E. E. Cummings: Somewhere I Have Never Travelled, Gladly Beyond

somewhere i have never travelled,gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near

your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose

or if your wish be to close me, i and
my life will shut very beautifully ,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;

nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing

(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands

'Nuff Said.

Sometimes everyone needs a little bit of a confidence boost. It's a part of life, these ups and downs we have. 100% natural. But when we're down it hurts. So here's to all those who need some support. In truth, you're awesome. You deserve to have some holiday ice cream from a beautiful tin and to smell candles scented like cranberries and pine trees. You deserve to window shop for a full day try on anything you like. Literally anything. You deserve to cuddle up by the fireplace and watch Christmas movies like White Christmas and A Miracle on 34th Street. You deserve to wear fuzzy socks and dance around your living room even when there's no music. You deserve to wish upon a star. You deserve to make snow angels on your driveway. So many things to do. So be happy!

This Is SO On My Wish List:

Buy the Fuji Instax 210 Wide Instant Camera at the Photojojo Store!

I've decided that if I had this my life would be complete. Well, that's not strictly true, but it would be close.

Levi Weaver

I think these videos by Levi Weaver are very beautiful. His narration and lyrics are emotionally charged, with lilting melodies and peaceful/thoughtful pauses. This artist, though I have only just discovered him, appears to be talented and creative. Please enjoy these videos.

Perfectly Perfect Swap Songs

These two songs are a couple of my favorites on a mix cd I just received from Australia! I participated in a swap and wasn't disappointed in the least. I think these two songs really apply to my life right now. This cd came at the perfect time. Many thanks. :)

...

I feel...well I don't know how I feel. Maybe a little like having no direction. No compass. No purpose. Just living in a fog, restless and apathetic. Drifting on the sea in a little yellow lifeboat lying there and watching the clouds change shape. At night seeing the stars twinkle and the moon glow with that white light of infinity. The smell of salt water in my nostrils and the sound of water lapping against the boat gently caressing my ears. Thinking about life in its simplest form. Beautiful and dangerous. Wild and forbidden. But mostly concentrating on the sea, the air, the rubbery feel of the boat. The wind pushes me along and i just stare up not caring where i float. Trusting nature to guide my way. Always.

White Light

A little girl
Lost and frightened
Found her way
Inside of herself
Deep within
Where a flame warmed the space around
And she danced and sang
Until the monsters came
And dragged her down
Into the floor.

Underneath the smog and the clay
The stones so cold
And the pavement so gray
She lived in a palace
Of ash and soot
And looked around
But there was no light
So she fell and stumbled
And tripped all night.

Many years went by
She always the same
Innocent and young
And quiet of face
But one day a man came
From the world above
And he was trapped
Just the same as she was
So together they suffered
In pain they grew to love
Then one day he said to her,
"I'll take you above"
To which she replied,
"I believe you, my love."

In the dark they stayed
For many years
But one night
The man grew still
He felt his lover
Close by his side
Motionless and cold
And he knew she had left him behind
So he mustered up some courage
And felt around for a large stone
Then he slammed it into his head
And as he bled
He remembered his promise
He saw a white light.

-by Me

Random poem I wrote tonight around 11pm. I haven't read it all the way through. I just wrote it and I'm going to leave it in its raw form. Tell me what you think if you'd like to.

BPS June 2010

So I guess I haven't been very diligent in keeping up with posts about the BPS (benevolent postcard society). I received this postcard a few weeks ago and was very excited! It's from Estonia and the image is apparently from a children's book series. I just love it!

Laura Marling

"Fuck Me and Marry Me Young"

So this is a painting by Kris Knight.

Flickr

Open Eyes

This is my friend Ed who so graciously chose to accompany me on a photo expedition through the shiftier parts of downtown. As a matter of fact, this photo expedition was the one in which I took my final project photos that you see below.

Open Eyes

So these were the photos for my final project in photography. Tell me what you think please.

Open Eyes

After I finished school for the semester, I felt really restless. I was worried about grades coming in and about getting everything ready for the visitors we would be having so soon. I guess I felt like I needed some color in my life. Some brightness. So one day I was meandering about the house and found that I loved how the light was hitting the bananas. I took some photos and felt immediately more animated and serene than before. And that's the story for today. :)

MARIO BASANOV & VIDIS feat JAZZU - I'll be gone

I'll be gone from KORB on Vimeo.

MARIO BASANOV & VIDIS feat JAZZU - I'll be gone

Spontaneous Poetry

ephemeral escape

So I've been having to write quite a few poems recently and am now in the mood for it so I asked my friend to send me an image. Any image at all. I wanted to just kind of let my emotions out in a simple way. I've found that I love writing poetry that connects to an image. So here's the first attempt. Remember, they're not designed to be "good." They're just for fun and I try to do them quickly in free verse so that my emotions are more prevalent in the poetry itself.

Untitled 1

The light mixes
Orange and blue
Black with shadows
And the vibrance
Resonates with the sound
Of a glittering wind
Blowing across the glass-strewn desert
Picking up the shards as it moves rapidly
Through the valleys of slick stone
And finally reaching into the forests
Coating the trees with the colors of the world
Landscapes long forgotten by our people
Only the spirits of the ancients can recall
The days of glory
When all was bright
And generously colored with hope
Of a new beginning.

Jump For Joy

WeHeartIt

Do you ever just want to jump? I remember when I was young I used to jump off swings, down the stairs, around the house, etc. Do any of you have a favorite jumping moment?

The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Even though this has been out for a while now I still thought I'd share it with you. It's a wonderful stop-motion film based on Roald Dahl's novel. I highly recommend it!

Would You Believe...

That I have Nancy Drew's that look exactly like this? I love their old book smell. Gets me every time... :)
I've even got the occasional new edition mixed in there to fill in the gaps!



Image courtesy of Antlermag

Kindle Commercials - Stop Motion

I most likely will never invest in an electronic reader just because I love actual books, but these commercials are so cool!
I love stop motion.
Photography: Angela Kohler and Ithyle Griffiths

Foot Fetish

Megan Emerick


Color Me Katie


riebirne

I have a foot fetish. Yes, you heard right. No I'm not crazy. I just love feet! Especially bare and stocking feet! It's always fun to run around in bare feet outside and watch the bottoms turn black. Or sometimes you just wiggle your toes and draw smiley faces on your toenails (Toenail families are encouraged). Sand is nice to run around in, too! Except when it's hot. Then it's not so fun. :/

Open Eyes

I like my skirt better in this one, but in the one below I think the position of my body is better. It was fun, though!

My first officially staged self portrait!

Todd Hido

Todd Hido Photography

Alexandra Carr

Alexandra Carr Photography

Open Eyes

Taken Friday April 9, 2010
Unedited Portraits

Open Eyes

Taken Saturday April 10, 2010
Unedited portraits

Olivia Locher

Olivia Locher

Laura Letinsky

Laura Letinsky is a contemporary photographer who is famous for her still lifes. She is currently a professor at the University of Chicago and has had many exhibitions all over the world. She has stated that she likes to photograph mundane objects. Often she photographs within the confines of her own home, but she also has a studio where she can create different set-ups. All of her work is meticulously staged and shot with film. She works mostly with natural light.

I think there's this strong sense of minimalism to her work. In her presentation at my university on this past thursday, she stated that she always has too much stuff lying around. I really wanted to ask her if she would ever consider taking photographs of a more cluttered space. Why so minimalist? Ever since I found out about her work earlier in the semester, she has become one of my favorite photographers. I have never seen still life photography look so beautiful, haunting, and sensual all at once.