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Tuesday 31 December 2013

The Past


.


Winter in Holland: photo by Leonard Freed (1929-2006), 1964; image by RachelRiley, 15 May 2013


There is no such thing 
as a clean break
with the past

Chase it off, it comes sneaking 
straight back
much as a blindly loyal

companion, whose 
company one had never quite earned
and does not wish to keep





[Untitled]: photo by Alyona Surikot (surikodt), 26 November 2013


[Untitled]: photo by Alyona Surikot (surikodt), 21 November 2013

Monday 30 December 2013

Myth


.

III: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 11 February 2006


Some out of fashion goddesses and gods
 
made clay replicas of themselves
and called them their children
and threw them into the fire
then went away
and when they came back later
it seemed the curse had been lifted
for it was quiet throughout the village
apart from the familiar sounds
of the traditional work continuing on




6173: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 24 October 2008

Sunday 29 December 2013

Words


.

Intersection, Helvetia, Oregon: photo by Austin Granger, 23 December 2013

Even in the middle of nowhere
there are words




Great Trees, Helvetia, Oregon: photo by Austin Granger, 13 December 2013

Words turn a nowhere into a putative somewhere




Animals, Helvetia, Oregon: photo by Austin Granger, 14 December 2013

Like the arena exhortation at sports events to CHEER!
still flashing in the dark long after the partisans have departed



Credit Cards, Helvetia, Oregon: photo by Austin Granger, 14 December 2013

Saturday 28 December 2013

Styx


.


25: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 3 January 2012


Getting away with it's the easy part
But what comes later, the flight
Into incompatible identities
Taking shadows hostage
On the descent...




murder: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 5 January 2007
 

470: photo by Petros Kotzabasis (pkomo), 3 January 2012

Friday 27 December 2013

Sliver


.

Two Windows (New York, New York): photo by Jim Rohan (LowerDarnley), 8 March 2013


So is it the thin
sliver of light, slicing
through the curtain
from the window
of the person confined
in the equally dark house
next door
............that puts
the dread
of the lid
being closed
over one
into the mind
without a word
being said
across the slender divide

narrowing alley
crack of brightness between
still
solid masses
of trees, converging
overhead must be
even darker down there
in the shadows someone
absent
who wanted to speak





The Summer Sun #2 (Lower Darnley, Prince Edward Island, Canada): photo by Jim Rohan (LowerDarnley), 18 October 2013


eating rats: photo by robert holmgren (menlo), 16 October 2013

Thursday 26 December 2013

Nightly Encounter


.



Nightly Encounter: photo by Michel Hummel (Spitting Doc), 29 November 2013


so little time left now
and the double that walks beside
this vague luminous figure
materializing from night vapors
is a prisoner of memory




Citizen Kane and his Chinese Cup of Mercy: photo by Michel Hummel (Spitting Doc), 2 February 2013

Wednesday 25 December 2013

Santafied


.

Santa 2011-12-10 at 10-20-20 (Niles, Michigan): photo by David Cory, 10 December 2011
 

Santa. Merry Christmas, y'all!: photo by efo, 8 December 2009
 

Bell street santa 2007: photo by shannon richardson (e l e c t r o l i t e), 24 December 2007
 

Santa #2. Boston, Massachusetts. Merry Christmas everyone: photo by Jim Rohan (LowerDarnley), 24 May 2012
 

Santa Claus, Seattle, 1956: photographer unknown (Seattle Municipal Archives)
 

Christmas 'Santa', New York. Sign reads: "34 West 28th Street, New York City Volunteers of America Under President and Mrs. Ballington Booth [will give?] Christmas Dinners [...]00 Men, Women and Children [...] by dropping a coin in the chimney.": photographer unknown for Bain News Service, between c. 1910 and c. 1915 (George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress)
 


Vivien and Chris visit Santa at Chiesman's Department Store in Lewisham, December 1957: photographer unknown; image by Soggy Semolina, 19 April 2009


Viv and Doreen visit Santa at Chiesman's Department Store in Lewisham, December 1964: photographer unknown; image by Soggy Semolina, 19 April 2009


Hello Santa (Racine, Wisconsin, 1954): photographer unknown; image by Jan Tonnesen, 25 November 2006
 


Father Frizzybeard
: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Alli Hammond (allihead), 25 September 2007

 
hillbilly santa: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Alli Hammond (allihead), 25 September 2007


worst santa ever
: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Alli Hammond (allihead), 25 September 2007



 Santa Claus. Children had to disguise themselves for Santa Claus visitation (the most popular costume was "Zorro"; when I had costume ball in kindergarden, there was something about ten Zorros including me): photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 14 November 2003
 

 Santa Claus: Ho, ho, ho. Have you been good, little baker?: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 14 November 2003
 

 Santa Claus. The Middle East modeI: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 17 May 2006
 

 Santa Claus. "It's my party and I'll cry if I want to, cry if I want to...": photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 17 May 2006
 

 Santa Claus. In my opinion he couldn't move so as not to spill himself: photographer unknown, n.d.; image by Jakub (filmarik), 14 November 2003
 

 Santa Claus in a vacant lot, Boonville Road, Jefferson City, Missouri, c. early 1930s: photographer unknown; image by PaintedWorksbyKB, 15 December 2011



Santa as crazed leprechaun and homeless companion: photo by efo, 13 December 2009


Santa (Santa Claus, Arizona): photo by efo, 18 December 2011


Plastic Santa. Taken on the territory of Christmas Island: photo by efo, 21 December 2010
 

The Clausbillies: photo by Radio Rover, 9 December 2006
 

Home Invasion. My wife thinks guy is cute, but it creeps me out to have him sitting across the room from me: photo by David Cory, 22 November 2009
 


A and P Coffee Santa Claus: photo by Nickolas Muray (b. Mandi Miklós) (1892-1945), c. 1940; image by RasMarkley (George Eastman House)
 

Creepy Santa (at the North Pole Amusement Park adjacent to the entrance to Pike's Peak): photo by David Cory, 19 May 2010
 


Stop or the Fat Guy Gets It!!: photo by David Cory, 30 July 2009


Santa Rampage in Chicago: photo by patrickryanzero, 9 December 2000




Santa Spotted. On his way to work? Xmas Eve (Little Addington, UK): photo by Marble Giant, 24 December 2007




Santa will be late this year after getting baled up in a paddock on a private property along Coolart Rd, Mornington Peninsula: photo by Frankzed, 10 December 2012



Fremont Santa and Cone Fries (Seattle): photo by David (alternatePhotography), 13 January 2012
 

Crash Site. Another timely Christmas shot. Two months early. Wakefield, Massachusetts: photo by Jim Rohan (LowerDarnley), 3 February 2011



tiny santa 2007: photo by shannon richardson (e l e c t r o l i t e), 17 December 2007
 


 santa mask 2006: photo by shannon richardson (e l e c t r o l i t e), 24 December 2006



Santa. Christmas is over: photo by efo, 11 January 2009



Sharing photos with Santa Claus (Lowell, Massachusetts): photo by robert schneider (rolopix), 30 November 2013
 


2013 Coca-Cola Santa Claus, backlit, Rio de Janeiro: photo by José Rottberg, 21 November 2013



 Santa Claus Advertising: artist unknown, n.d.; image by Susan Criser (Suzee Que), 17 December 2009



Santa Claus, Stone Bridge, Regensburg, Bavaria: photo by elPadawan, 8 December 2012



Noel: photo by efo, 17 December 2013
 



Santa 2011-12-10 at 10-22-58 (Niles, Michigan): photo by David Cory, 10 December 2011