Mirrored Life

Today is April... National Month of Poetry. For a few years in the past I took the PAD challenge (by Writers' Digest) of writing one poem a day. I was quite disappointed I couldn't do it last year, but this year I'm back to my poems!

I'm just glad, that's all. I love to write poems, just because it stirs up my creative juices in a different way and speed. :)

Here's for today. Something to reminisce... (that was the prompt given to the poets today).

Mirrored Life

I long that spring-time date

when I turned ninety-eight.

There wasn’t much to bloom

but harmony filling the room.

My senses were more awake

the vision, more acute and clear.

While smiles were never fake,

were white, young, from ear to ear.

I was stronger, inside and out

I feared no more, I saw no fault

in the world, or in myself.

Everything was as it should be

with or without my help;

everything was perfect for me.

I was free from third-party concepts

and mass ideas that everyone accepts,

I was more confident; I didn’t give a hoot

I was in peace, non-reactive and astute.

I long that time when I was young

with abundance of time, at ninety-eight

but somehow, from there, I was flung

to another dimension and time gate.

And here I sit, turning forty-nine

looking back into space and time,

seeing the reflection of what I was

at ninety-eight, simply sublime.

But then, there was a pause.

A still moment. And retraction.

I heard steps, whistles and applause.

They were waiting for my reaction.

They were the years to come

and also the years gone.

My personal eon.

And then some.

Looking in the mirror,

I saw another mirror

and two lives at the same time,

when I turned forty-nine.

Rosangela Taylor

Let's work... but just enough. Let's have FUN!

I just took this picture today, as I remembered  Aesop's fable about the ant and the grasshopper.  Then I was looking for the fable to assign to my trainees for their English practice, when I found this video bellow  with a great twist on the theme, plus excellent production!  Congrats, Richard! ;-)

Free Falling

Have you ever thought how much more there is beyond what you see, beyond what you think is 'normal', what you think is your limit?

I have. I actually do that very often! The desire to go overboard is just part of me. So I did it! I went overboard! Because life starts when we jump on it!

Watch this (for the real video, see down below on the "video bar"):

 

With no courage, adventure, and challenges life can be pretty dull.


I'd love to hear from you!
What does make YOUR life more exciting?  What's your passion?


Rose

Whatever! Let's Be a Yellow Tulip!

First, it bloomed in my garden, in a burst of life and color. Then it came to my desk. Exuberantly, it opened its yellow arms during the day, filling me with passion and enthusiasm. "So brilliant life can be!" the magic tulip whispered every morning. At night, it closed like a shell, cozy, recharging energy. Unassumingly beautiful.

It made me happy, it brought me inspiration and awe.

Then, a few days later, the petals started dropping...
one by one, until the last one, hanging by an invisible thread, was refusing to fall. The  pistils were still intact, breathing life in vivid color.  But the last petal fell.

I gathered all the petals and the center part of the tulip, with that magic drop of sap. How sexy!

The tulip has accomplished its time in the soil, and in the water. Now the parts are lying flat, in between pages of a thick book. They will dry, and be forever my magic tulip. The energy is and will be always there. Because so I believe.

That prompted a deep thought... the notion that we all are here for a limited time, too.  And in the end, we will vanish, too.  It's comforting to think that the end exists, and wise to know that while it does not come, we can be simple and happy like my magic yellow tulip, because it didn't care for whatever was coming. It just existed and made the world better! 

With this boiling in my mind, while in a boring meeting, I wrote:

Whatever

In the end, what does it all matter anyway?
Things will happen, one way or another
so you'd better face it.
Can you control it?
Yes? So do it!
No? So, forget it!
One way or another you will pass through life,
'cause you are here, already!
So, you'd better make the best of it!
“How?” - You may ask from time to time
when the load seems really heavy to carry.
“However” is the answer. It doesn't matter
how you handle things, as far as you do it.
Because there isn't a “right” and “wrong”,
there is just what you can do at the moment,
with the tools and skills you have,
at that moment.
There isn't a real recipe for happiness. There is only
one ingredient: acceptance.
When you accept what you can and cannot
do, be, and have
you have got it!
Why to struggle, when the best part of being well
is the well-being?
So be it!
Because, you are
going to die
anyway.
And if you are alive
tomorrow,
great! Some more time
to play.
And if you are dead
tomorrow,
great! You'll be out
of sorrow!
In the end, what does it matter anyway?
Whatever!


Rose

This is Inspiration!

An example of Passion!  Passion for Life! Passion for Writing!

This is the inspiration of a reader of The Passionate Rose, who is also a great poet. He is also becoming a friend of mine, and... would I dare to say, a fan as well?  ;-)

Here is to you, Daniel!  Thank you so much for this sweet poem you wrote for me!

Rose

Lady De Flores
by Daniel Curtis

I met a Beautiful-Rose; a Rose without thorns
they say She comes from Brazil

that's where thornless Roses are born

In a valley, on a beach, between fruit-laden hills

the Rose frolics, blissfully;

as only a Sao Paulo Flower does...

I saw her through a window

teeming with souls passionately following

that Beautiful-Rose

The spirits listened intently

to the words of the Rose

that flowed, spellbound, like sensual-prose

I peaked through that window, hoping in vain

to glimpse the Lady De Flores

and let her take away my pain.

The End

Hapiness is a State of Mind...

"Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate."
Carl Jung

I'm not anymore like before: waiting for something big to happen. The THING is here and now! :-)

Suddenly there is no more wait, no more attachments, no more fears, no more hang ups. Whatever happens it's ok! Life doesn't challenge me, I challenge life. I rule my life and I decide upon my happiness.

Wanna try it,too? Just read this out loud: It's just a matter of changing the focus, and awakening the unconscious. I am aware now of what I am thinking, feeling and wishing. And I'm letting go of things I cannot control. I'm totally responsible for what I attract to my life. Thus I choose to believe only in what pleases me. And what pleases me is what comes to me!

There is no fate. I consciously build and rebuild my own path.

Well... Vacation was great and shed new light on my thoughts. I decided that whatever happens from now on, it's fine. I've coined my mantra: "Since I am here, living, I will be fucking happy no matter what! Dammit!" 

I like that! Swear and all - it makes me laugh out loud and release whatever could be holding me back. Try it!! It works!!  :-D






The New Passionate Rose

Ubatumirim, Ubatuba/SP-Brazil

My other home: Enseada Beach, Ubatuba, SP/Brazil

São José dos Campos, SP/Brazil

Still Living

Still Living is the name of a Brazilian rock band, whose guitarist is a subscriber of one of my websites. It seems that we are mutual fans! I've seen myself in several of their song's words... Passion is such a universal feeling! It just bugs me when people try to kill their passion in name of the false concept of being "correct" and following stupid behavioral rules.

Still Living is an independent band and their songs are mainly AOR and melodic hard rock. They are from Garanhuns, Pernambuco (one of my favorite states in the northeast coast of Brazil!) and they have been doing a great job with their words and instruments since 2004.

Many of their songs and videos shared around the Net are still a little raw. Handsome Pedro Gilberto (vocal) has a low-toned voice, which in many songs gets obscured by the high-toned instruments (this makes it hard to understand the words and fully "feel" the song). They are working on a demo CD, so I guess little details will be soon addressed.

It's worth checking these guys out! The music arrangements are really good! I especially like the song Trying to Believe... very nice groove!

http://www.myspace.com/stilllivinghardrock

And here you can listen to some others songs, right when you open the site.
http://palcomp3.cifraclub.terra.com.br/still_hardrock/


If you are a rock expert or a rock snobbish, forgive my "like-everything-what-makes-me-happy" style! I am no expert in music, but I love everything that makes me drift away (i.e. think, dream, dance, cry, laugh... good wine... love...).

Here are the words of Stream of Life. I like the words in this song (pity we can't hear them clearly in the demo video!). These words reflect a bit of my own life poetry. Yep...the storm will pass... I'm too, "Trying to Believe", and I am "Still Living"! ;-)

Stream of Life

in the dark days of this year
you saw your dreams disappear…
you’re feeling all alone
like a shadow on the wall…

now you want to blame the world
tomorrow is getting colder…

you need to come home
or find a little shelter
There's a broken feeling
knocking on your door

you’re not the only one
in the stream of life
now you must be strong
to break the chains around you

what will life bring you now?
all the faith is going down…
more than a tragic day
you’re lost along the way…

in your eyes I see the pain
and your heart beats away…

rain keeps on falling
in the strongest storm


Go Still Living! Keep that passion on! Keep following your dreams! I am proud of you guys! :-)


Rose

About Schmidt - A Short Review

Recently I watched About Schmidt (2002) and it triggered me to write a bit about it. It's so different from the usual  canned Hollywood movies that I am so sick of!

This movie reflects the simple and ordinary reality of life. It brings a message about discovering our weaknesses and dealing with our humane complexities during the hard process of self-discovering. It has so much to do with passion! Passion for life, for changes...

The amazing part about the production is that it's "so simple"! The movie does not try to be amazing! The down-to-earth approach, showing average characters dealing with day by day struggles of life seems to be what makes this movie so pungent and well done! It kept me sat down for 2:05 hours without getting bored (unusual for me!). No violence, no fantastic BS, no excessive production, no hypnotizing background music... Just a story about people and their inner complexities! Their fears, shames, defeats, dreams, need for love, and their strength above all.

Here is one beautiful message, shown on a thought provoking sign seen in the Pioneer Village (Minden, Nebraska - one of the places where the movie was shot). The sign says:

"The cowards never started

The weak died on the way

Only the strong arrived

They were the pioneers."

Deep, huh?

I hope you are like the pioneers, too!  ;-)


Rose

Inspiration, Perspiration...

Life in Red

Don't panic!
Just try it.
Don't make a face,
don't be afraid,
just reflect on it.
Open your senses and
allow the sensations
to be with you.
Just surrender,
you must know what
it is all about.
Do not cling to prejudices,
misconceptions,
false beliefs.
Leave uncertainties behind,
open your mind,
get attracted to it,
bite into it!
Sweat, cry, get immersed
in the feeling -
it's not a suffering,
it's an experience.
Savor
the flavor,
the heat,
the energy.
The color and the message.
Concentrate.
Talk to it.
Respect it.

Become it!

This is life forever,
and how you eat
a red hot pepper!



I got inspired by a delicious hot pepper when I wrote this poem, Sunday 27, 09.
Isn't life like that? So many times we get scared to try, to take a bite, then we cry, complain, talk bad about it, suffer... but in the end it's all in our head. There is no suffering! Actually, it's just a matter of point of view.

Many people believe that certain things (like peppers) are bad for you. That's just a viewpoint. It's not absolute truth!  Other people believe it's delicious, hot, intense, healthy (all that vitamin C!), and it triggers new sensations...

Just look at it, observe it, and accept it for what it is. Freely! Naturally!

Isn't how life is supposed to be?


Rose

Make it Happen!

Back to regular life! I was on vacation, and that explains my disappearing act for the past few days! Sometimes we do need to disappear for a while, don't you think? It's good to refresh ideas, see different things and people, and cause some longing on somebody's heart. ;-)

I was at Disney World and there is always something valuable to take home when I go to that "other world": Mr. Disney's principle and his approach towards his dreams. It's all so inspiring! I feel so much stronger and positive when I see the whole world he has built. I feel that I can, too! That's the best part of the trip! I love Goofy (he's my favorite, with all his simplicity and good heart); and I am crazy for all that different food we can have at Epicot. I am fascinated by the art in Hollywood Studios; and by the magic and all the colors in the Magic Kingdom. I feel even more connected to the Universe being surrounded by nature and animals in Animal Kingdom; and totally alive and excited when riding on the roller coasters! Pure adrenaline! But, what really comes back with me when it's time to come back to the "regular life" is Disney's main message about life. Persistence, positive thoughts, positive attitude.

Yeah! "Make it Happen!"

I am making it!

Are you?

Rose

Do what you have to do

Time and circumstances help us to achieve our goals, but we have to do what must be done.

Sometimes we say, "I can do it later", but later can be too late! If you have an insight, an inspiration, a feeling that you should get up and do something, do it! Tomorrow you may not be around or, you may be and may realize how many opportunities you have been missing in life.

Think about that. No...  don't just think... do it!


Rose

Woodpecker

At this very moment, as I hear a knock-knock-knocking somewhere, I look out my window and see this gorgeous woodpecker! It's pecking on my wooden window frame and I think about the relation between life (i.e. energy) and motivation. What motivates a woodpecker to peck?

When we answer this kind of question related to our own "pecks", we find out what motivates us in life. Because we are not birds, our motivations may be related to more than instincts and needs. We are, after all, passionate animals!

Follow your instincts! Make a difference in life!


Rose

with passion!

The Poem

Illustrating the previous post, here is the poem,

Things We Do For Love

Oh, what we do for love...
We do strange things
We cross the limit
We search for more
and find it!

We fall, we fly, we die
and again we try,
we live in awe
for all what we saw,
what we know of love.

We learn, we teach
foreign words to speak
with meaning:
beijo, tesão, saudade, amor
such a glamour
what we do for love...

We take risks, we thrive
we drive far away,
just to play,
and be alive.

It's a treat
when we meet we melt,
loosen the belt,
fasten the ties
when we dive in each other's eyes
skinny-dip, up to the soul
trip with no toll
passion scents
touch, taste
all senses...


Oh, what we do for love...
We do get in trouble!
Day-dream in a soap bubble
suffer from anticipation
worries, fears, expectation
we cry of pleasure, excitement,
and laugh in the next moment.

We become stupid, and braver
silly and savvier.
We go round and round just to say
what's already expressed in another way
our feelings, this urge
desires that emerge ...

We hide, we hunt, we show off
we take longer showers
we count the hours.
We dance in the parking lot
we sing out loud a lot.
We can stand on our head
and we smile all the time
like the Cheshire cat
in Wonderland prime.

We are not all there, ourselves
We don't know which way to go
but it doesn't matter
when we delve
holding hands in wonderlands.

Oh, where we go for love....
to places of danger, excitement, fancy
a house of cards,
flimsy fantasy
idle scenario changing all the time
a tea party, but with wine.
It's a fall down on the hole
deep, really profound
we can hear that sound
that peculiar sound
of intensity,
wildness,
passion
we are all for action.

Yes, it's a moment in time,
energy pill...
A torturous delight
to climb up the mountain...
just for the thrill
of drinking from its fountain.

Softness of heart,
hardness
fit like a glove
rapture, fulfillment
wonderful things we feel
when we are in love!



Rose