“Ecstatic Love is an ocean, and the Milky Way is a flake of foam floating on it.” -Rumi
Morning Edit: 22July19 c.8am
I fixed the photo on the Gem. It’s so gorgeous and I didn’t want any of it cut from the frame. I also posted a link to the photo. Then I started wondering who named the Milky Way and things went on from there.
I learned it was called the “Milky Circle” by the Greeks. The story goes, Zeus brought the infant Hercules to nurse from Hera while she slept. She woke while the baby suckled and pushed him away. (His mother was a mortal, one of her husband’s many conquests). A few drops of milk spilled and formed the Milky Circle. The Romans adopted the name and called it “Via Lactea.” Translated, that means “the road of milk.”
In Germany it’s Milchstrasse. In Norway, it’s called Melkeveien. Both translate to Milky Way in English. But in Finland, it’s called Linnunrata (“path of birds”). In Armenia, it’s “hard goghi chanaparh,” or “Straw Thief’s Way.” In Sweden and Iceland, it’s called Vetrarbrautin and Vintergatan (Winter Way). In East Asia, it’s called “Silver River.”
I love the name Silver River best because it comes from the story of the Weaver Girl and the Buffalo Boy. Two of my poems from Elanthian Love Songs are based on this legend, one for the Weaver Girl and one for the Buffalo Boy (also called “The Cowherd.) I was inspired to write the poems after seeing two beautiful paintings by Steph Law about this legend.
“Bridge of Dreams Where She Waits” by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, Shadowscapes.com
“Bridge of Dreams Where He Waits” Stephanie Pui-Mun Law, Shadowscapes.com
“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” –Fred Rogers
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” –Jean Shinoda Bolen
Moon Songs 50!
In celebration of the 50-year anniversary of the lunar landing, I hope you enjoy this short fictional story about the first Moon Colony Celebration and a family of musicians on the moon. I wrote this a month after my first granddaughter was born and set it 150 years in the future where Evie, and her granddaughter and namesake, and her great-grandsons are very much a part of the world, and the moon, and having a grand time.
Evie needs to prepare for the big show on the brand new Moon Colony in three days. She and her jazz-band family have been preparing for this moment for months. But now, her sax reeds are missing. It’s unlikely anyone else in the colony has a baritone sax reed since theirs is the only jazz band in the lineup. All the years of practice, the months and months of auditions just to get here, and it could all be lost, because of a single sax reed.
In the past two months, I have met two new friends who are sight-impaired. It has really helped me understand a little about the difficulties and frustrations of living in a world without vision. One of my friends is a young, talented writer. I’ve been recording their stories as I have time. I also have been recording and posting some of my old stories and publishing these on Wattpad. This is a writer’s interactive (free) website my new friend introduced me to recently. It has a really great way of connecting writers to readers and to each other. Currently, I’m reading three stories by other writers and leaving comments as time allows. You can comment on individual paragraphs, on the chapter, or you can leave private messages. The feedback is so welcome. It’s helping me to be a better writer. I hope you enjoy this story poem and recording.
This story poem came about after two conversations with two of my wise friends (who don’t know each other), and because of Joseph Campbell. One friend was diagnosed recently with an illness that totally changed her life. We were talking about the grief that goes along with that, and how she was trying to let it all go, all the things she could have been and would never be. My heart went out to her so much, and I really understood. I have some things going on too. Then another very wise friend showed me a funny poem about wrinkles. Then I started thinking about the Joseph Campbell quote, “You must be willing to let go of the life you have planned in order to be ready for the life that is waiting.” Something like that. I started thinking about a snake, shedding skins, and …pop. My old snake was born.
1.6 under1000skies
The music is by me (Niki Flow) and is performed by Carter Parker. The lyrics are found in the poetry collection “Elanthian Love Songs: A Bard’s Tale” by Sara Michele O’Sullivan (former pen name) available on Amazon.com, and 100 percent of all profits go to buying artist packs and supplies for homeless creatives. See our “About” page for more information.
Coming soon (later today),
a Gems 1.82 video with the audio of every writer’s quote listed.
I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤
Art/Photo by John Hain, Pixabay
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” –Jean Shinoda Bolen
I hope you’re having a beautiful day. ♡
Here’s another light-filled ¤ Gem ¤
Photo by KUHT [CC0] via Wikipedia
“If only you could sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to people you may never even dream of. There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person.” –Fred Rogers
I hope you’re having a beautiful weekend. ♡
This week on ¤ under1000skies.org ¤
5.98
“Greatness is your potential. Action is your opportunity.” Anonymous
5.99
“When I pronounce the word Future,
the first syllable already belongs to the past.
“When I pronounce the word Silence,
I destroy it.”
― Wisława Szymborska, Poems New and Collected
5.100
“And I’m on my way, and I still remember those country lanes / When we did not know the answers, And I miss the way you make me feel, it’s real / When we watched the sunset over the castle on the hill…” -Ed Sheeran, “Castle on the Hill”
5.101
“Integrity is doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.” -C.S. Lewis
5.102
“This is a wonderful day. I’ve never seen this one before.” -Maya Angelou
under1000skies 