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Wednesday 23 December 2015

Joseph Ceravolo: A Piece of Glass / Stephen Ratcliffe: 12.20

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Kashmiris peel the bark off wicker sticks on the outskirts of Srinagar, India, the largest city in the Kashmir Valley. The sticks are used to make traditional fire pots for warmth: photo by Farooq Khan/European Pressphoto Agency, 22 December 2015


Joseph Ceravolo: A Piece of Glass

Staring on the ground
for one reason
except looking into a piece of glass
in the winter among the leaves.
Now you know the grassy field
is clocked for winter
while in the rooms of a house
shadows of trees, as lives
inhabit autumn and blossoms.

On the top branch of a wiry tree
a bird sits and looks
against the sky,
but is really some distance
from the great look in your eyes
that tenders pity, irony
innocence and love.
Why go on looking
when the sparse groups walking
on the island desert
where groups of cormorants and ibises
make their last nest
within the survival key.

The light flashes on the giant thermometer
timed to infinity.
Ah, if the infinite particles
would be your touch.
But, from a piece of glass
shines the soul
on the veins of an arm
that tears away
my eyes from you
as the night tears away
from the sun.

......Without a sound a plane
......follows a bird
......in the rapturous distance
......next to my eyes,
......to the dark raising of the earth,
......as the disappearance
......of darkness and light

......deepens the agony of sparks
......of that look in your eyes.

Joseph Ceravolo (1934-1988): A Piece of Glass, 23 December 1984, from Collected Poems (2013)





Afghan children watch as laborers produce sugar cane juice in a factory in Jalalabad
: photo by Mohammad Anwar Danishyar/Associated Press, 21 December 2015

South Korean workers are seen from a crane as they work on the 123rd floor during the framing completion ceremony of the 'Lotte World Tower' in Seoul, South Kora, on Tuesday. The building's exterior was completed in a final height of 550 meters, and 123 floors

South Korean workers are seen from a crane as they work on the 123rd floor during the framing completion ceremony of the ‘Lotte World Tower’ in Seoul, South Kora, on Tuesday. The building’s exterior was completed in a final height of 550 meters, and 123 floors.
: photo
by Jeon Heon-Kyun/EPA, 22 December 2015

A Chinese woman wearing mask walks in a shopping street during a hazy day in Beijing city, China, on Tuesday.  Beijing issued a red alert for smog, urging schools to close and residents to stay indoors for the second time in 10 days. Restrictions

A Chinese woman wearing a mask walks in a shopping street during a hazy day in Beijing city, China, on Tuesday. Beijing issued a red alert for smog, urging schools to close and residents to stay indoors for the second time in 10 days.: photo by Wu Hong/EPA, 22 December 2015

A Kashmiri Muslim woman peels off the bark of wicker sticks on the outskirts of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, 22 December 2015. Wicker sticks are used to make Kangir, the traditional Kashmiri firepot, which is used to keep warm during cold winters. Hundreds of families in Kashmir depend on the trade with Kangir, with Kangir artisans of different regions making distinct and fashionable firepots.

A Kashmiri Muslim woman peels off the bark of wicker sticks on the outskirts of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir, on Tuesday. Wicker sticks are used to make Kangir, the traditional Kashmiri firepot, which is used to keep warm during cold winters: photo by Farooq Khan/EPA, 21 December 2015

A Palestinian wood carver works on a figurine of an angel at an olive wood factory next to the Church of the Nativity, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015.

A Palestinian wood carver works on a figurine of an angel at an olive wood factory next to the Church of the Nativity, in the West Bank city of Bethlehem today: photo by Majdi Mohammed/AP, 23 December 2015

The child of Kurdish migrants

 The child of Kurdish migrants stands outside a tent at the Grande Synthe migrant camp near Dunkirk in northern France on Wednesday: photo by Denis Charlet/AFP, 23 December 2015

Zookeepers dressed in Santa Claus costumes feed penguins during a Christmas event as part of a promotional event for the upcoming Christmas at the Everland amusement park in Yongin, South Korea, Wednesday, Dec. 23, 2015. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-Man)

Zookeepers dressed in Santa Claus costumes feed penguins during a Christmas event as part of a promotion for the upcoming Christmas at the Everland amusement park in Yongin, South Korea today
: photo by
Lee Jin-Man/AP 23 December 2015



Carbon dioxide enveloped vehicles in Mainz, Germany, after a gas leak. A police spokeswoman said the source was probably a gas-tank wagon.: photo by Interior Ministry Rhineland-Palatinatet/European Pressphoto Agency, 22 December 2015



Kurdish boys ran from Turkish police officers during clashes in the southeastern Turkish city of Sirnak: photo by Bulent Kilic/Agence France-Presse, 21 December 2015


An African migrant wrapped in a blanket after his rescue by the Libyan Coast Guard west of Tripoli, Libya. He was among 100 people trying to reach Italy on an inflatable raft.: photo by Mohamed Ben Khalifa/Associated Press, 21 December 2015

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 #Kurds clash with police in Diyarbakir #Turkey #AFP Photo by @pironic2121: image via Aurelia BAILLY @AureliaBAILLY, 14 December 2015

People chant slogans during a protest against security operations against Kurdish rebels in southeastern Turkey cities Cizre and Silopi, in Sirnak on December 22, 2015

People chant slogans during a protest against security operations against Kurdish rebels in southeastern Turkey cities Cizre and Silopi, in Sirnak on Tuesday: photo by Bulent Kilic/AFP,  22 December 2015

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A #Kurdish boy looks on during a demonstration in #Sirnak against #Turkish operations. By @Kilicbil @AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 21 December 2015

Kashmiri protesters, engulfed in teargas smoke, throw stones at Indian security personnel in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Friday, Dec. 18, 2015. Police fired teargas and rubber bullets to disperse Kashmiris who gathered after Friday afternoon prayers to protest against Indian rule in the disputed region.

Kashmiri protesters, engulfed in teargas smoke, throw stones at Indian security personnel in Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Friday: photo by Dar Yasin/AP, 18 December 2015

Kashmiri Muslim women wail as they watch the funeral procession of suspected rebels, at Barhama, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Oct. 5, 2015. At least four Indian army soldiers and three suspected rebels were killed in three separated gun battles in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said on Monday

Kashmiri Muslim women wail as they watch the funeral procession of suspected rebels, at Barhama, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday: photo by Mukhtar Khan/AP, 5 October 2015

Kashmiri Muslim women wail as they watch the funeral procession of suspected rebels, at Barhama, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday, Oct. 5, 2015. At least four Indian army soldiers and three suspected rebels were killed in three separated gun battles in Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said on Monday

Kashmiri Muslim women wail as they watch the funeral procession of suspected rebels, at Barhama, 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Monday: photo by Mukhtar Khan/AP, 5 October 2015

A Kashmiri villager cries for his missing relative after a cloud burst at Kullan village in Ganderbal district, on Friday. At least four people were killed in a series of cloud bursts that were reported from several parts of Kashmir during heavy rainfall, local media reported on Friday
 
A Kashmiri villager cries for his missing relative after a cloud burst at Kullan village in Ganderbal district, on Friday. At least four people were killed in a series of cloud bursts that were reported from several parts of Kashmir during heavy rainfall: photo by Danish Ismail/Reuters, 18 July 2015

lifted

TOPSHOTS An Afghan boy plays in the ruin...TOPSHOTS An Afghan boy plays in the ruins of a house that at one point belonged to the 13th-century Persian poet, Islamic scholar and Sufi mystic Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif on November 25, 2015.    AFP PHOTO/Farshad UsyanFARSHAD USYAN/AFP/Getty Images

An Afghan boy plays in the ruins of a house that at one point belonged to the 13th-century Persian poet, Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, on the 
 outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif: photo by Farshad Usyan/AFP, 26 November 2015

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#Afghanistan An Afghan boy plays in the ruins of a house on the outskirts of Mazar-i-Sharif. By @Farshad Usyan/AFP
: image via AFP Photo Department @AFP Photo, 26 November 2015

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Whirling dervish during a ceremony commemorating the death of Sufi poet Rumi in Aleppo
: image via baraa al halabi @baraaalhalabi, 15 December 2015



In a whirl. Inside the Rumi festival in Konya. The 13th-century Sufi poet Jalaluddin Rumi (Mevlâna) is all but considered a saint. One of the world’s great mystic philosophers, his poetry and religious writings are among the most beloved and respected in Islam and well beyond.Since the death of Jalaluddin Rumi in 1273, the Mevlevi order has commemorated his life: photo by Kashfi Halford via the Guardian, 18 December 2015


Sema is the inspiration of Rumi as well as a part of Turkish custom, history, beliefs and culture. The Sema ceremony represents a mystical journey of man's spiritual ascent through mind and love to perfection.
: photo by Kashfi Halford via The Guardian, 18 December 2015


Gathering for music. After the Sema people come together at one of the many Dargahs in Konya to do Zikrs and sing, people from many different countries gather here.: photo by Kashfi Halford via The Guardian, 18 December 2015


Finale. On the final night of the festival, the Rumi ceremony takes place at a different venue, and the Seb-i Arus or wedding night ritual is attended by dignitaries.: photo by Kashfi Halford via The Guardian, 18 December 2015
sunk

Rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of a landslide in Shenzhen in southern China's Guangdong province Monday. The massive landslide buried dozens of buildings when it swept through an industrial park in the Chinese city

 Rescue workers search for survivors in the aftermath of a landslide in Shenzhen in southern China’s Guangdong province Monday. The massive landslide buried dozens of buildings when it swept through an industrial park in the Chinese city.: photo by China Photo/AP, 21 December 2015

Rescuers search for potential survivors following a landslide at an industrial park in Shenzhen, in south China's Guangdong province, Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2015.  Authorities blamed an enormous, man-made mountain of soil and waste for the collapse of nearly three dozen buildings that left 81 people missing in southern China's most prominent manufacturing city. Rescuers excavating the mud-drenched mess pulled out one body early Tuesday, the landslide's first confirmed death

Rescuers search for potential survivors following a landslide at an industrial park in Shenzhen, in south China’s Guangdong province, Tuesday.: photo by Andy Wong/AP, 21 December 2015

Excavators are seen during rescue operations at an industrial estate hit by a landslide in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, December 23, 2015. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon       TPX IMAGES OF THE DAYREUTERS NEWS PICTURES HAS NOW MADE IT EASIER TO FIND THE BEST PHOTOS FROM THE MOST IMPORTANT STORIES AND TOP STANDALONES EACH DAY. Search for "TPX" in the IPTC Supplemental Category field or "IMAGES OF THE DAY" in the Caption field and you will find a selection of 80-100 of our daily Top Pictures.REUTERS NEWS PICTURES. TEMPLATE OUT

Excavators are seen during rescue operations at an industrial estate hit by a landslide in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, China: photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters, 23 December 2015



A gymnasium in Shenzhen, China, served as a shelter for evacuees after a landslide hit a nearby industrial park: photo by Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters, 22 December 2015



Construction equipment was used to dig out buildings in the city of Shenzhen in Guangdong Province, southern China, after a mudslide left dozens missing
: photo by European Pressphoto Agency, 21 December 2015


A seguir luchando
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Music in the rubble of the bombing aleppo AFP Photo: image via baraa al halabi @baraaalhalabi, 12 December 2015

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Syrian men remove a toddler from the rubble following airstrikes on #Aleppo #Syria photo @baraaalhalabi @AFPphoto: image via SundayTimesPictures @STPictures, 8 December 2015

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There is hope here Syria Aleppo: image via baraa al halabi @baraaalhalabi, 8 December 2015

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Winter in the city of Aleppo
: image via baraa al halabi @baraaalhalabi, 25 November 2015

Afghan children displaced from Faryab, Badghis and Ghor province, stand outside a temporary shelter at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Herat, Afghanistan, on Thursday. According to UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) figures, the number of internally displaced Afghani people was 683,000 by mid-2014, estimating they will amount to 900,000 by the end of 2015.

Afghan children displaced from Faryab, Badghis and Ghor province, stand outside a temporary shelter at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Herat, Afghanistan, on Thursday: photo by Jalil Rezayee/EPA, 25 November 2015

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 Greek police sprayed stranded #migrants near the village of Idomeni. #AFP Photo by @armend_nimani: image via Aurelia BAILLY @Aurelia BAILLY, 3 December 2015

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Migrants and refugees wait to cross the Greek border near Idomeni: image via Sakis Mitrolidis @SakisMitrolidis, 25 November 2015

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A seguir luchando #Diaenimagenes @RAtanasovski #AFP: image via Agence France-Presse @AFPespanol, 10 December 2015

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MACEDONIA - Police escort migrants without valid documentation back to the Greek-Macedonian border. By @RAtanasovski #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgffardAFP, 30 November 2015

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MACEDONIA - Migrants walk in the rain after crossing Greek-Macedonian border near Gevgelija.. By @RAtanasovski #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgffardAFP, 27 November 2015

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MACEDONIA - A migrant walks with his children after crossing the border near Gevgelija.  By @RAtanasovski #AFP: image via Frédérique Geffard @fgffardAFP, 27 November 2015

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MACEDONIA - A migrant with his child walks in the rain after crossing the border near Gevgelija. By @RAtanasovski #AFP: image via AFP Photo Department @AFPphoto, 27 November 2015

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Migrants and refugees wait to cross the Greek border near Idomeni: image via Sakis Mitrolidis @SakisMitrolidis, 25 November 2015

A helmet that belonged to Islamic State militants is seen on the ground at the 121 Regiment base after Fighters from the Democratic Forces of Syria took control of the base in the town of al-Melabiyyah, south of Hasaka city, Syria...A helmet belonging to a Islamic State militant is seen on the ground at the 121 Regiment base after Fighters from the Democratic Forces of Syria took control of the base in the town of al-Melabiyyah, south of Hasaka city, Syria November 24, 2015. Picture taken November 24, 2015. REUTERS/Rodi Said

A helmet belonging to a Islamic State militant is seen on the ground at the 121 Regiment base after Fighters from the Democratic Forces of Syria took control of the base in the town of al-Melabiyyah, south of Hasaka city, Syria
: photo by Rodi Said/Reuters, 25 November 2015


A migrant carries her child after crossing the border from Greece into Macedonia, near Gevgelija, Macedonia on Friday. Macedonia, Serbia and other Balkan states have implemented a new policy to filter the flow by granting passage onwards toward Western Europe only to those fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan, who are seen as genuine asylum seekers rather than "economic migrants."

A migrant carries her child after crossing the border from Greece into Macedonia, near Gevgelija, Macedonia on Friday: photo by Stoyan Nenov/Reuters, 27 November 2015

An Iraqi man disembarks from a dinghy on a beach after his trip with other refugees and migrants from the Turkish coast to the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos on Friday, Dec. 18, 2015. European Union leaders on Thursday set a six-month deadline for deciding whether to push ahead with plans for a border guard agency that could deploy to member states unable or unwilling to manage their borders as thousands of migrants continue to arrive in Europe daily.

An Iraqi man disembarks from a dinghy on a beach after his trip with other refugees and migrants from the Turkish coast to the northeastern Greek island of Lesbos on Friday: photo by Santi Palacios/AP, 18 December 2015


Migrants lining up to receive food in Greece, near the Macedonian border
: photo by Tomas Munita for The New York Times, 15 December 2015


little people


Migrants who arrived on buses from Athens waiting in line to enter a temporary camp on the border between Greece and Macedonia: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015
 

Migrants entering Serbia by walking from Macedonia: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015
 

Migrants reaching a police checkpoint in Serbia, on the border with Macedonia: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015


Migrants entering Serbia by walking from Macedonia
: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015



Migrants walking in an area known as no man’s land, between Serbia and Macedonia: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015



After Hungary closed its border in October, Slovenia decided to do the same, creating a domino effect that left migrants stuck in various parts of Serbia
: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015



Migrants traveling between Serbia and Macedonia: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015


Traveling between Serbia and Macedonia
: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015


Migrants leaving trains that brought them from the border with Greece to the one with Serbia.
: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015


Several people recording some migrants as they rested at a camp at the Austrian border with Slovenia.: photo by Rocco Rorandelli via New York Times, 10 December 2015

Stephen Ratcliffe: 12.20


shadowed / plane of ridge: photo by Stephen Ratcliffe via Temporality, 20 December 2015


light coming into clouds above shadowed
plane of ridge, motionless black branch
in foreground, sound of wave in channel

      in letters appears related
      to one, in stands as

      that each time, past being
      let into, this loose

grey white clouds above shadowed ridge,
white line of wave breaking in channel

Stephen Ratcliffe: 12.20, from Temporality, 20 December 2015

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#Berkeley Sunset @berkeleyside: image via Janet Rudolph @JanetRudolph, 23 December 2015

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Stunning sunset at #Berkeley Marina @Berkeleyside: image via Jeremiah Crowe @CroweRadio, 23 December 2015

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#Palestinians watch the sunset on the coast of Gaza City. #AFP Photo by @m55baba: image via Aurelia BAILLY @AureliaBAILLY, 25 November 2015

5 comments:

Sandra said...

love that poem...thanks Tom...have a nice day!

billoo said...

Merry Christmas, Tom.

STEPHEN RATCLIFFE said...

On the top branch of a wiry tree
a bird sits and looks
against the sky . . .

-- yes Tom, and thanks for posting 12.20, Merry Christmas !

L'Enfant de la Haute Mer said...

M 2.0 - FYR OF MACEDONIA (Πρώην Γιουγκοσλαβική Δημοκρατία της Μακεδονίας)

Mose23 said...

Joe Ceravolo and Stephen; two poets well versed in the ways of seeing. So many scenes here the World's turning away from.