Shawn L. Bird

Original poetry, commentary, and fiction. All copyrights reserved.

I want a yurt! July 20, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 10:05 pm
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I visited my first yurt tonight.

I want one.

A peaceful view of fields and hills.  The silence of no electrics buzzing.  The organic sense of a round space.  The ‘motion’ of the lattice.    The span of the ceiling.  The light.  Ahhhhhh….

I have no idea what I would do with a yurt and where I would put one, but the gypsy in my soul was stirred!

Suddenly I’m looking at view lots and composting toilets.     Should I spend $75,000 setting up a lot and a 4 season tent?!  lol  Probaby not, but it’s tempting!

See if you’re tempted at http://yurtco.com/  Let me know what you think!

 

THE DAY! July 19, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:12 am
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Well, today is the day!

After years of writing, editing, compiling, collaborating, waiting and abating, Grace Awakening is finally greeting the world! Today Lintusen Press uploaded Grace Awakening to BookBaby.com for formatting and distribution to the e-book outlets around the world. Whether you have a Sony e-reader, a Nook, an iPad, an iPhone, or a Kindle you will be able to download Book one: Awakening Dreams for the remarkable introductory price of 99c.

I have a niece who is 2 weeks from her due date today, and as it happens, now so am I.  Bookbaby says it takes 5-10 days for the file to be prepared and sent off to the various e-stores.  Those e-stores take from 2 to 14 days to get the files onto their sites and ready to sell.  That means my baby could be ready for the world in 7 days or 21 days- just like my niece’s baby.

We’re in the longest waiting period.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

Wait.

((sigh))

Keep your eyes open!

(PS.  On the Facebook fan page there’s a contest for the first sighting on a sales site.  Feel free to join the watch and win a prize!)

 

summer storm tanka July 18, 2011

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:18 am
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light fractures the sky

overhead, the explosion

crashes and smashes,

roaring to the universe

of heaven’s summer power

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As I write, the sky is flashing and the rain is pouring down.  The thundering echoes are rumbling above the house and wind is blowing.   There are some thirty thousand motorcycle riders camping in the area for a huge rally that’s been going on this weekend.  I’ll bet the ones that left today are really glad they’re not in a tent in this storm!

 

summer rain

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 12:01 am
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Summer is dripping
and pooling in puddles of
liquid sunshine

 

love haikus July 17, 2011

Filed under: Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 2:01 pm
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the lawn mower roars

back and forth across our yard

to show love in action

.

.

the dishes clatter

in their cleansing bubble bath

to show love in action

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Happy Anniversary.

 

Remembering Masks… July 16, 2011

Filed under: Friendship,Pondering — Shawn L. Bird @ 1:04 pm
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Once upon a time, on this day in history a few days after I turned 13, I had a life changing conversation with a friend. He shared with me a short story he’d found called “Masks.” It was profound and the resulting conversation about honesty and being true to yourself left me in a cloud.

In fact, when I got home, people were afraid there had been a lot more than conversation going on, since I was so dazed and blissful.

I don’t remember the details of the story anymore, and I don’t remember the conversation either. What I remember is the attachment that came from listening and being heard. I remember the comfort of someone I admired spending time with me. I remember the sense of connection, fondness, and adoration.

It was still resonating enough at my graduation that 716 was the number on my grad t-shirt.

It still resonates enough that I’m writing this blog about it decades later.

So Happy Masks Anniversary. May you live your life unafraid to be yourself and to accept others as themselves. May you speak words of honesty with warmth.  May you be the kind of person who draws others to your sincerity and good humour.   May you be an inspiration that echoes through the decades.
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PS. If you know the story “Masks,” which was apparently from a youth writing anthology published in the late 70s, I’d appreciate knowing about it.  I would love to read it again.

 

coverage July 15, 2011

Filed under: Grace Awakening,Writing — Shawn L. Bird @ 11:05 pm
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The last 48 hours have been filled with working on covers for Grace Awakening Book One: Awakening Dreams.  Several people have been contributing their skills to this process and the results are impressive!   You can see the final 5  concepts here:

http://apps.facebook.com/fanappz/poll/vote?id=29791

Feel free to vote!

 

Canzoniere 61 the final translation July 14, 2011

Filed under: Grace Awakening,Poetry — Shawn L. Bird @ 1:16 am
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Earlier in the week I led you through the process of translating Petrarch’s Canzoniere 61. I thought I’d share with you the final version that is going to press in Awakening Dreams.  There have been a few words changed up to improve consonance and punctuation has clarified meaning.  As well, line 2 was altered as it didn’t end on the correct beat (iambic rhythm) in the draft.

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Most blesséd be the day, the month, the year,
And blesséd be the hour, the moment when,
I found this place, and saw my sweet torment.
Her lovely eyes completely tied me here.

So blesséd was her breath as I came near,
That Love entangled me within her scent,
Against his arrows left me impotent,
And bound my heart to hers. So, thus endeared,

Sweet blesséd voices call my lady’s name,
And weave her glorious beauty in my verse.
My sighs, my tears, and my desires contained,

Most blesséd are the papers I disperse,
To share the thoughts that bring me fame,
The thoughts of her that are my blissful curse.

Translation (c) Shawn Bird

Not only did this moment capture Petrarch, but it captivated artists through the centuries who imaged the moment that Petrarch describes in this sonnet, and painted it as they imagined it.  The painting on the left is the actual moment of meeting in St. Clara’s in Avignon.  I have been in what is left of this convent chapel, as you can see from the photo below.  If it really looked like this artist has captured it, it is really very sad to see the ruins that it is now.

The picture on the right shows a lot of the symbolism represented in the poem.  Laure is represented by the laurel tree in the background, cupid (aka Love) has fired  his arrow at Petrarch and it has struck him in the heart.  Laure is presenting him with the laurel wreath that represents his literary success.  (He was crowned Rome’s Poet Laureate in 1341).  Petrarch himself frequently played with Laure/laurel the woman/fame metaphor.  What is interesting in this painting is that Petrarch is shown as an old man, while Laure is shown as a young woman.  In fact there are only 6 years between them.  (He was born in 1304, she in 1310).  Perhaps it represents them at their deaths?  She was 38, and he was 70.

Petrarch and Laura

Here I am in the ruins of St. Claire convent, standing pretty close to where the artist set the scene on the left, by the looks of things.  I just found the painting this morning, and this similarity kind of gives me chills.  There is no roof. It is an open space garden and performance area now.

Shawn at Ste Claire Convent (Theatre des Halles) Avignon France

 

Drive how? July 13, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 4:49 pm
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Language is a mutable thing. I remember being taught that as a kid.  I know it’s true.  In the past 20 years, I have watched with interest as adverbs have disappeared. When I started teaching English, kids had no trouble identifying adverbs. They were easy to spot, since most of them ended in -ly. We’d find the verb of the sentence and ask how? He walks. How? Joyfully! Quickly! Sadly! Carefully! Morosely!

Now kids struggle to find the adverb because the easy identifier has vanished. When people speak these days, they often use adjectives in the place of adverbs.  How does he walk? Quick.  Sad.  Morose.  Careful.  Joyful.  It is confusing for kids to learn the ‘correct’ option versus the common usage. It does not help that the government does it, too.

Ever seen this  sign?   DRIVE SLOW!

ARGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

Every time I see it I re-state it correctly: DRIVE SLOWLY!!!

Seriously, how expensive would it have been to add those two letters and make it a correct sentence? Wasn’t there anyone at the Public Works Yard who knew correct grammar usage?

>>sigh<<

We can’t fight the tide. Language changes. It is the essential nature of living languages that they grow and alter. It’s just really hard on the English teachers.

(and don’t get me started on ‘their’ being used as a gender neutral singular pronoun instead of a plural!)

 

expensive trophies July 12, 2011

Filed under: Commentary — Shawn L. Bird @ 10:49 pm
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I’ve been pondering lately about the expenses involved in keeping a trophy wife.  Every once in a while I think that this is a job I should take on, since it is not too far off of my princess status, but truth be told, I am a trifle too practical to take it seriously.  However, I do see some who definitely do (like all those horrendous “Wives of…” shows on tv).   It seems to me there is probably a much less expensive option out there, but in the spirit of informing the potential husbands of those trophy wives, here are some of the costs involved in our area:

1. hair.  $50 a month for cut and blow-dry.  $100 for colour this one might be monthly or every couple of months, depending on the style.

2. nails. $50 a month  (actually this is usually a 3 week thing, but we’ll round down)

3. facials. $100 month at a spa.  Plus the daily products used between spa visits, which can range from $20 to $200.

4. massage.  $75 a week for the truly pampered.

5. wardrobe and accessories.  a real shopper who is devoted to designer labels can spend a thousand dollars or more  in a month.  Count on a minimum of $250 for a more frugal wife.

6. housekeeper.  five hours a week $100

7. nanny. $100 a day (yes, I don’t know why they are less than housekeepers, either)

8. gifts.  budget for at least $100 a month in flowers and gifts.  If you’re buying orchids or roses by the dozen, make that $500.  If your gifts are jewellery add $1000.

9. car.  Appearance if very important if you have a trophy wife, so she’d better have a trophy car.  Something Italian is good, German is a close second.  $50,000 is about the minimum price here.

10.  the car needs to be parked in front of the trophy house.  Around here, $650,000 will get you a really deluxe home, but in most places you’d have to go over a million.

11. lunches

12. gym- $50 a month membership

13. alcohol- wine with every meal and at all those lunches with the girls

14. entertainment- lunches with the girls several times a week, theatre, concerts, movies.  Frequent diversions are necessary.  $200 a week.  Minimum.

15. therapy- psych bills are expensive, so is retail therapy.  Either way, $150 a week.

 

Anything I’m missing?

 

What do you think?