appreciation Day

High Coo – July 8 – Jean Moulin

High Coo – 7/7/22 – What’s in a Number?

Thank God for ‘Doubting’ Thomas!

Thank God for ‘Doubting’ Thomas!

High Coo – June 30 – National Handshake Day

High Coo – June 29 – Hug Holiday