Water and Poetry

Hi and Happy Wednesday!  I recently joined a poetry prompt via the Word Press site.  They give styles and subjects to write about.  One day our writing was to be on Water as the subject.  I didn’t write it then but decided to today.

Here are some thoughts on water and a poem as well.  One of my favorite writers who was quite good at rhyming was Dr. Seuss.  I love that Ian likes him as much as I do.  Very cool!  We are celebrating him this month at school.

Water is something that I love and cannot live without.  I drink a lot of it each day with ice.  Cold water keeps me going and is satisfying.  I love having running water that I can drink in my house.  I truly feel spoiled to be able to do that.

Also the water that becomes hot for dishes, showers, laundry, and baths is wonderful.  This too is an amazing gift and very special to have. I have learned not to take it for granted and feel quite blessed to have it.

I also love salt water — in the sea and ocean, tears, and sweat.  These are three powerful types of salt water.  I love the ocean and its beauty.  I feel calmed when at the beach and love it. I love to watch the ebb and flow of the waves.

Sweat is great since it shows up when you are working hard at exercise and working on staying fit.  It feels good to break a sweat and I am trying to do more of those.  Tears for me sometimes flow very easily — both from happiness and sadness.  Sometimes a quick cry can help things get better.

This past week we also saw the destruction of water and problems when it goes where it shouldn’t.  Thankfully there wasn’t that much of that!

Water…

• Water quenches a thirst like nothing else
• Relief from heat is given
• Nothing like the ice-cold taste on your tongue
• To relieve you when overly driven
• It flows in the shower and washes all cares away
• It feels great on your feet at the beach
• Water is great both fresh and salty
• And something never far from our reach
• Water drips from the roof
• Pooling below on the ground
• Inches upon inches pile up
• And lead to mud all around
• After the snow and ice, the water was everywhere
• I wondered if there would be a flood
• Thankfully it started to recede away
• And that was very good

Not my best poem but a try nonetheless.  What are your thoughts on water?

Photo 101 – Water

Hi and Happy Wednesday.  For the month of November, Word Press is doing a series of photo prompts for Photography 101.  Yesterday’s word was Water.  I decided this would be fun to try since I am always looking for new ideas for blogs and photos.

This photo was taken at sunset in July 2012 of the Pacific Ocean.  I love the reflection of the sun on the water, the movement of the waves, and the massive ocean which goes all the way to the horizon. I have always loved sunset pictures over the ocean.  I also like sunrises over bodies of water, but often am not early enough to capture them.  So, the majority of my water photos are the ocean.

Water is important and vital for life.  We need fresh water to drink and cook.  We also need water to bathe, wash, and safely dispose of waste.  Water is also used in baptisms.  Until we see on the news that water is restricted, we forget how much we need it.  There are groups working to bring fresh potable water into parts of the world that don’t have it. I applaud them.

Salt water is also important.  One of my favorite quotes about water is by Isak Dinesen — “The cure of anything is salt water — sweat, tears, or the sea.” I totally agree with him.  We sweat when we exercise, which is vital for good health.  I am working now on exercising more. Tears flow when we are sad, happy, or just need a good cry.  Or, if you are like me, you see a touching ad on the television and start to cry.

And the sea!  I LOVE the sea/ocean.  I love to feel the waves on my toes, I love to listen to and watch the waves break, I love the smell of the salt water, and the breeze in my hair, and I love to look at the ocean that goes all the way to the horizon. When I am at the edge of the ocean, I am calm and at peace. It is an amazing feeling that I have had for many years.

LeeAnn Womack has a great line in her song, “I Hope You Dance.”  It says, “I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean.” We are small compared to the vastness of the ocean.

May we take care of our water — the lakes, streams, oceans, and other bodies of water. May we keep pollution out of it.  And, may we realize how important water is for us and our health.

A few quotes about water:

• “We never know the worth of water until the well runs dry.” ~ Thomas Fuller
• “Pure water is the world’s first and foremost medicine.” ~ Slovakian Proverb
• “A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” ~ Henry David Thoreau
• “Every time we walk along a beach some ancient urge disturbs us so that we find ourselves shedding shoes and garments or scavenging among seaweed and whitened timbers like the homesick refugees of a long war.” ~ Loren Eiseley
• “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me),It’s always our self we find in the sea.” ~ e.e. cummings
• “The cure for anything is salt water — sweat, tears, or the sea.” ~ Isak Dinesen

I wonder when I will see the vastness of the ocean again.  I hope it is soon!  I am so ready to breathe in that salt air and watch the rhythm of the waves.