All posts by Rick

Nap Time

Here is the text that accompanied the peaceful and evocative painting Nap Time, by Paul Tibedeau in the 2020 Poetry Art Night Exhibit hosted by the Village Fine Arts Association at the Suzanne Haskew Arts Center in Milford, MI.

Check out more of Paul’s wonderful artwork on his Facebook page Paul Tibedeau Fine Art.

Click here to see Paul’s oil painting and the poem Nap Time by Richard K. Morris in the Poetry Art Night virtual exhibit: https://issuu.com/theshac_gallery/docs/pan_2020_virtual_exhibition_cb5dfd3f77739a?fbclid=IwAR22_FrXyQiRttTeEgSVDhRin-QlAaraSVzPbt22MkN2o3q7mqPaBqcx398

As always, thanks for reading. Don’t forget to make a contribution to the arts here by clicking on the Paypal link on the listenviewreview.com homepage and making your most generous gift.

Nap Time

Bright sun and the steady hum

of insects

casts a lullaby

a sound of summer that soothes.

In the cool shade beneath this roof

a drowsy state descends

upon us friends.

Midway along this alfalfa-scented day

hours to go before more sweet hay

until then, here we stand:

drooping lips, misty eyes

swishing tails shooing flies.

Sunlight and shadow

silence and sound

Time passes and stands still

all at once

Contrasts combine in a somnolent blend.

It breathes sleep upon us

cradles us

in this golden hour.

Gilded

Here is the text of the poem, without the hauntingly beautiful portrait by Sara Hadley for which it was written. Check out the link below to view the text of the poem with Sara’s painting.

The eyes perceive

all that glitters.

She is well endowed

and with poise and purpose and wit as well

as an appetite for laurels and things

beyond childish dreams.

The woman left behind the girl

and carved for herself

a great big chunk of the world.

Now mantled and mired

in all she desired

looking back at her greatest possession

held by a girl

with nothing to lose and nothing to show

but herself

left behind in a far away age.

The eyes perceive

all that glitters

now

is a cage.

This work was composed as a companion piece for the beautiful portrait by Sara Hadley for entry in the 2020 Poetry Art Night Exhibit hosted by the Suzanne Haskew Arts Center and the Village Fine Arts Association in Milford, Michigan. Click here to see Sara’s painting and the poem in the virtual exhibit: https://issuu.com/theshac_gallery/docs/pan_2020_virtual_exhibition_cb5dfd3f77739a?fbclid=IwAR22_FrXyQiRttTeEgSVDhRin-QlAaraSVzPbt22MkN2o3q7mqPaBqcx398

To view and purchase more original artwork by Sara Hadley, click here: http://greenhandleart.com/

As always, thanks for reading. If you enjoy these posts, please check out our Paypal link on the homepage and make a contribution. Your help is greatly appreciated!

Poetry Art Night “PAN” 2020 Virtual Exhibition and Catalog

Click the link below to view the entire virtual exhibit of visual art and poems from the Poetry Art Night Exhibit. This is a juried event. Judges awards are expected to be posted early next week. Voting for People’s Choice Award is going on now. Take a look and read, and vote for your favorites.

From Lish Brown, executive director of the Suzannes Haskew Arts Center, which hosts the event in conjunction with the Village Fine Arts Association “PAN is a juried and judged art and poetry exhibition and sale. The art must be submitted with a related inspirational poem. Art and original, unpublished poems are judged. VOTE FOR PEOPLE’S CHOICE! Links in the catalog or tell us here!”

https://issuu.com/theshac_gallery/docs/pan_2020_virtual_exhibition_cb5dfd3f77739a?fbclid=IwAR22_FrXyQiRttTeEgSVDhRin-QlAaraSVzPbt22MkN2o3q7mqPaBqcx398

Free Resource for Parents teaching at Home.

A short read with mystery and humor, followed by points to discuss with your child.

Here is a brief excerpt from an upcoming work. The scene is a snow-covered landscape in a remote winter resort somewhere in the Midwest. Two friends, Phil and Frankie, are walking along the deserted trail, when they suddenly hear a strange sound that gets their imaginations running wild…

“Sure is quiet out here.” Phil said.

“Yeah, not a house, or a building anywhere in sight .”

“Look at the trail, Frankie .  Looks like nobody has been out this way in quite some time.”

“Yeah,  ours are the only tracks.  Of course we did get a fresh snow last night.  That would have covered any tracks from yesterday.”

“That’s right.  Probably there were a lot of tracks here before that snowfall last night.”

“Yeah, after all this is the main trail.  Probably lot’s of people walk this way all the time.”

“Of course.  You’re sure this is the main trail, aren’t you Frankie?”

“Sure I’m sure.  At least, I was sure.  Anyway, It’s not like we’re actually lost.”

“No, not actually.”

“I mean, even if we don’t know where we are right now, we know the lodge is just over that way.”

“Probably just a mile or so away, don’t you think?”

“Sure a mile or so, maybe. “

“Sure is quiet though.”

A sudden sound stopped the boys in their tracks.  It was a loud sound, unfamiliar and somewhat like a deep musical note blown on some fantastic kind of horn.

Phil looked at Frankie, “What was that?”

“I don’t know.  Sounded like the call of a moose.”

“Do you have moose around here?”

“No.  I was just kidding.  There are no moose around here.  At least I don’t think there are.  Anyway, what if it was?  Aren’t mooses vegetarians?”

“Yeah, that’s right, they are.  So what do you think it was?”

“I don’t know.”

“There it goes again.  Say, what’s bigger than a moose?  That sure is a loud sound.”

“I don’t know.  I think it’s coming from up ahead,  just around this bend.”

“Maybe it’s one of those woolly mammoth things.”

“You mean those things like hairy elephants?  Aren’t those extinct?”

“Yeah, that’s right.  I guess I’m just letting my imagination run away with me.  Besides the people at the resort would  have noticed a thing like a big hairy elephant roaming around in the woods.  I mean, what are the odds that you and I could  arrive last night and out of a clear blue, without even looking for it, be the first one’s to discover a giant animal like that, trumpeting and stomping around here in the woods?  The mere thought of such a thing is ridiculous.”

“You’re right, that would be ridiculous; our first day here and we discover a mammoth roaming the woods.  Somebody else would have seen him first.  Anyway aren’t elephants vegetarians too?”

“Yeah, but did you ever see  one of those Tarzan movies and the way the elephants pick up the poachers or the ivory hunters or whoever they’re angry at with their trunks and just kind of toss them around like they were a child’s doll?”

“You don’t suppose it thinks we’re ivory hunters, do you?”

“I don’t know.”

“I mean, we don’t look like a couple of poachers or ivory hunters, do we?”

“Not to me we don’t, but maybe the mammoth has never seen a Tarzan movie.  Frankie look!”

“A cabin!”

“Do you think that sound came from in there?”

As if in answer to Phil’s question, the sound repeated.

“I guess that answers that.”

“What do you suppose it could be?  That cabins too small for a mammoth.”

“I don’t know Frankie.  I guess we’d better go find out.”

“Might be some kind of wild animal that’s hurt in there, calling to its mate.”

“Or its pack.”

“Its pack?  You mean as in wolf pack?  Phil, I don’t think there are any wolves around here either.”

“Yeah, and you also thought mammoths were extinct, but we still haven’t figured out what could be making that noise.”

“Do you think maybe it’s a small mammoth?”

“You mean like a baby, calling for its mother?”

“That’s it, like a baby calling to its mother.”

“If it is, then for our sake I hope the mother is nowhere nearby. “

“Gosh, you’re right!  I don’t see anything.  I think we’d hear her crashing through the trees if she were charging us.”

“We’re almost there Frankie.”

“What if it’s an injured wolf?  I’ve heard  wild animals that are injured and feel cornered can be the most dangerous.”

“We’ll soon find out.  Duck down below these windows.  We’re almost to the door.”

“Phil, I think I saw those trees move!  Wait… wait… I guess it was just the wind.”

“Keep your voice low Frankie.  Don’t want the wolf, or the mammoth–“

“Don’t forget the moose!”

All right.  The wolf, or the mammoth, or the moose, or whatever  is in there, to hear us.  My hand is on the door.  It doesn’t seem to be locked.  I’m going to gently push it open.  Stay to the side and give whatever frightening beast is in there plenty of room to charge out.”

“Right. “

“Ready? “

“I can’t look.  Tell me when  to run.”

“You’ve  got your eyes closed Frankie?  Okay.  Here goes.  The door is swinging open and I can see… I can see… To be continued!

Discussion points:

1. What do you think might be making the sounds that Phil and Frankie are hearing?

2.Have you ever heard or seen something that you could not explain at first? What are some of the things you thought it could be?

3. Phil and Frankie are funny characters in this story. One of the things about them that is funny is that they make a lot of mistakes that put them in humorous situations. Have you ever made a mistake about something that you could laugh about later?

4. The setting in this scene is a lonely, snow-covered trail. What were Phil and Frankie worried about before they heard the strange sound?

5. Do you think Phil and Frankie’s worries about being lost made them more likely to be afraid when they heard the strange sound?

6.Telling and sharing stories is a great way to spread joy. The story you tell can have the characters you choose, and be set where you want it to be. You can set a story right in the neighborhood where you live, with real streets and building that you know, or you can make up a totally new place; it is up to you!

7. Your story can be funny too, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some ideas for starters: You can tell about a character or characters who discover something or someplace new. You can tell about characters who help someone find something that they have lost. You can tell about characters who help rescue someone from a dangerous situation. You can tell your story with words, like the one you just read, or with pictures you draw and very few or even no words. You get to decide how you want to tell your story. Where will you go, where will you take your audience, and what new and interesting characters will you introduce to your audience? Craft a story to share with the persons in your home, your friends and family.

Click here for more free resources http://www.listenviewreview.com/teaching-at-home-free-resource-for-parents/

Teaching at Home Free resource for Parents

Parents teaching at home, here is a free resource. A little story-telling and discussion with the help of one of the most fascinating creatures of the ocean: the Octopus.You may choose to read this aloud to your child or student, or they may read it aloud with you. Once you have finished this short work, here are some things to discuss:

1. The octopus was using it’s natural ability to camouflage to blend in with a rock. Why did you think it wanted to blend in with the rock?

2. What was the action that the story-teller took to ease the fear or sense of danger that the octopus had?

3.How did the octopus respond?

4.Do you get the sense that the story-teller believes they have communicated with the octopus?

5. Most octopuses are not large. Make a fist for your child. The size of your fist is about the size of the body of the octopus

6.Think about some of the wildlife around where you live. Have you ever seen an animal that uses camouflage to blend in with it’s surroundings? Many insects uses camouflage.

7. What kinds of wild animals do you like to watch? What have you learned about animals by watching them?

8. Have you noticed that the birds are calling and singing much more now, during spring, than they were during winter? How many different kinds of birds can you identify?

9.The other day I saw a chipmunk gather dried leaves from the ground, stuff them into the pouches in it’s cheeks, and then take the leaves to it’s underground den. What do you think it was going to do with the leaves? Have you noticed any nesting behavior by the wild animals near where you live?

10.Since we can’t talk to wild animals with words, what ways can you think of to try to let them know that we only want to watch them and not hurt them? Do you think this is what the story-teller was able to do in “The Octopus and I”?

THE OCTOPUS AND I

The octopus and I

met quite by accident

as a rock appeared to have more to it

than a rock

so I paused and looked and saw that reddish knob

move

ever so slightly.

I knew her intent was that I should not see her

atop that rock

in daylight

in open water

for she maintained her imitation

of an outcrop

of a rock

most persistently

and I believe as her eye saw

the recognition

in my eye

she sensed danger

so I considered her predicament

and hovered away

ever so slightly

in my way to say to the octopus

“I am no predator.”

to which she responded

by stretching out her arms

and gliding away

slowly

beneath my gaze

in open water

in daylight

from her hiding place

atop that rock.

Click here for more free resources: http://www.listenviewreview.com/free-resource-for-parents-teaching-at-home/

Latest Happenings: New Book Update, Poetry Art Night Exhibit in Milford

Something new is in the works! Following the September release of Good Words and Sunbursts, I spent the next two months expanding and polishing Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer for publication in late November. There followed a period of relative inactivity, during which my brain was catching it’s breath, so to speak, but I am happy to say that the creative juices started flowing again sometime in January, really started picking up steam in February, and are still humming along on all cylinders; and several short works are the result so far.

I have a tentative title for the new volume, which I won’t share yet, but I will share the names of some of the individual works. They are, in no particular order:

1. Potter’s Hands

2. Nap Time

3. Siblings on the Savannah

4. Gilded

5. The Performer

6. Our Belligerent Personas

7. The Tension Between Just Being and Being Empty (tentative title)

Sometimes things happen very quickly. Our Belligerent Personas came to me compete last evening, without warning or even effort, it just sort of materialized in my mind, and it was all I could do to run for my folio and pen and get the lines down.

Gilded was much the same way, although that did not just come to me. Instead, I had the benefit of some inspiration provided by a special event here in my hometown of Milford, Michigan. Along with Nap Time, Siblings on the Savannah, and The Performer, Gilded is a work I have entered in the Village Fine Arts Association Poetry Art Night http://milfordvfaa.org/ exhibit and competition. Each of these poems is matched with an excellent painting by local Milford/Highland area artists.

Nap Time and Siblings on the Savannah are paintings by Paul Tibedeau. (Paul Tibedeau Fine Art on Facebook) Paul and I worked together for the first time at last year’s Poetry Art Night, for which I crafted a poem to accompany Paul’s lovely plein air painting Tracks in the Snow, and I have been looking forward to this collaboration for months. I had the benefit of seeing Nap Time many weeks in advance, so I was able to develop a nice, calm work to accompany this evocative painting by Paul . Siblings on the Savannah came later as a pleasant surprise to me, and I was further delighted that Paul suggest that I choose the title for his painting and my poem .

Gilded and The Performer are portraits by Sara Hadley, http://www.greenhandleart.com . Thanks to an e-mail from VFAA executive director Sue Gollon, this is my first collaboration with Sara. As I said above, Gilded really flowed once I saw the painting. The way I described it to the artist was “I think your painting made an instant connection with my mind and emotions…” The Performer also had a strong sense of story and drama to convey, but the painting had to work a little harder to drag it out of me!

I am pleased and excited to have contributed four works for the 2020 Poetry Art Night, and I hope that my poems complement and contribute to the high degree of quality seen in the visual art and poetry submitted by all of the artists.

All four of these works will be exhibited with the original paintings Gilded and The Performer by Sara Hadley, and Nap Time and Siblings on the Savannah by Paul Tibedeau, starting Thursday, March 19 through April 24 at The Suzanne Haskew Arts Center (SHAC) located at 125 S. Main Street, Milford, MI https://www.milfordshac.org/.

To learn more about the artists and view their wonderful works, visit http://www.greenhandleart.com for more by Sara Hadley,and on Facebook visit Pau Tibedeau Fine Art.

Click here to read the other published books by the author, Rick Morris: http://amazon.com/author/morrisrk including the collection Good Words and Sunbursts, which features Tracks in the Snow, the award-winning poem that accompanied Paul Tibedeau’s original painting at the 2019 Poetry Art Night, and the novel Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer, a delightful romantic comedy with the Greatest Generation.

Good Words and Sunbursts by Rick Morris.http://amazon.com/author/morrisrk
Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer, a romantic comedy novel by Rick Morris http://amazon.com/author/morrisrk, with custom artwork by illustrator Anne Zimanski. http://www.annezimanski.com

Thanks for reading!

Words of Help and Healing: Pass Them On

You may be struggling right now. You may be riding on the crest of a wave. Most of us have been in both places, and it is likely that many of us spend much of our lives somewhere in between. Whatever our situation, however high or low, sad or joyous; words have a great impact on our lives.

Conveying words of help, encouragement, beauty and healing is a passion here at Listen View Review. We love to pass them on to you, the reader, and hope that you will find some benefit from them, and that you too will pass them on.

Here are samples of some of the works that have been favorites of our readers, and have been shared the most. These excerpts have been set against beautiful photographs found on Pinterest.

Excerpt from Empty Pages: Little trials in a word full of suffering.
A simple, short piece with no title.
An excerpt from one of the longer works: Good Word (A Word of Encouragement)
An excerpt from Clever Words, all about being free from the desire to use words to hurt others.

You can read the full version of these works, plus many others, in the collection Good Words and Sunbursts: Vivid Word Art and Lyric Beauty, available through Amazon right here: http://amazon.com/author/morrisrk. Available in paperback and kindle edition.

Here is what one reader from the U.K. had to say about Good Words and Sunbursts: “A breath of fresh air – uplifting words and meaningful prose from a very talented author who has the ability to draw you into every word. I’ve read the book four times now and still get something new to uplift me each time.”

Order a copy for yourself, and several to pass along. Helpful, beautiful words are always worth reading and sharing.

Charles Dickens Meets The Greatest Generation in a Charming Christmas Comedy-Holly Dickens Festival Update

Meet the author and have your copy signed at The Holly Dickens Festival this weekend, December 14 and 15 in beautiful downtown Holly Michigan. Visit http://hollydickensfestival.org/index.html for more information.

With a multitude of memorable characters, a sense of place as deep as the knee-high snow, and a heartwarming story filled with laughter, action, and romance, get ready to enjoy Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer.

Taking place in a snowy midwestern town on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, Friends, Snowman, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer takes you back to December 1940, when much of the world is at war, while in the United States, citizens celebrate what will be their last Christmas of peace for five years.

If you want a story that will transport you to a Christmas without too much hustle and bustle, and fill you with a sense of the good cheer of family, friends and neighbors, you will want to spend time in the pages of Friend, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer.

Beautiful cover art of Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A Tale of Christmas Time. Book by Richard K. Morris. http://amazon.com/author/morrisrk. Art by Anne Zimanski.

Without giving away any spoilers, the plot starts as visiting Arizonian Phil Wellbright tries to do a good deed by building a snowman for the little girl next door on Christmas Eve. Poor Phil thinks the little girl is terribly sick, that her mother has been in an accident, and that her father has abandoned them. So earnest is his intention to do something to bring cheer to the child, that Phil’s friend Frankie decides to help build not just one snowman, but a whole snow-family!

What happens next is pure comic delight as the boys pursue their mission with admirable and zany determination.

The beautiful, full color cover artwork and inside sketches are by the wonderful illustrator Anne Zimanski. http://www.annezimanski.com/

Besides the Snow-family, there are plenty of other Christmas and wintertime staples to add to your pleasure. Snowball fights, Christmas cookies, Christmas carols and ice skating to name just a few. With Petey the faithful dog, and a perky Chihuahua named Regalo plus a host of friends and neighbors, Friends, Snowmen, Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer, is a Christmas story you will want to read yourself, and to give to the loved ones on your list.

Order your copies of Friends, Snowmen Countrymen, Be of Good Cheer. A tale of Christmas Time by Richard K. Morris for Christmas giving and enjoyment today at http://amazon.com/author/morrisrk