speaking stories of us into water
whispers become wanderings
look outward, lean inward
watch raindrops race time
square windowpanes, falling
pooled hope, softened palms
say something about rum rivers
while I drink old coffee
touch lace lines, anywhere
forgive becomes forgotten
think blankets, thick fog
old birds underneath
hidden
forward, backward, pretend
time is the same
warmth seeks warmth
close becomes closer
find me
“If a picture is worth a thousand words, then the imagination is worth a thousand pictures.” —J.E.B. Spredemann
This week’s assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to photograph something meaningful to you. As it’s Christmas Eve, I decided to share some decorations around my house that hold meaning for me and my family.
I hope you enjoy these photos and you have a wonderful holiday.
52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective
Week 29: Macro
Week 30: Backlight
Week 31: Big Sky
Week 32: Dominant Color
Week 33: Fill the Frame
Week 34: Spot Metering
Week 35: Handheld Long Exposure
Week 36: S Curve
Week 37: Shoot Through
Week 38: Faces
Week 39: Blossom
Week 40: Environmental Portrait
Week 41: Texture Overlay
Week 42: Details
Week 43: Season
Week 44: Fog & Steam
Week 45: Nighttime
Week 46: Analog
Week 47: Sunrise/Sunset
Week 48: Lens Flare
Week 49: Panorama
Week 50: Street
sitting across me
hands breathing fire
you burn sunflowers
into moonless shadows
remember
touch inky waves
scream amber light
open every sunroof
rotate back to you
For anyone struggling right now, but especially Cin.
velvet cheek pressing against me
pink lips sucking air
my body knows this
memory becomes language
speaking not words but sensations
primal swaying
songs of ancestors
tenderness blooms here
sweet milky breath
tiny fingers grasping shirt
seedling, daffodil drops, skyward
Mother Earth swells larger
willow trees dancing
petal skinned waters
paper cranes taking flight
you sigh
it becomes a smile
now a laugh
are you chasing winds?
riding swollen ocean waves?
smelling ancient ferns?
moonlight sings your name
sunshine whispers its secrets
lean into softness
stars remember everything
you will tell me someday
you will tell me
all of it
He had a picture of me
on his work desk. A boa
constrictor wrapped around
my neck. He’d say,
“She wasn’t even scared.”
His framed pride
didn’t match my fear,
so I pretended.
Not a snake charmer,
I learned to drink venom.
Walk through glass. Palms
up, always. Let me prove
how good I am, like sweet
orange trees. Climb. Take
cover beneath my limbs,
I’ll take all the blame. Sorry
for the storm, for freezing
pomegranate hearts. Orphan
without warmth—I know.
Look, watch me spin so
bright. Sing to the moon.
Ride through a rice field, kick
dust onto the snow-white
cranes. See me create starlight
babies with magical breath—
lean in. Smell them.
Part me.
Part you.
Us.
Branches. You see?
Beautiful are the buds
bearing your blue eyes.
Maybe you had to move
away. Once, no twice.
You needed to be further
from this mess; this me.
Further and further.
I see.
Neck, boa, constrict—
my words press like sap
pushing through bark.
Not fearless, but what
will too late feel
like when words sit stuck
inside. No, say it all. Look,
do you see? “She wasn’t even
scared.”
once I was sunkissed
now, not kissed at all
not here in this place
where the winter moon
wakes me
singing tomorrows
through mist
through falling leaves
through frost paintings
no, not like that
raven songs, not doves
trinkets
feathers
bits of string
touch my fingertips
my lips
icy secrets whispered
deep into blanket forts
no, not sunkissed
not kissed at all
still warm
masked moonlight wakes me
pulling dreams backward, inward
pulling body forward, outward
five steps and I’m outside
bare feet on weathered wood
yes, moon, what do you want
watch me descend, it says
casting legato light across waves
as sapient stars nod, blinking in agreement
what else can I do but listen
opalescent ocean dances below
sings softly of forgetting
or is it forgiving
maybe it wants me to bleed
shedding mawkish memories
dance, move, swing your arms
let go, it calls
can it be so simple
silver moon transforms
briefly mimics sunlight
before sinking
below the waves
below the horizon
below my pained core
with a final golden gasp
it calls out to me
yes, I hear you
folding, folding
I tuck the words inside—
my moonset gift
swaying, swaying
I rock with the waves
under billowy blankets
until morning comes
Note: Both of these photos are of the moon setting at around 1 a.m. If you look closely in the second one you might see stars.
“Fire spirit, fire sprite
Share with us your golden light
Come for us our candle light!”
—Waldorf verse
This week’s assignment for the 52 photo challenge was to photograph something at night. As the days get darker faster, I find myself burning more candles. I wanted my photos to capture the warmth and comfort of flickering candlelight.
“This little light of mine
I’m gonna let it shine”
My lovely daughter agreed to be my model and we ended up with these Victorian-inspired photos. I think they capture a bit of the danger of the darkness too and I’m in love with them. Please let me know if you have a favorite and have a wonderful week.
She’s unharmed as you can see! Thank you Lola for being a fantastic model and a wonderful daughter. You make me proud every single day.
52 Photo Challenge
Week 1: Bokeh
Week 2: Silhouette
Week 3: Black and White
Week 4: Motion Blur
Week 5: Texture
Week 6: Framing
Week 7: Leading Lines
Week 8: Negative Space
Week 9: Patterns
Week 10: Symmetry
Week 11: Green
Week 12: Sidelight
Week 13: Sense of Scale
Week 14: One Lens
Week 15: Series
Week 16: Flat Lay
Week 17: Behind the Scenes
Week 18: Water
Week 19: Blurry Foreground
Week 20: Unique Perspective
Week 21: Shadow
Week 22: Food
Week 23: Abstract
Week 24: Reflection
Week 25: Contrast Color
Week 26: Think in Threes
Week 27: Starburst
Week 28: Low Perspective
Week 29: Macro
Week 30: Backlight
Week 31: Big Sky
Week 32: Dominant Color
Week 33: Fill the Frame
Week 34: Spot Metering
Week 35: Handheld Long Exposure
Week 36: S Curve
Week 37: Shoot Through
Week 38: Faces
Week 39: Blossom
Week 40: Environmental Portrait
Week 41: Texture Overlay
Week 42: Details
Week 43: Season
Week 44: Fog & Steam
open and shut them
a game with toddlers
to still their hands
to make them giggle
I play it in my head
to still my fears
open and shut them
ambulance out the window
stretcher in the hall
two paramedics in blue
electrodes on his chest
it’s not like last time
give a little clap, clap, clap
take me back to stillness
no ripples spreading out
just flat glassy ease
a breath and a sigh
open and shut them
pajama pants, slip-on shoes
home before sunrise
coffee while he sleeps
hugs when he wakes
put them in your lap, lap, lap
we watch the water hold tight
rope swings, we jump high
rise like lilacs, like waves, like space
ship rocks, sways, we tumble
weeds snare, we stare at sun
shine within, soft skin, we whirl
pool glows, grows, lacks sense
less we see, less we know—a flash
back to life, hands catch cold rain
bow tied neatly around bold moon
light dances, our souls wonder
land a kiss upon my lips, our hour
glass turns, we say goodnight
Author’s note: Each line in this poem ends with the start of a compound word. You can either read the poem line by line or you can read those words combined—tightrope, highrise, spaceship, etc. Let me know what you think.
Bridgette Tales 