sync2swim

after ireland, scotland, and lake district
paris then london i did greet
first time paris alone to roam
romped from montmartre home

pixel glee
for ramrom raps me

a whirlwind of tour guiding
is exhausting
time to unwind
to shwub, replenish the vine

pour it on
a renaissance song

threesome   from time past
looking for some parisienne  blast
can stars align
3 diverse energies sublime?

life’s a ball
take what we get as things fall

it’s nice
to expect musical spice
as spring dies
to make way for summer solstice dice

france celebrates with a fête
with music events, all you can get
though at mercy of organizers
and if sunshine arises

too bad, so sad
such in america not to be had
we’ve lost our compass
we’ve lost the joie de vivre
we’ve lost the music, we only blame and curse
our purse is empty, where’s the beef?

we need to get back our whiff…

“Music hath charms to soothe a savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” William Congreve

musing
georgetown g-gee
georgy girl
used to twirl
hair in a whirl
life was a blur

who would have known
the places landed, the seeds sown
the holes fallen, mistakes groaned
eating life’s good and bad, a girth grown

g for gracious grenoble gifts galore
depths of friendship explore
we keep going back for more
our mellowing   wine store

g for galerie
pinch me from my reverie
how long to sustain such revelry?

food mimics art, you are what you eat
art mimics life or is it a surreal treat?

i recall a cafe philo nomination
is where you “live” important?

unfortunately it didn’t make the selection
cos’ that’s quite a reflection potent

financial, family, friends, fear, and follies factor into the equation
and yes, money can buy a lot, so the rich and crooks have option

rest of  us has to content with degrees of acceptance, absorption and adoption

“yes” would be my voice
assuming affordability and choice
and it’s better to be married to a place then a royce or joyce 😉

pentacostal musing
a gentle reminiscing
to treat the temple body well
for that’s where the Spirit and Trinity dwell

a ringing bell
to stray from hell
our mortal walks serve a compelling tell
the only earthly thing to give, not sell

a visit to père lachaise
reminds life as game of chess
there will be pieces that have more or less
death equalizes achievements and mess

whether a life dying for attention
or a life full of piaf tension

la vie en rose
in silent repose
a life fleeing from temptation
a life seeking sweet redemption

closing with sobering epigram wild
from the “importance of being earnest,” oscar wilde

“we are all in the gutter,
but some of us are looking at the stars.”

all of us leave earth eventually with some scars
that’s all i pant-pent muster mutter

goodbyes are the law of earth;
reunions are the law of heavenly mirth…

what a privilege
to live in marais village
many gems tucked away
for time and musings play
all within walking distance way
that pound need not weigh

born free, as free as the wind blows
as free as the grass grows
born free to follow your heart
so,
to musée cognacq-jay, i départ
to pry away from computer rut

earnestly, a life well-lived and left behind
charms of louis 15th and 16th period you’ll find
childless,

so estate left to city of paris, how kind
beauty in his life and artifacts to tug heart and mind

what ernest leanings
selling ties under an umbrella, pont neuf beginnings
blossoming into fancy  la samaritaine store
a largesse soar

thereafter, wandering free as the roaring tide
place des vosges called me to abide
suddenly victor hugo beckoned me to step inside
to his abode , from sun to hide

wow, i was mesmerized

the storiesthe maison etherized

born with stirring passions
that released expressions

in his writings and poetry
lay victor’s inner solace victory

republicanism failed
joy in daughter got curtailed
romanticism was impaled
his declining years as national hero hailed

stay free, where no walls divide you
you’re free as the roaring tide
so there’s no need to hide

for life is only worth living
’cause you’re born free

he was joan’s knight
united in anti-war fight

his strains had a bite
piercing the dark of night

wrong fighting right plight
his lyrics weren’t lite

for the annual nuit européenne des musées decree
i chose cité de la musique to spend my free   braved the rains to retrospect
a bob dylan exhibit to inspect

images and words put to a beat
meal for the soul to eat

i supped at concert on deck
of adam mcbride-smith and cory seznec

gloria
a sterling euphoria
bought with a price
has everything nice

chinchilla eyes
that mesmerize
shaded fur
contented purr

belleville, a good start
to define “art”
what makes poetry, “poetry”
what makes reverie?
it addresses represses
it expresses redresses
it heals, it squeals
it feels, it reveals
it searches, it splurges
it depresses, it surges
it reflects, it refracts
it expands, it contracts

a 9 km walk
vichy “paris in ww2” to stalk
1940-44 hôtel maurice was nazi hqtaken over, rooms with a view

hard to fathom humanity under hitler’s grip
thank goodness his plan to burn paris got ripped
many a resistance group sprang up
to defy brainwashing scrub
edelweißpiraten and zazou club

musing at the bears at hôtel de ville
25 years of relations between paris and berlin to seal
merkel was first on list for françois hollande to deal

source: wikicommons

o hugo’s montparnasse
we looked for you in your glorious past
once again illusion in collusion
with gumption fueled by presumption

the brain enchanted, once again deceived
by hollywood and tales believed

all that glitters is not gold
things of past we want to behold
things we’ve being told
things to chase and rejuvenate old

montparnasse aujourd’hui
hue gone, mais oui

may 6th marked first sunday
gratuit museum visits to profiter
also, the voting day
political winds interplay
citoyens to sway
toward françois hollande

musée carnavalet invoked

visions of past ideals stoked

then this poster got me provoked

a constant tension between have’s and have nots
rise and fall of deprived human bots
historic homeostatic plots
civilization flourishes and rots

perhaps, technology can be powerful equalizer?
to bridge gaps and be uniting tranquilizer

a perpetual balancing act kaiser…

dix mots, dis-mois
“il faut à paris foire
une fois,
pour gras foie”

theme of this year’s foire
“y’a d’la joie”
ça, je bois

chicken or egg
spring fever sprung a leg
prancing to mouloudji’s les rues de paris to quench a thirst
an annual wandering-wondering burst

starting out

at sfo, mon père  encore sprout
an exhibit of sewing history
led bout of bardspout mystery

dressmaking intertwining
a marathon flight movie viewing
“albert nobbs” story most intriguing
followed by “the vow”
rita thornton’s chosing to stay with philandering hubby
“for all the things he’s done right; not the one thing he’s done wrong. I chose to forgive him”  was my insightful wow
“beauty and the beast”
the gist of the yeast of hell
love breaks spell

forms of love salad dressing
covering scars needing healing
stripped naked from memory sheath loss
testing love toss
sending my mind reeling – who is really boss?

then as if to cap confusion and illusion
a cafe philo “is the mind a slave to the body?” reaching no conclusion
my day ended with fruition
at saint germain des prés metro
a defining moment in retro
roving over a children’s books display
my eye caught “poèmes-sans-queue-ni-tête” which sums up my day!

pretty much resolves the quandary of mind versus body, which master to avail?
a neither head nor tail tale

when the moon is in the 7th house
and silicon planet aligns with le temps des cerises
avec mon mari, a time to espouse
a welcomed annual sojourn breeze

the moulin calls
the heart craves
the blessing falls
the spirit braves

allez, venez, Milord !
vous avez l’air d’un môme
laissez-vous faire, Milord
venez dans mon royaume

we wrapped up paris with grand gust

since chez taipan cuisine is closed,

we degust last days with “il faut” blast

besides we grew together in life calories for 29 years on july 3rd
since then, we’ve increased global foodie network and gluttonous gird

musing at how we will be gravitating towards 4P’s of homespots
populating peninsular bayarea, penang, paris and perth ports

with divine gratitude, we eat off manna spoils
from global adamah soils,

time to write last ramrom chapter after 28 years of non-stop toils

vive la paris –
for thee, we have hots

“à la prochaine,” here are our parting shots

greeted july 1 in a salvador dali time warp
without realizing, am and pm events got swapped
a morning skype was in my scrambled mind and calendar to occur at night
pranced to conservatoire dance finals in the morning when it’s supposed to be afternoon delight

3 hours to spare before actual dance performance, what on earth
suddenly a focus on how to while away time dearth

unconscious pixel caught while loitering created time consciousness re-birth
followed by 3.5 hours of saturated dancing through time and space mirth

well, what revelry

time mistakes gained me parc villette discovery

i chose to bust friday and preserve saturday free
to houseclean and pack, rid of 2-months debris

time and tide waits for no man
harkening ephesians 5:15 paul’s rant
to dance a “be very careful, then, how you live” can-can

tonight’s a special night for olivier giraud, a one-man show
a 300th performance success glow
“how to become a parisian in one hour” draws more french than tourists wanting to know
laughing at themselves, c’est plus drole
reminds me of a similar hilarious singapore-french humor crow

feeling like a prodigal son as we head back to our other home
will it embrace us back with compassion after our “splash-glitz-oh-my” roam
inspired by highcalling‘s “verbs that make all the diff”
koine greek splagchnizomaiis is translated as “filled with love and compassion,” a divine whiff
greek noun splagchna (SPLANK-nah), means “internal organs” or “entrails,” a taipan gourmand sniff

with thanksgiving spilling from my guts
living in paris is a gift, not nuts
made possible par grâce â Dieu,
hmm, Dieu may be french since “impossible n’est pas français” vue?

it’s comforting to believe one’s sin debts are no longer due
in return while alive, seek to soak and sprinkle divine Dew

our walking buddies panted 14km to bougival
we decided to have our own carnival

let’s take the transilien all the way,

freshly meet exhausted walkers there to play.

climb jacob’s ladder to la defense,
go west by train to catch seine, oysters, moules – makes alot of sense.

summer solstice
all day fête de la musique in Paris
while the world dances and sings, i choose to snooze
time to still my heart and mind instead of musically street-cruise

why, with 4321 iTunes and youtube, there’s no music to lose
there’s lots to muse and ruse
with cnbc, cnn, bbc blaring troubling trends
nations – one by one, economic crisis descends

there’s no golden fleece in greece
so many hands to grease
the gaps between have’s and have-nots increase
meanwhile, have we forgotten nature and earth to please?

one day you’ll find that I have gone
but tomorrow may rain, so I’ll follow the sun

just musing that within a 6-month span
there was an emptying of earth’s can

puyehue affecting new zealand and downunder from chile
grímsvötn blinded scotland chilly
merapi shots are chilling

from various nozzles, the volcanic ash poured
arizona fire, floods, tornadoes, tsunami gnawed
earth, wind, fire and water roared
add to jarring trend, dsk-schwarzenegger–weiner scandals appalled

another stark triplet movie marathon
from “The Hours,” you cannot find peace by avoiding life and be forlorn.

from woody allen thriller “Match Point,”
People are afraid to face how great a part of life is dependent on luck. It’s scary to think so much is out of one’s control.

from 2006 Best Actress Academy Award Winner, “The Queen,” a Prince Phillip comment – Something about Diana managing to be even more annoying dead than alive….a haunting past lament

from an excerpt taken from “The Road to Happiness” by Mac Anderson and BJ Gallagher, a cab driver was asked, “If you could live anywhere in the world-and if money was no object-where would you live?”
without hesitating even for a second, he replied,

I live in my heart. So it really doesn’t matter where my body lives.
If I am happy inside, then I live in paradise, no matter where my residence is.

it was one of the topics nominated at one past cafe philo
“does where you live, matter?” – o swing low,
sweet chariot…

as earth unearthed,
meanwhile, find your “richard sibbs-thomas brooks” heaven on earth

strolling through Marché Richard Lenoir
my lens met his gaze
a canvass of renoir
i identified his daze

daydream is a whiff
a ponder to squander
a parfum de joie  sniff
a move closer to reality wander?

a healthy debate
how to rate
happiness of one’s mate
salary earned to satiate
in order to appreciate

found in bastille square
for me this is couple rare
equals at heart
for richer or poorer, is a good start

taipan’s “castle in the air” found
above market street ground

oh, i could hide
‘neath the wings
of the bluebird
as she sings

refreshed by past 2 days of rain
blue skies ushered us to marché ordener terrain

when you emerge from jules joffrin metro
xviii mairie, rue du poteau and ordener say hello
delights meet you no matter which way you go

check out the wedding crowd in front of the mairie
seems black and white are in vogue colors for the reverie

step to rue du poteau for the marché commerçant
go down rue ordener for marché volant open fun
regardless, markets sizzle with its own vibrancy
perfect for my lens to capture colorful life frenzy
besides, the marketing show up as meals to power my cpu
to write blogs, do sudoku, and share a view to provoke and cue

einstein  declared we “utilize only 10% of our mental capacity”
the world would definitely be different if we exercised our brains with tenacity

we are what we eat
we are what we think
better, if in sync
with our heart beat
and actioned bleat

watch your thoughts; they become words
watch your words; they become actions
watch your actions; they become habits
watch your habits; they become your character
watch your character; they become your destiny

hear no evil

speak no evil

do no evil

eat and swivel

to power life sizzle

chewing kjv psalm 63:5 cud

“My soul shall be satisfied as [with] marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise [thee] with joyful lips:

besides,  “all the fat is the LORD’s….” leviticus 3:16

chelev wa deshen is ancient hebrew = “fat and fatness”
an inspiration from mark roberts elevating God’s goodness

food for thought
relief for my state of fat and fatness sought

after a snack of börek and lunch of taipan’s stir-fried mee
a que será será seine moment descended upon me

Mary Anne Radmacher’s Life Begins When You Do provided food for blog
so now, my thoughts to unclog

putting off living the life
is such common cliché strife
the problem lies
in a pack of “if-when, then…” lies

true, we can do alot when we have what we think don’t have to actualize
ah, we forgot  about the treasures that lie in what we do have to realize
we let our fears block instead of taking the road to travel
each one of us uniquely equipped and handicapped, choose how to unravel

when i grow up
when i have plenty to sup
when i find prince charming
when i am done with farming
when i get get promoted, when i retire
when i have the means to fly higher

quando, quando, kwando

and in our minds we never get there
and fill ourselves with only despair

life will jamais be fair
so, just live it with authentic flair
do we dare?
a mighty quinn to bare?

everybody’s building ships and boats
some are building monuments, others are jotting down notes
everybody’s in despair, every girl and boy
but when Quinn the Eskimo gets here
everybody’s gonna jump for joy

come all without, come all within
you’ll not see nothing like the Mighty Quinn

see what happens when you scan your iTunes database
you enter continuous life singing phase

decide, decide
choose this or that side
where to glide
who to abide
what to collide
big, small, oblique choices, we cannot hide
pick one and ride

for first sunday gratuit museum choice after much reverie
the dart landed on musée de l’Orangerie
to relate to recent giverny walk
monet and his buddies to stalk
after that, went to grand palais, anish kapoor’s leviathian art to balk

when reviewing l’orangerie shots
noted my pixels and monet’s pigments intertwined similarity knots

a week (may 29 vs june 5) apart shots
over 2 different (giverny vs Musée de l’Orangerie) spots

and what a coincidental trajectory
yesterday at “night at the movies” event in american library
sat next to robert and found the foreman’s there
we

enjoyed

superb

judith

merians’

analysis of hitchcock’s psycho scare

4321

well she started with just seventeen
rip-it-decide-later, u know what i mean
well before too long, i fell for 4321 iTunes to clean
what wisdom did i glean?

it’s hard to be minimalist
better not to have to be in “don’t know what u missed” mist
soon with technology drug, we get there
we can live in the cloud with closets bare

all u need is love and keep physically alive in the present
with the past golden times fueling life’s essence

“minuit à paris” still lingered in my mind
maybe why “associations” memory propel the future for mankind?

so the trick is to make the present plenty nice
for before long in the future they become la belle Époque frozen in ice
pick your magic moments be it 20’s era or golden age
et voila, here goes the owens lee pomeroy sage:

nostalgia is like a grammar lesson: you find the present tense and the past perfect

nostalgia is a denial of a painful present…says pedantic paul in “minuit à paris” – act or fact ?!

??•*¨*•.¸¸? ¸¸.•*¨*•?? ?H?A?P?P?Y? (¯”•.¸*???* ¸.•”¯)
?D?A?Y?S? ??•*¨*•.¸¸? ¸¸.•*¨*•??

yesterday was mother’s day in france
unbeknownst to her, this maman did prance
walked 14-kilometers from vernon to giverny and back
taipan’s muscles were wrecked, no more long walk attack
when it’s no longer pleasurable, we stop, o heck

now replaying impressions of the day
puffs of exhilaration, i must say
such bewildering assortment of nature wonders
en plein air, the symphony modulates and wanders

i find it amazing – monet became blind as he painted more,

like beethoven who became deaf yet writing genius musical score.

the more one is deceived yet it seems the more to implore;

the more authentic,  the more people run away from the store?
perception matters, reality does not
first impressions stick, they are hard to rot

how shall we then live?
what shall we then believe?
you are what you think
we drown in own kitchen sink
art of living is in impressions sync
and then, we are gone in a blink

hit it
ribbit

it’s one of those days
to enjoy a good book and réfléchir race
“couples: speaking from the heart” by mariana cook absorbed my gaze
last protégée of ansel adams, images captured with griot grace

a pattern recurs of what makes couples tick
what makes the bond slick
to endure each other and lasting stick
through highs and lows, boom and bleak

the magic glue is a healthy respect
trust that emanates from real acceptance instead of reject
common values and interests create harmonious sound
punctuated by differences celebrated instead of being bound

thus i distill and dissect
that real respect
is critical aspect
of a strong relationship pact
rest and recreation intact

a sad day at cnbc
longtime anchor mark haines we’ll no longer see
well-respected and loved for his direct wit
he certainly left a mark, a 22-year run hit

i drew parallel of day spent at the conservatoire
caught oboe final exam recitals, music to boire
the candidates getting marked
the time has come for them to spark

et moi, what marks have i made, how is my life score?
jill of various trades, mistress of none to roar
making blog soliloquies, my spirit to nurse when sore
what a bore, perhaps in another dimension soar
but i can truly say, i gave to the world my authentic core

our beloved hubbard
looked into the cupboard
it was getting bare
to marché daumesil to stomach care

freshness turned to culinary feats

here is evidence of lunch and dinner eats

yes – curry fish with a kick
finished off with grillé aux pommes slick

where are we going?
don’t ask, a “just follow me” craving
down magenta and winding through marche saint-pierre
i don’t ask why, happy to click fabric flair

finally destination reached

an award-winning baguette niche
one #6 and other #38
2011 and 2010 best bread

prized and tucked under taipan’s armpit

while waiting for metro back,
couldn’t resist, the ends were bit
his tastebuds lit

his sacred coeur humming
la baguette quartette’s “mon paris” hit

there’s 3-mile island and there’s 3 hours walk
yep, yesterday île de la jatte and puteaux to chalk
inspiration from what seurat and monet gawked

the more famous seurat is this sunday scene
and what this monet fetched is indeed obsene

wondering what my pixel art of grand jatte soil will fetch

many more magic moments to catch
more playful joy to attach

the bard has spoken, she’s done
with words of john donne

how would you spend apocalypse day?
according to harold camping, the earth will big-time sway
well, it came and went
it sure wasn’t heaven sent
getting lost at clignancourt souks was how we doomsday spent

one man’s junk is another man’s treasure;
one man’s mistake is another man’s pleasure.
we came with nothing and go with nothing
i am done with shopping
très content with just digital snapping
to remember what i enjoyed and saw
memories to leave behind and thaw

my tongue get tied when i try to speak
my insides shake like a leaf on a tree
there’s only one cure for this body of mine
that’s to have the life that i love so fine!
i’m all shook up

finished the day listening to yuri and juliana perform at st vincent de paul
a different kind of rapture call

yesterday
a field day
photo opp gems came my way
whoa whoa yay, is more than i can say

st cecile, jewel around corner
is snapped all over
detoured to st vincent de paul seen from corner of eye
beckoning – come spy before apocalypse die

after rilette on baguette crust
to avoid stomach bust
move the butt we must
seine gems to sift from rust

new terriors to visit
new friends to meet
keep walking to stay fit
from jardin des plantes towards austerlitz
our feet fleet
for a la biche au bois lunch feat

next day, appetite for more gems to tame
off to l’ile de la Cité in the seine

marché aux fleurs us to greet
upon climbing out to cité street

also stumbled upon oldest hospital in town

fancy villa feel, check out the mairie in whimsical musical gown

she gazes at the couple from across the street
sipping inseine coffee clouds, waiting for her prince to meet
impossible, cos’ she needs the attributes of many to make such a perfect match
mais, “impossible, c’est pas francaise,” she continues to pursue her catch

someone to spar with, without walking on eggshells
someone to size her down gently when the ego swells
someone to share with others instead of snare
someone to give in to in order to live, someone to spare
someone to understand and to be understood in return
someone loyal, “i’ll be back” infidelity to spurn

it’s good to set aside time to contemplate
on the health of one’s fate
at least set a weekly date
to renew in love, hope, peace and banish hate

so off to saint suplice church
listen to meditative organ music and sins purge
get in touch with soul surge
thereafter eat and rest splurge

mind-body organic zen merge

yesterday was nostalgic day
we retraced past tracks way

need to do marketing to get chow
so off to place aligre to prowl
used to live on the market street
every morning colorful spread your eyes meet
like this pili pili, a “welcome back” greet

we got razor clams and gesiers for lunch fix

and for dinner, i carpe diemed on “la nuit europeenne des musees” sans admission tix

in order paris to know
you gotta go with the flow
you must be fit
the streets to hit
the metro steps to go up and down
do quickstep with velo’s in town

after 12 days of feasting
it’s time for walking
taipan figured route to hotel de ville
more digital opps the album to fill

there’s 12 days of christmas affair and 12 days of birthday flair…

let me take you down, cos’ i’m going to strawberry fields way
on the first of may
when i was small
and christmas trees are tall…

on the first day of birthday, my GNO buddies gave to me
some cupcakes and a candle to blow with glee

on the 5th day, my true love fed me
five golden meals…

foie gras, coppa, zampone, smoked mozarella, and yes lardo kills
such gourmet deals

on the 8th day of anniversaire
had fois gras and magret de canard fare
a fresh prepare
at paris fair
what calories, i don’t care
live dangerously, i dare

on the 12th day of may
the real day is full of play
woke up to champagne breakfast meal
ending with a quack attack of foie gras and magret de canard encore appeal
with mona lisa starring with approving smiling seal
night stroll back via canal st martin was a memorable night light squeal

all roads lead to roma
rue mouffetard we did roama
rich with colorful historical drama
an old roman road, a market panorama

so here, speaking the language of image
a montage of la mouff vintage

oui, we are certainly alive and well
today was memorable swell
off to cafe philo  in st. germain to pontificate
“are images a language?” was the fiesty debate
hear ye the adage that a picture is worth a thousand words
and poetry is making images with words, chicken-egg diabolical turds

thereafter we went to restaurant “vivant”
after being turned away last night, we waited 30 minutes for bon goût want
it was well worth the wait
our tummies to satiate

the owner Pierre took pity on us, complimented with  vognier from ardeche
it went well with coppa et lardo dash
foie gras mi-cuit, a la mode sudwest bash

accompanied by
bufalo fumé

later topped
by
the most
incroyable
zampone

whoa, whoa yaay
je t’aime paris
is more than i can say…

an incroyable meal
one more bistronomique deal
head to la beurre noisette to seal
fine finish to our escapade surreal

euros on decline
temporal increased value here to dine
casino correction exchanged gain to dimes
these are turbulent times

make more hey when the sun shines
stay clear of detonating mines

listening to carole king chimes

you’ve got to get up every morning with a smile on your face
and show the world all the love in your heart
then people gonna treat you better
you’re gonna find, yes, you will
that you’re beautiful as you feel

just read c s lewis’ “the four loves” book
four buckets of love we differently stock
affection-storg, a fondness based on familiarity
friendship-philia, strong bond stemming from common interest or activity
eros-consumed love of beloved in which venus sexual desire is a by product of the turtle dove
charity-agape, untainted unconditional caring, the greatest sourced from way over yonder above…
without charity, all love become “distorted, bitter and even dangerous” cove

life has been indeed a tapestry
a sync2swim poetry

chapter end of journey

strains of edith piaf
comingling with my paris in the printemps to rev

parting shots
of forget-me-nots

sous le ciel de paris
s’envole une chanson

sous le ciel de paris
jusqu’au soir vont chanter
l’hymne d’un peuple épris
de sa vieille cité

prés de notre-dame
parfois couve un drame…

sous le ciel de paris

on est comme les oiseaux du Bon Dieu

..mais le ciel de paris n’est pas longtemps cruel…
pour se faire pardonner, il offre un arc-en-ciel…

la vie en rose
is right under your nose

what happened to the “in God we trust” nation
now writhing in crisis gyration
a rebellion seething in its citizens
throw out the incumbents, time to take our government back, a rand paul blitz-sense

meanwhile, bastille over the seine glistens

finally got around to hotel de ville
izis exhibition to view artistic will

a black and white photographer stellar
lens focus on people become wonderful storyteller

y’a d’la joie is a good tenet
sing it, charles trenet

y a d’la joie
bonjour bonjour les hirondelles
y a d’la joie
dans le ciel par dessus le toit
y a d’la joie
et du soleil dans les ruelles
y a d’la joie
partout y a d’la joie

la tour eiffel part en balade
comme une folle elle saute la seine à pieds joints
puis elle dit:”tant pis pour moi
si j’suis malade
j’m’ennuyais toute seule dans mon coin”
y a d’la joie
grace a Dieu  pour la joie

izis le elvis hawaiian wedding moment
i’ve waited for
i can hear my heart singing
bells are ringing

izis le moment
love sweet parisienne aloha
i will love u longer than forever
promise me that u will leave me never

spotted at the bhv bricolage
triggered this bistronomique marathon montage

started with lunch at le beurre noisette
hurry to sample a wonderful 32-euro menu set
accompanied by almost equal cost of wine
mais, c’est comme ça ici en france to dine

carpaccio de pieds de cochon bathed in vinagrette de lentilles
boudin noir maison poêle sur pommes confits, my heart be still
thereafter rouget on bed of aubergine marmalade and cabillaud on bed of mushrooms-peas elicted thrill

some 3-week waistlist, it was hard to book le comptoir in st germain
only spot available is same night, so grabbed the bistronomique train
we shall be rewarded, it was not in vain
eat whatever le menu degustation is that night, “c’est comme ça” plain

for starters, pain, saucisse, blue potato chips and freshly baked gougere
pea soup avec breton crab morsels, white asparagus avec turkish morilles, lamb sweetbreads et ham fare

puis – roast canette, cuisse confit with girolles and black olive juice flair

plateau de fromage, macaron aux fraise gariguette and sorbet was a fine finish snare
love to all with stomach care

america can get off from economy built on making funny money
cold turkey opium living on borrowed time beyond means which ain’t funny
we can put excess labor and talent to build communities and transportation
make small businesses big vital lifeblood contention
use our infinite gumption to make finite our consumption
wean off oil, figure how to conserve shrinking resources
innovate and utilize new technologies to fix broken systems and messes

paris transportation network is incredible to beat

owning a car here is a disadvantage, keep fit with mode feet
you can rent a velo for an euro an hour
france has done well with nuclear and solar power

car footprint in europe is getting smaller
yike and brompton bikes are upcoming attention caller
get back to basics
re-prioritize, bank on thinktank, put on our marathon asics

think global
act local

france is not known for beouf
but if you are dying for it to woof
go to robert et louise
beef quota for the year to squeeze

tucked in the marais
the meal brought smacking hooray
after that il faut marcher

bonus of art and jardin découvertes

eat drink and be merry
and give Him glory

the world has plenty
of good, bad and ugly
it satisfies
it terrifies
it cauterizes
motives of all shapes and sizes

we got shown to our theatre seats
suddenly a hand reaches out, pourboire bleats
we were held captive with no choice but be led
we were had

window display snapping
got me to another trapping
a woman in jeans cried out
gold ring find near where i stood thereabout
i wished her well
with finder’s keepers swell

she kept insisting i have it
proclaiming “evangelista, no wear jewellery” ribbit
forced the gold ring upon my hand, she flamed “your good luck”
i don’t want it but got stuck
she waved goodbye and went on her merry way
i was aghast with dismay, story to ed relayed

before too long “evangelista” appeared back
like crab claws shot, “please, a little pourboire for the find”, money she lacked
my instinct was to palm the ring back to her hand
with that, she eyed my camera and wedding band
but i had big ed beside me
so she decided to flee

then we walked past the opera
there was a street entertainer and guy in yellow chicken suit doing rah-rah
before i knew it, chicken grabbed and hugged me
it bugged me, i managed a “ca suffit” plea
he still embraced me with one hand, the other thrust a cup to buy my flee
but as quick as he grabbed, my face full of only grace to impart, he set me free

oh wow, this world is full of colorful trickery
for a moment i felt intruded by motivated thievery
ever waiting to pounce upon thee
i thanked heavens i didn’t have to succumb to such deed
grace given to keep me from falling out of grace
humbling experiences to rejoice and keep me in place

choose well
the world is teeming with deceptive sell
a what-and-who to believe pell-mell
we have only a life time to tell 

yes bee gees, now i found
that the world is round…
living tomorrow, where will i be tomorrow?
how far am i able to see?
or am i needed here?

yes cat stevens – oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
it’s hard to get by just upon a smile
…just remember there’s a lot of bad and beware

in 1 peter 5:8, simple simon says
“be sober-minded; be watchful.

your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion,
seeking someone to devour.”

harken to romans 12:2 wise find…
“be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind,
that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” to bind
amazing grace, i once was blind…

today on the whim
to madeleine district rim

revived something old, something new
something borrowed, something blue

the last time we were there
a 1982 rome-bologna-ravenna-paris honeymoon affair

the magic in the opera is still in the air

something new covered in borrowed ads with back of opera in construction

and something blue shot thru #20 bus window upon return to gare de lyon station
shot of cool pig taken 

hot dinner shot of roast suckling bacon

i was blown away by yves saint laurent exhibition
such profound beauty in his designs without inhibition

shot permitted off tv screening

invoking father’s haute couture memories he created for me
not ysl but it was divine to be clothed in his pure inner beauty

i was born the year ysl understudied with dior
he liberated women with his pantaloon collection cure
i loved his “artist” and colorful cultural phases
he clothed paloma picasso, princess of monaco and drew inspiration from various places
spain, morocco, africa, orient, cutting across races

indeed john keats…

a thing of beauty is a joy for ever:
its loveliness increases; it will never
pass into nothingness; but still will keep
a bower quiet for us, and a sleep
full of sweet dreams, and health, and quiet breathing.
therefore, on every morrow, are we wreathing….

what do u do with more than 2 hours to kill

waiting in line for quintessential ysl joy to fill
to get your mind off negative biorhythm meal
still your heart, ears-eyes to rove and mill

shoot across to grand palais up and down


lookie what i found to erase frown

i shot petit palais vertical
i shot horizontal
i shot frontal
i shot the frustration sheriff in je t’aime paris capital

a surely tahu-tao missal

the beat goes on
to stretch renaissance “temp”-tom
while beloved chased tennis balls
yves saint laurent at petit palais calls

so off to metro i hop
crossing pont alexandre from invalides stop

tourists drowning worldly cares in the seine
on bridge over troubled waters, i captured magic insane

the inseine beat goes on
what mode of transportation are u on?

hit it, simon and garfunkel

sail on silver girl,
sail on by
your time has come to shine
all your dreams are on their way
see how they shine
if you need a friend
i’m sailing right behind
like a bridge over troubled water
i will ease your mind

the morning after annual rebirth
looking down from my window, i was greeted by radish burst

wake up daydream believer
a 10k walk from port doree to joinville thru bois vincennes without a whimper

a walk through the woods is good for the soul
make room for good eats is the goal
scenes to immortalize seen thru camera eyes
a source of joy replay delights

pate-making in bresson was truly memorable

a chance to enjoy meritto hospitality was incredible

enjoying a dinner feast together was most delectable

discovering bresson charm was immeasurable

wow, what a trip we had
traversing back to biviers and to enjoy vintage before it goes bad

fine rose-henry nostalgic moments re-tread

gazing out to belle donne brought back grenoble days glad

though every day is a birthday
annual anniversaire reminder pause gives way
to take stock what granted last year birthed
and reflect how present actions impact future mirth

ribouldingue revelry started on the eve
bone marrow of life to suck and receive

then spotted after delectable lunch
a little poster declaring piano concert gave hunch to munch

despite sudden chill in the air
made decision to enjoy renaissance raison flair
to lose oneself in chopin and liszt in oldest st-julien-le-pauvre eglise
steinway keys mastered by herbert du plessis

the song continues with diner tonight
beignet foie gras-lobster-crab ravioli was my flight
la petite cour, a gastronomique delight
tomorrow we walk off calories in bois de vincennes to stay light
c’est renaissance puissance, i won’t fight…

international drink at charlie birdy
lots of interesting folks chirpy
makes me long for those golden days
when we globally roved from place to place

after the social apertif, we searched for food
located plan b restaurant l’os à moelle to get into mood

soup poisson                          baked huitres                        lapin                                       baba rhum

supping next to a campinas brazilian couple made me brood

sometimes i wonder if i’m ever gonna make it home again
it’s so far and out of sight…
wind is cold, rain is wet
chills my soul superchouette
right thru l’os à moelle with might

from drink and food to keep alive
tonight’s cafe philo cerebral topics for discussion dive
– is decision of where to live the most important in life?
– is either situational or absolute ethics ethical?
– “between fear and hope, do societies know what they want?” was chosen spectacle…

a little orphan annie strife
tomorrow, tomorrow
i love you, tomorrow
i will suck the bone marrow of life

another first sunday of month to carpe diem
time to revel to redeem

o say, can’t you hear
van gogh whispers orsay-clear

what treat to retreat in time regression
where realism gave way to impression
once upon a time, those lives, faces and scenes were real
a mere 150+ years ago expressed trail surreal
with no camera clicks to capture ticks
time frozen in pastel, oils, ink on canvas, stone and metal artistic flicks

camille pissaro’s “coteau de l’hermitage pontoise” brought a smile
connected to gauguin, cézanne, van gogh, degas, monet, influencing each other’s style

thereafter, another voice whispered
check out another sunday freebie, worthwhile time littered
so thru tuileries i went to hop on metro
to take me to centre pompidou, a huge contemporary art and activity ghetto

woman artists seem to paint with words
vocal artistic nerds

well this artist paints with her lens
a pointillistic realistic bridge of old and new blends

a chant
to freeze incroyable dimanche 7 hours spent

good to give chef a break
so dinner at caffe dei cioppi we rake
first course to titillate

buffalo mozzarella salad and lardo di colonnata on polenta to rate

followed by linguine palourdes et papillote of lotte

we have to thank for alot

finish with fromage followed with sbrisolona

an almond crumble with mascarpone and expresso, ooo-la-la

sing it jean claude pascal…

nous les amoureux
le soleil brille pour nous
et l’on dort sur les genoux du Bon Dieu
nous les amoureux
Il nous a donner le droit
au bonheur et la joie d’être deux

an 8k walk we took
our muscles to spook
from pontoise to auvers-sur-oise along its river
what’s good for the heart is good for the liver

but absinthe did not make van gogh’s heart fonder
nor did dr gachet rid his depression, it was too profonder
starry starry thoughts my mind did ponder
fragile is the line between here and yonder

gonna lay down my sword and shield
down by the riverside
ain’t gonna study war no more

since we are in the city of light
we decided to zig-zag walk the ponts last night
starting from concorde point
to pont neuf, an exercise of the joint

breathtaking sunset greeted us at the square, a welcome glare
nature’s gift we snare and share
pixel moments to spare

pont concorde, leopold, royal, carrousel, des arts, ending with oldest pont neuf 
lighted notre dame and eiffel delighted our aperture nerve

inseine moment to thee serve…

bite sharper cutting through bark
creates such smacking smuck

humility to tuck
tantalizing nourishment to suck
couteau mots to duck
prayerful preservation cluck

my interest peaked
with theatre antoine flyer picked
jacques offenbach‘s opéra-bouffe seemed a raving kick
so we got tix via online nick of tick

my daily operetta parisienne
is to open my eyes with no cockadoodle refrain
pick just one thing to do till next snooze
and doing nothing is a-ok booze

doing nothing
is noodling,
oogling, concocting
connecting
creating something from nothing

then waiting
and choosing
bounce from inertia
to exert sheer
pause for cause
rolling stone gathers no moss

accumulate and toss
who’s boss?

spring releases
to be re-ironed nostalgic creases
found in brocante encounters
and display counters

why do we amass stuff?
why are we valued only after we had enough of life’s gruff?

pixels from auvers-sur-oise

pay 82.5 million usd for van gogh’s gachet portrait
gotta have that botox lips, covet that mightier-than-thou trait

why do we fill ourselves with fluff
when is enough, enuff?
every corner bombardment galore
buy-buy, bye-bye money implore

global liquidity crisis and senseless wars
greece, brazil, hungary going hungry, legislate goldman-sachs mores

iceland investors melted with subprime weed
iceland blows up, eyjafjall ajokull stalls jet speed

time to regain gold lustre, level have and have-not
time for kinder egalitarian ethos renaissance, worldly woes  to blot

what shall we next explore
soon pantry is bare, nothing in store

revive values past
for us to last
trust to lust
we must

with wisdom gust

no matter lower or upper crust
it’s genesis 3:19 dust to dust

a montage
of colorful collage

a choral of floral

patterns architectural

patterns aquatic

patterns fun and eclectic

mother to mother
special bond and rudder
daughter to daughter
cyclic karmic perfume lather

a mother chanting prayers dream jolt
mentioned to aud when off to portabello we bolt

first validation
buddha wall mural caught my attention

i talked about my 3 siblings and #1 bro cow

lo and behold, among pixels taken which raised brow
then as we turned the corner
fatherly bombard of “allsaints”singers zinger

we joked it be serenpiditious if mother shows up

sure enough a buddha sandwich between 88 and alice’s cherubs

yep
thanks for the validations incroyable

despite iceland ash
we went ahead with our london bash
a paris-nord to-st pancras eurostar dash

to meet up with dear friends
on golden pond late sixties strands

two and half days catching up
over many a fine meal we sup

best quack and roast oink at 4 seasons
memory lane serves good reasons

tapas   dining
was silver lining

waterway eats


complimented by little venice scenic feats

steak and onion pie, a lamb rack taste of britain
hereford sweetbreads and calf liver satisfied our chieftain

to round out   je t’aime londres stay
breakfast stop at raoul’s with eggs benedict play

years come, years go
forget-us-not the times gold
seeds planted long ago
different paths intersect and unfold

the strands were tied
we laughed, we cried
we ballet-sprang, we sang, we danced
we dared, we cared, we pranced

gardenia and apple class
we ran red house grass
we crooned love blue
sprayed pony-imm-mothers’ glue

years went
moments spent
thank you for spring twenty-ten
let’s never lose our friendship tan

forget-us-not
we’re a good lot