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2013-05-22 22:55:18 (44 comments, 4 reshares, 78 +1s)

sparkler

2013-05-19 23:46:57 (18 comments, 2 reshares, 54 +1s)

deeper than love

"The Sky Is Broken"  by Moby

Moby - The Sky is Broken


see the storm is broken
in the middle of the night
nothing left here for me
it's washed away
the rain pushes
the buildings aside
the sky turns black
the sky
wash it far
push it out to sea
there's nothing left here
for me
i watch it lift up to the sky
i watch it crush me
and then i die

speak to me baby
in the middle of the night
pull your mouth
close to mine
i can see the wind coming down
like black night
so speak to me
like the winds outside
it's broken up, pushing us
hear the rain fall
see the wind come to my eyes
see the storm broken
now nothing
speak to me baby
in the middle of the night
speak to me
hold your... more »

2013-05-18 19:39:44 (40 comments, 1 reshares, 67 +1s)

paradise lost

an angel was disoriented
and his wings were broken.
 
falling
from the sky,
 
he reached out
to someone
who had lost faith and could no longer see
him.
 
cutting through the clouds,
his tears splashed  bitterly
against the leaves,
washing them in bits of scattered blue  
and fading memories from heaven.
 
only the lake caught him,
folding round his water-logged wings
into a gentle, but relentless embrace.


—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved

2013-05-17 03:10:41 (64 comments, 3 reshares, 108 +1s)

"Bug Ferris Wheel"

Have you ever wanted to float away in a huge dandelion puff? Cast your cares aside and fly off to a better place? Well, what if you were a little blue bug and you just happened to be hanging out on a puff doing bug stuff and then this really mean person with a camera picked the dandelion and started blowing? :D Add a little rain into the mix and you get what happened here.

I know what you’re thinking. What’s the big deal about a bug wheel right? But I like the idea of a bug Ferris Wheel. Where little bugs can go to drink rain drops and make wishes :) and most importantly –fly! Who cares if it makes absolutely no sense.


#macrophotography #buggyfriday  

2013-05-15 02:24:03 (40 comments, 1 reshares, 82 +1s)

we are all made of stars...

2013-05-11 21:48:31 (39 comments, 6 reshares, 154 +1s)

forlorn

Not realizing he could still change course,
the bird leaned
into the vortex
of history,
spinning lost and forlorn
through the shadows
 
[Gardens of Versailles, France]


 
—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved

2013-05-02 18:11:43 (57 comments, 3 reshares, 71 +1s)

nomad

in the early hours
she broke through
the silver web.
 
strands covered
her eyes like gauze
 
and pearls of dew
sealed her lids.
 
she wandered restlessly
like Oedipus,
blinded and bandaged
by catastrophe.


—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved

2013-04-09 22:31:03 (56 comments, 2 reshares, 99 +1s)

numinous

“Don't cry when the sun is gone, because the tears won't let you see the stars.”

― Violeta Parra

#TreeTuesday +Shannon S. Myers and +Allan Cabrera 

2013-04-01 22:15:08 (53 comments, 1 reshares, 82 +1s)

the flaming sword

One of my favorite quotations from one of my favorite books… Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin:

“Perhaps everybody has a garden of Eden, I don't know; but they have scarcely seen their garden before they see the flaming sword. Then, perhaps, life only offers the choice of remembering the garden or forgetting it. Either, or: it takes strength to remember, it takes another kind of strength to forget, it takes a hero to do both. People who remember court madness through pain, the pain of the perpetually recurring death of their innocence; people who forget court another kind of madness, the madness of the denial of pain and the hatred of innocence; and the world is mostly divided between madmen who remember and madmen who forget. Heroes are rare.”

Which one are you? A madman of forgetting or remembering? Or that elusive creature, the hero?

2013-03-25 19:31:01 (83 comments, 14 reshares, 202 +1s)

home

"A Place Called Home", Music and Lyrics by PJ Harvey
PJ Harvey - A Place Called Home
 
One day I know
We'll find a place of hope
Just hold on to me
Just hold on to me
Walk tight, one line
You're wanted this time
There's no one to blame
Just hold on to me

(Come on my love)
And I'm right on time
And the birds keep singing
And you're right on line
And the bells keep ringing
And the battle is won
And the planes keep winging
And I'm right on time
And the girl keeps singing

One day they'll be a place for us
I walk and I wade
Through full lands and lonely
I stumble, I stumble
With you I wait
To be born again
With love comes the day
Just hold on to me

(Come on my love)
And I'm right on... more »

2013-04-18 01:09:47 (77 comments, 2 reshares, 97 +1s)

rupture

looking at you,
it’s tempting to think
you’re bleeding.
 
but we know
part of you is on
fire,
burning from inconsolable
loss.
 
and as you climb air
to the clouds
your wound becomes an eye
to view the world.


—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved

2013-03-20 20:15:44 (41 comments, 1 reshares, 96 +1s)

double up

It looks like +lane langmade  wants to play a little #CloverPoker for the first day of spring :) She sent me some luck in the form of a cool three-leaf clover and I thought I would up the ante by sending her back not a three-leaf or even four-leaf clover, but a double clover. Yep, I saw this bizarre clover with two heads rather than one when I was out hiking. Maybe this is more common than I think, but I hadn’t seen one like this before. I just hope it brings her some luck!

Wanna play along? Why not send a friend on G+ a little luck in the form of a clover to celebrate spring's arrival? :D

Happy Spring! And thank you +Lane Langmade for making the first day of spring such a wonderful day.

#spring #firstdayofspring #clover #macro

2013-03-19 15:23:06 (42 comments, 0 reshares, 77 +1s)

inertia

[For #TreeTuesday curated by the amazing +Shannon S. Myers and +Christina Lawrie ]

you, who I had not yet called
mother,
 
I lived here.
 
like a tree,
who lives perfectly,
I was a being that had no need
for movement.
no need for plot.
 
I picked the sunshine off leaves
like cotton
and drank puddles with my feet.
my whole purpose,
was a dumb, leafy existence.
 
so you see,
I lived here.
and I ate you.
and drank you.
 
I was paralyzed by your warm light.


—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved

2013-03-18 17:55:05 (57 comments, 0 reshares, 85 +1s)

more than meets the "eye"

I’m happy to be participating in #MacroMonday again curated by three of the most awesome people/photogs on G+: +Kelli Seeger Kim  +Kerry Murphy  and +Jennifer Eden  (oh and the fabulous +Jake Easley )

This week’s sub-theme is curls. Well, I thought I might go out on a limb and take a photo of Blake’s eye. Certainly his eyelashes qualify as “curls”, right? 

Anyway, this shot is doing double duty as both a portrait and a self-portrait in a way. I loved how I could actually see his arms and hands in the reflection of his own eye ;)

2013-03-13 22:31:11 (46 comments, 6 reshares, 114 +1s)

affinity

Just wanted to send a heartfelt thanks to everyone involved today who made my birthday sooo special. Your kind words and beautiful photos honestly brought tears of joy to my eyes. I can’t tell you how thankful I am to have found so many wonderful friends on G+. You are all rock stars! #happybdaylaneandlynn #happybdaylane #happybdaylynn

(and sorry in advance for flower-bombing you all!)

Thank you (in no particular order):

+Luxe Langmade +Gene Bowker +Brad Buckmaster +Tom McGowan +Jason Kowing +Sam Weinstein  +kimberton pemberly +Craig Szymanski +Sandra Parlow +Tom Tran +Allan Cabrera +Shawn McClure +Robin Griggs Wood +Shantha Marie Fountain +Paras Shah +Shelly Gunderson +Don Spenner +E.E. Giorgi +Cameron Siguenza +Louisa Catharine Forsyth +Shanda Simmons +Marilyn Benham +Celeste Odono +Dirk Vietzke +Christina Lihani  +Jorunn Gudlaugsdottir+Sa... more »

2013-03-13 16:46:13 (49 comments, 0 reshares, 72 +1s)

PinkPlosion

Yup, it’s my twin sister’s birthday today :) She’ll probably hate me for posting this pink flower in her name, since she’s all grown up now and thinks pink isn’t as cool as she used to. But I’m posting this shot because it reminds me of how she and I used to have pink and purple cakes on our birthday. Her cake would be covered in ice-pink frosting and it looked so good that even I became a fan of “pink”.

So here’s to +lane langmade  my sis and partner in life, on her birthday :) #happybdaylane #happybdaylaneandlynn

Resident “pink ladies” alert: +lane langmade  and +Cheryl Cooper  who curate the #PinkCircle

2013-03-11 21:47:28 (52 comments, 1 reshares, 124 +1s)

sundown

2013-03-06 19:04:21 (43 comments, 1 reshares, 58 +1s)

2013-03-29 18:09:30 (79 comments, 1 reshares, 78 +1s)

bashful

Happy Spring-Is-Almost-Here Day! #SpringIsAlmostHere  

Just a quick post going out to an unsung hero on G+, +Gene Bowker  I’ve been going through a rough time lately, and he’s been a really good friend. In fact, this goes out to all the guys who may not be flashy or glib, but are quiet, honest, caring and loyal—you know, to all the good guys. 

Gene is that kind of guy who supports you, speaks the truth when others are afraid to, and always has your back when you’re in a jam. You could do worse than circle him :) He’s truly a great guy.

He recently sent me a few virtual flowers, so I thought I would return the favor (who says guys don’t like receiving flowers, huh?) A daisy seemed like the perfect choice; subtle and unassuming, they don’t stand out against the landscape because they frame it. 

Happy Spring-Is-Almost-HereDay! #SpringIsAl... more »

2013-03-02 18:46:16 (23 comments, 1 reshares, 53 +1s)

the winter of my life

2013-02-24 21:56:49 (54 comments, 2 reshares, 117 +1s)

hug

2013-02-15 15:07:05 (27 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Imagine That

Um I just had to share this from one of my favorite Tumblr blogs: sh*t my students write. Seriously, can't make up material this good. 

"Can you imagine being a member of a large family, being run out of your home-land and being hunted down and shot for being out of your designated area. If so, you are either an American Indian or a poor defenseless deer."

2013-02-11 22:00:04 (82 comments, 7 reshares, 154 +1s)

witchcraft

Three leaves over a shimmering river...

2013-02-08 20:28:47 (49 comments, 0 reshares, 79 +1s)

temple

Yosemite Falls 3 days ago :)

"I must return to the mountains—to Yosemite. I am told that the winter storms there will not be easily borne, but I am bewitched, enchanted, and tomorrow I must start for the great temple to listen to the winter songs and sermons preached and sung only there." — John Muir,  1869










#landsacapephotography #yosemite #winterlandscape #winterwonderland #waterfall #snow  

2013-02-07 21:45:27 (70 comments, 4 reshares, 132 +1s)

winter jewels

just a flower overwhelmed by rain...

2013-02-06 22:05:56 (63 comments, 3 reshares, 88 +1s)

III. Gesture

when you bowed,
hiding everything that made you
what you were,
I fell in love with your quiet glance
 
at small things.
 
your tail feathers, pointing up
at the apricot-colored sky,
gestured to a kind of optimism
inherent in reflex.
 
you knew with your whole body
where you would be going,
so you relaxed,
waiting with patience
for what you could not leave
behind.
 

 
—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved

2013-02-04 21:12:27 (27 comments, 1 reshares, 66 +1s)

II. Meridian

at the highest point
on the white birch
a creature feathered in grey
did what birds tend to do
and perched.
 
its position,
poised at the edge of pink light,
seemed to indicate
longing
for some kind of escape:
 
a solitude that comes
from contemplating flight
just before things that fall apart
begin to break.


—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved

2013-01-31 00:48:32 (63 comments, 3 reshares, 105 +1s)

I. Illumination

that which sent you around
to the front of the house
may have sounded like an owl,
 
but you should have known better.
for the day
which broke and skipped
effortlessly across the clouds,
was too hopeful for an owl’s hoot.
 
no, not an owl, but a bird
calling
to a sun
still drenched in a purple moon.
 
just a bird not realizing
what it sounds like when a song
is being sung.

—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved

2013-01-24 19:53:38 (59 comments, 1 reshares, 99 +1s)

snowstorm

[Dedicated to my twin sister, +lane langmade, who has always been there for me]

when the silver breath
of the snowstorm
began to swallow
the birdhouse,
it occurred to me
 
that you wanted out.
 
out of a hole
besieged by wind and frost,
 
out of a place
that above all things
kept you warm
 
but not necessarily
safe.
 
out of a love
tempered by time
and something close to grace.
 
—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved



#birdhouse #snow #snowstorm #winter #poem  

2013-01-23 21:42:42 (38 comments, 0 reshares, 62 +1s)

medieval

in your chest
heroes roam
                              looking for a war.
 
I gather them close
 
--let them bleed
all over me.

 
—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2013 All Rights Reserved

2013-01-21 13:26:42 (57 comments, 4 reshares, 116 +1s)

butterfly kiss

Hurray, it’s time to break out the butterflies and the polka dots!

Not because it’s spring, but because today is the birthday of one of the cutest and craftiest little plussers around: +Luxe Langmade, my niece and +lane langmade 's daughter.  You all know she likes sweets and the color blue (she’s no girly girl ;), but did you also know she’s a sucker for all things that take flight?

So for Luxe on this special day, I just thought I would flutter my eyelashes, wiggle my nose, and blow this wonderful butterfly kiss her way

(isn’t it nice to take a little break from winter? : O))

Wishing you a wonderful birthday little Luxe!

#happybirthdayluxe  

2012-12-31 19:47:55 (62 comments, 4 reshares, 107 +1s)

driving home

The highway bled out
before us,
black against a blacker night.
Our truck broke through
the valley with ferocity,
searching for some place,
any place, 
which would not hurt you.

As we whispered,
we were more than aware 
that you lay spread out in the back seat,
buried in blankets,
rocking like a dead thing.

This was an ambulance
whose silent siren
echoed
your empty womb.


—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2012 All Rights Reserved

2012-12-06 02:34:17 (53 comments, 2 reshares, 92 +1s)

water like stone

[This week's contribution to #ChristmasTown curated by +lane langmade myself, +Tom McGowan +Brad Buckmaster +Michael Albrecht and +Shantha Marie Fountain ]

"Noël" by Ann Porter

When snow is shaken
From the balsam trees
And they're cut down
And brought into our houses
 
When clustered sparks
Of many-colored fire
Appear at night
In ordinary windows
 
We hear and sing
The customary carols
 
They bring us ragged miracles
And hay and candles
And flowering weeds of poetry
That are loved all the more
Because they are so common
 
But there are carols
That carry phrases
Of the haunting music
Of the other world
A music wild and dangerous
As a prophet's message
 
Or the fresh truth of children
Whothoug... more »

2012-12-04 22:51:41 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

#ChristmasTown  *Circle Share* and Spreading the G+ #Christmas  Cheer! 

Ok.. so i's the beginning of December 2012 and 21 days till xmas so i thought.. i should share our Christmas Clique and Page!!! !

So here is the  #ChristmasTown  page:
https://plus.google.com/b/101587785132030371944/101587785132030371944/posts

and circle curated by our 7 merry elves including myself (+lane langmade) +Michael Albrecht, +Lynn Langmade +Gene Bowker +Tom McGowan +Brad Buckmaster and +Shantha Marie Fountain.

We started with zero a couple of weeks ago and we already have more than 230 in our circle and trended several times! 

 So for all those that want to have the next -25- 21days filled with #Christmas  cheer,   #Santa , #ChristmasTrees , #ornaments   #snow  and other fun #merrychristmas  goodness and want to join in and contribute tospreading the ... more »

2012-12-01 10:00:32 (40 comments, 2 reshares, 90 +1s)

chillin'

This little guy was just chillin’ on this strawberry flower in my backyard. Looked like a nice place to be–surrounded by juicy ripe strawberries.  I mean, if I were a bug, that’s probably where I would hang out too :)

+Shawn McClure  and +shane holsclaw  like to tease me a lot about my fear of spiders. I told them I shoot bugs all the time, but don’t post 'em because I don’t like to scare people. When I told them about this photo, they said I should give it a shot. Since this little guy does seem pretty harmless, I decided to make it my first post for #buggyfriday +Ray Bilcliff  +Sherry McBriar  and +Dorothy Pugh 

2012-11-27 22:38:29 (58 comments, 2 reshares, 111 +1s)

winter fantasy

In lurid heat,
 
flushed leaves drape
over icy water,
wishing for winter
 
and the dotted delirium of a world
frosted by the gentle drift
of snow


[not sure if this counts for #TreeTuesday, but I love the theme so I thought I would try anyway. Thanks so much for all the work you do +Shannon S. Myers and +Christina Lawrie ]

2012-11-27 02:59:07 (71 comments, 5 reshares, 90 +1s)

purpura maiestatem [purple majesty]

Yeah I know…this isn’t some profound black n’ white photo or some urbex masterpiece. It’s just a simple photo of two things I’m obsessed with: Christmas and Purple. What can I say? This is what happens when you start listening to medieval Christmas carols on a Monday morning  :P
 
Speaking of Christmas, this is my inaugural post to a theme I help curate #ChristmasTown :) with +lane langmade  et al.

I normally don’t send stuff out to #MacroMonday, not because I don’t love the theme, but because I do. I know how incredibly busy the curators are and I don’t like to add to their “work.” But how could I resist when they are doing a purple sub-theme today??? I hope the wonderful and talented trio,  +Kerry Murphy  +Kelli Seeger Kim  and +Jennifer Eden ,  don’t mind that I sent this out.

And of course,I had to give a shout out to... more »

2012-11-19 22:17:32 (41 comments, 2 reshares, 76 +1s)

lonesome

Not sure if this shot sucks or not, but here it is anyway... :)

2012-11-19 20:34:39 (42 comments, 5 reshares, 97 +1s)

ceremony

[took this shot at Versailles in April and I’ve been holding on to it for a special occasion]
 
they say swans mate
for life
 
it begins with head dunking
and bubble blowing
 
until they circle each other
and their foreheads finally touch,
 
wordlessly spelling out
what’s in their hearts
with silent, sweeping arcs
of white grace.


 
—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2012 All Rights Reserved

2012-11-12 23:42:54 (67 comments, 1 reshares, 97 +1s)

vespers

although the moon is shielded
by a tree
 
hiding secrets from me
 
I reach out
to clutch her light
that slips past tiny branches,
 
and recall that I too
 
held centuries
in my hand
 
when I blew  a prayer out
past the throbbing stars
 
and history began.

 
—Photo and poem by Lynn Langmade © 2012 All Rights Reserved

2012-11-08 17:14:14 (61 comments, 1 reshares, 91 +1s)

glimpse


butterfly wings
chiming
under the shy, autumn sun

2012-11-01 21:33:24 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
My Favorite Photographers!  --  Some Wildly Popular!  --  Some Unknown!

SPECIAL INFO - I'm asking anyone saving or sharing this circle to remove +Jean Samyr Petitfrere from it.  I can no longer recommend him.

The photographers here are all in my personal circles.  The choices are mine and mine alone.  No one asked, begged, or pleaded to belong.  No bribes were offered or accepted.  These are the people that I routinely follow because I appreciate their great quality photography and their interaction.  There are NO requirements to share this circle.  I would appreciate the peoplein this cir... more »

2012-10-31 21:07:24 (49 comments, 9 reshares, 114 +1s)

bête noire

Happy Halloween everyone! :)

(reshare from last fall)

#Halloween  

2012-10-31 17:11:20 (8 comments, 0 reshares, 17 +1s)

The new How We See It...more views of our worlds has been published on Blurb.com +Blurb Books and is now available for purchase in the large coffee table format, the eBook and the PDF version.  100% of the profits of the print and electronic versions will go directly to the NOW Love Your Body Foundation, an organization that works with body image issues and eating disorders.  Blurb Books is matching the first $500 USD in profits for our charity.  A smaller print version will be available next week.  75 female G+ photographers and writers contributed to this book, including many of your favorites.  An additional print sale again with 100% of the profits going to our charity is being held in conjunction with +Ivan Makarov's Photographers for Good website http://www.photographersforgood.com/Pages/Charity/23262973_4Sgv4t       .  65 images(at last check) have been donated by members of the G+Photograph... more »

2012-10-30 23:41:40 (50 comments, 1 reshares, 69 +1s)

harvest

Yeah, I know you’re probably tired of seeing pumpkin shots. I decided  to post one myself because a couple of weeks ago  I made plans to meet up with a wonderful G+ photog, +Jason Kowing  and his wife for a photo walk at the annual Apple Hill festival. At this time of year, a bunch of apple farms get together to host a joint event where you can pick apples, sample various homemade apple-inspired goods from pie to cider, listen to live music, make crafts, and go pumpkin hunting. I had never been to this event before and had a fabulous time.

Traffic prevented me from actually meeting Jason and his wife in person, but I wanted to share a photo of a pumpkin at a patch I visited while there. For some reason, out of all the photos I took, I liked this photo where the pumpkin actually fades into the background itself.

So this shot is dedicated to +Jason Kowing and h... more »

2012-10-29 22:28:29 (77 comments, 1 reshares, 97 +1s)

radiance

A little sparkle for my dear friend +Tom McGowan  on his birthday…

Tom is one of the sweetest and most supportive guys on G+. He’s always there: writing wonderful comments in your threads, sharing your work with others, and generally just being a delight to be around. In terms of all the photographers I’ve met on G+, he’s also grown the most, producing some of the photos that make me think the most. If you don’t have him in your circles, you are really missing out ;)

#HappyBirthdayTom   I hope you have a wonderful day :)

2012-10-25 19:08:22 (24 comments, 2 reshares, 65 +1s)

cloak

Now night falls, its hair
caught in the lake’s eyes.


[—-Tom Andrews, “At Burt Lake”]

2012-10-22 21:57:41 (30 comments, 2 reshares, 66 +1s)

audacious

Yosemite at sunset ... :)

2012-10-18 22:38:23 (36 comments, 3 reshares, 92 +1s)

to autumn

Felt like geeking out with a bit of poetry today by one of my all-time favorite poets: John Keats. Below is Keats’s ode, “To Autumn,” one of the most frequently anthologized poems of all time. It’s actually the last of 6 great Keatsian odes that we refer to as the “Odes of 1819.” “To Autumn” also marks the end of Keats career as a poet because he had to stop writing poetry in order to earn a living, and it is also worth mentioning that he died a tragic death from Tuberculosis in Rome just one year later when he was only 25 years old.

Yeah, I know the diction, rhyme and meter seem archaic, but if you read closely you will find a beautiful description of the three phases of the autumn through personification and might even discern that the poem is both a meditation on death as well as an allegory for artistic creation.

When I think of the magicof autumn, this... more »

2012-10-17 21:18:56 (23 comments, 0 reshares, 55 +1s)

Latona

Today is my favorite pseudo-aristocrat’s birthday—Lord +Andrew Westbury.

In honor of such an auspicious occasion, I’m dedicating this landscape shot of the Latona fountain inspired by Ovid’s Metamorphoses at the Chateau de Versailles to him. Andy often likes to bark at the moon, but he’s also really into sweeping landscape shots, and I figured this one at a palace that might rival his own epic estate across the pond might remind him of home :D

Here’s to one of the funniest and sweetest guys in the English peerage :)  We luv you Andy and hope you have a fabulous birthday!
#snookerized