Any picture can tell a story
And any story can create a picture
On the wall of
my guest room hangs a framed poster of a tranquil and romantic work executed by
Pierre Bonnard—Table Set in a Garden.
Bonnard painted it circa 1908.
But the setting is timeless.
One can almost
feel the delicate warmth of sunlight filtering through the greenery, nearly
inhale the fragrant freshness of the air.
It makes me want to take a deep breath and slowly let it out, releasing all
my tensions and relaxing in the perfect moment.
And it recalls
to me some wonderfully similar settings I found in various ports of call
several years ago while cruising the western Mediterranean—Monte Carlo, Italy’s
ports of Livorno, Civitavecchia, Naples, and Sorrento, as well as Palma and
Valldemossa on the Isle of Mallorca.
What a fabulous trip that was.
The sunshine, the air, the flowers – bellisimo!
Unfortunately,
back home here there aren’t nearly so many lovely casual outdoor cafes where
one can enjoy a brief respite and a cup of coffee. We have very few such charming retreats in which to spend a
refreshing pause while out shopping. Well, at least that’s true if one tends to
do one’s shopping at the mall!
“No one can
understand the truth until he drinks of coffee’s frothy goodness.”
~Sheik
Abd-al-Kadir
 |
| Photo by Hank Kellner |
Longing for the Riviera
Coffee in the
food court
amid plastic
potted palms
fast food and
flashing neon
in the air
conditioned mall
 |
| Pierre Bonnard painting - Table Set in a Garden, c.1908 |
latte at an open air café
in the dappled shade of trees
on cobbled streets
lined with cottage shops.
There's really no comparison.
in the dappled shade of trees
on cobbled streets
lined with cottage shops.
There's really no comparison.
~Elizabeth Guy
No comparison
indeed. And the food! The Mediterranean cuisine suited me to a
tee. Pasta, roasted summer vegetables,
fresh fruits, cheeses, crusty Italian breads—and the wine! Let us not forget the wine.
I dined like a pincipessa
on that cruise. Scrumptious! And the best part was that I actually lost a
few pounds on that vacation. Mediterranean
magic!
What pictures do you have that recall a fabulous
experience?
Coming next week...
 |
| Summer daze |
Also, visit my co-author's blog at http://hank-englisheducation.blogspot.com
See his ten-part series on photo
prompts to inspire writing at http://www.creativity-portal.com/prompts/kellner/
And Don’t Miss…
English
teacher Mara Dukats and writer-photographer Cynthia Staples’
poems “white on white” and “The Absence of Color.” They’re in Part Four of Hank
Kellner’s twelve-part series THE POWER
OF PHOTOS TO INSPIRE WRITING at the Creativity Portal website http://gazette.teachers.net/gazette/wordpress/hank-kellner/using-poems-and-photos-to-inspire-writing-part-4/, as well as Anna J. Small’s writing
assignment in "Viewing and Writing about Photos from Around the World"
Also,
read more about Reflect and Write in the SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL http://www.slj.com/2013/03/curriculum-connections/meeting-the-ccss-through-poetry-professional-shelf/
Another Helpful Source for Inspiration
For more photos and
information not included in this blog, please visit http://www.prufrock.com/Reflect-and-Write-P1752.aspx.
Reflect and Write contains more than 300 poems and photos; keywords;
quotations; either “Inspiration” or “Challenge” prompts; a “Themes to Explore”
section; a “Twelve Ways to Inspire Your Students” section; a special “Internet
Resources” section, and more. Includes CD with photos and poems from the book. Reflect
and Write: 300 Poems and Photos to Inspire Writing by Hank Kellner and
Elizabeth Guy (Prufrock Press, 2013), 153 pages, $24.95.
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