Reflections of a Fallen Flower

~ A poem about flowers, love, life and letting go.~  

For my Mom, in which the struggle of being a fresh cut flower is very real.

by

Jean Miller Spoljaric

Once, so vibrant;

Once, so very beautiful;

Once, so giving of joy;

Once, so full of life; 

Full: of Life...Once...

Now the silky paper-like flower weeps like that of a billowy tear.

What once stood tall and proud, now suffers from the wrath of old age, its weakened spine is but a softened wisp of its once vibrant past.

Its stem, softened, frail and tattered, it's tired and its weak. 

It has given its all, it's reaching the end.

It has given: its all....

Its saturated stem no longer wants to drink, the days are long and hard, then night falls, its lifespan is coming to an end. 

The petals have become too heavy, the struggle to hold on is too great...slowly they drop...slowly they drift, one by one...into a blank space.

Slowly... the colors fade, they become muted and washed away. 

No more can it bare the weight of living, the burden of life has become to much to take. 

The "pretty" is fading away... slowly, slowly... fading away.

There's a certain beauty in dying that not everyone can see... 

The crinkled skin of the worn petal has a special softness like that of fine colored tissue paper.

Its beauty will always be remembered. 
Its beauty is not lessoned by its fragile state. Its beauty is heightened by its strength. 
The beauty is what's left behind, it becomes the lessons, the lessons become the beauty...it leaves a flower trail of unconditional love in its path. 
The beauty is in what it has taught those who have loved it. 
Its beauty will live on forever. It becomes one within your heart, it intertwines with your soul...
You may not always be able to touch it, but you will always, remember how it made you feel.
Once, full of life...
Now, a life full. 

The Real Meaning of Thanksgiving

While everyone is gearing up for the holiday season the anxiety grows from within. As we prepare for the gluttony feast known as Thanksgiving Dinner we should all take a moment to pause and be thankful for the true blessings in life; our loved ones, friends and family, near and far. We should also remember how we got to this point. When I was in the second grade I recall the teacher rearranging the classroom desks into one big table. I remember making Pilgrim Hats and Indian head bands, the class would be divided between the two. We all would gather around and share a snack, I always wanted to be an Indian, something about the feathers. Little did I know... 

The sad reality about the good ole' US of A is that in a matter of a few hundreds years it managed to rewrite its own history into a mythological fantasy. The concept of liberty, freedom and free enterprise in the “land of the free, home of the brave” are but a mere spin. The US was founded and became prosperous based on two original sins: first, on the mass murder of Native Americans and the theft of their land by European colonialists; second, slavery. This grim reality is far removed from the fairytale version of a nation that views itself in its collective consciousness as a virtuous universal agent for good and progress. 

In rewriting its own history about Thanksgiving, white America tells a Disney-like fairytale about the English pilgrims and their struggle to survive in a new and harsh environment. The pilgrims found help from the friendly and extremely generous Native-American tribe, the Wampanoag Indians, in 1621. Unfortunately for Native Americans, the European settlers’ gratitude was short-lived. By 1637, Massachusetts governor John Winthrop ordered the massacre of thousands of Pequot Indian men, women and children. This event marked the start of a Native-American genocide that would take slightly more than 200 years to complete, and of course to achieve its ultimate goal, which was to take the land from Native Americans and systematically plunder their resources. The genocide begun in 1637 marks the beginning of the conquest of the entire continent until most Native Americans were exterminated, a few were assimilated into white society, and the rest were put in reservations to dwindle and die.

When Christopher Columbus “discovered” the Americas in 1492, on his quest for gold and silver, the Native population, which he erroneously called Indians, numbered an estimated 15 million who lived north of current day Mexico. It was, by all consideration, a thriving civilization. Three hundred and fifty years later, the Native American population north of Mexico would be reduced to less than 1 million. This genocide was brought upon the Natives by systematic mass murder and also by disease, notably smallpox, spread by the European colonists.

Columbus and his successors propensity for greed was foreign to the Native Americans. They viewed the land as tribal collective ownership, not as a property that could be owned by individuals. 

The other myth I learned in school was that Christopher Columbus "discovered" America. In my seven year old brain that meant that 'he discovered it'! As in the very FIRST one! NOT TRUE! 

“Columbus and his successors were not coming to an empty wilderness, but into a world which, in some places, was as densely populated as Europe, and where the culture was complex, where human relations were more egalitarian than in Europe, and where the relations between men, women, children and nature were more beautifully worked out than perhaps in any other places in the world.” wrote Howard Zinn: A Peoples History of the United States.

In many ways, the US’ celebration of Thanksgiving would be the same as setting aside a day in Germany to celebrate the Holocaust. Thanksgiving is the American Holocaust. The original crimes of genocide and slavery are not limited to US early history but have found an extension in the policies of modern-day US. The systematic assault on other nations and cultures still goes on under various pretenses or outright lies. United States wars of empire are going on today more than ever before. These wars have left millions of people dead across the world in the course of American history, and they are still fought for the same reasons behind the Native American genocide and slavery: namely, to expand the wealth of the US elite.

Defenders of Thanksgiving will say that whatever the original murky meaning of the holiday, it has become a rare chance to spend time with family and show appreciation for what one has. For most Americans today, however, it is hard to be thankful. As matter of fact, unless you belong to the 2 percent who represent the US ruling class you should not be thankful at all. How can you be appreciative for what you have if you have lost your house to foreclosure, don’t have a job and can’t feed your family? How can you be appreciative if you are a homeless veteran? How can you be appreciative when you are poor or sick in a society without social justice? On this Thanksgiving day, rich celebrities and politicians will make a parody of what should be real charity by feeding countless poor and homeless. This will ease their conscience, at least for a while. Charity, however, should not be a substitute for social justice. This isn't about ruining people’s appetites before they attack that golden turkey: just a reminder to keep in mind the true meaning behind the celebration. 

May Day

"May Day"... What does it mean to you?

 For me, it's got a few meanings. The first time I ever heard anything about "May Day" was back in the late '70's', I was in the 7th grade at Jay Watson Bailey Jr HS, in Kingston, NY. My fellow classmates were talking about skipping school...something about not having to work that day. I chickened out of skipping class that day, I chose not to go with the flow, nor did I hang out with the cool kids who went to Forsyth (For-side) Park to smoke Newport's in the woods. (Later in life was a different story, I did eventually become a cool kid! LOL!)

 I think skipping school had something to do with International Workers' Day, also known as Labor Day in many countries, it's a celebration of laborers and the working class people. It became a holiday back in 1889 to commemorate The Haymarket affair (also known as the Haymarket massacre or the Haymarket Riot) in Chicago which actually occurred on May 4, 1886. The Haymarket affair started out a peaceful demonstration in support of achieving an 8 hour work day for the working class people, and also to create awareness of the melee that occurred the day before when one unknown protester tossed a dynamite bomb into the center of the square where the police were standing, the police returned fire with fire, gun shots rang out into the crowd of bystanders, in total, 7 police officers and 4 bystanders were killed and there was over 100 arrests,and more than 70 injuries. A sad day indeed and should be remembered for what it stood for. The idea of working hard but also taking the time to enjoy family and friends in your free time. Somehow I think my peers back in the day had a different way of thinking. 


Then there's "Mayday"; spelled a little different, one word, not two. It's an emergency distress signal when spoken three times into a marine or airplane radio. It derives from the French word, 'vendez m'aider', which means to 'come help me.' I think I've murmured 'Mayday' a few times in my life, usually around 3 AM after a night of toooo much fun. That is to say, I hope that I never need to say it formally. Making a false distress call in the US is a federal crime that can carry up to a six year imprisonment and or/ a fine of up to $250,000, so... saying 'Mayday' three X's in a row, is no joke! 


Then there's May 1st,2014; Today... It's a day to celebrate Springtime, the rain has stopped, and once again the sky has turned from grey to blue, the clouds are puffy and the grass is turning a bright colored green, the song birds are back at the feeder's, the flowers are beginning to bloom and the leaves are but little buds on the trees. Spring is in the air folks, enjoy the warm gentle breeze, bring on the outside BBQ's, be ready for cold beer and swimming pools, it's time to make way for my favorite time of the year, Summertime. Soon enough it will be 90 degrees and we will all be complaining it's too damned hot. This past Winter was a killer, it was long, hard and cold. It's time to enjoy the nice weather. So if you have to work today, try to make it only for 8 hours, and if you can skip, do so, and escape to the park, but just say no to smoking a Newport, cigarettes can kill ya. Whatever you choose to do, go do it and make it a great day. Remember, what you don't do today, you'll regret tomorrow... Live each day, Love each day, because today is a gift and tomorrow is a mystery.

SLOW DANCE Have you ever Watched Kids On a merry-go-round? Or listened to The Rain Slapping on the ground? Ever followed a Butterfly's' erratic flight? Or gazed at the sun into the Fading Night? You better slow down. Don't Dance so Fast. Time is short. The music Won't Last. Do you run through each day On The Fly? When you ask How are you? Do you hear The Reply? When the day is done Do you lie In your Bed With the next hundred chores Running through Your head? You'd better Slow down Don't dance so Fast. Time is Short. The music won't Last. Ever told your Child, We'll do it Tomorrow? And in your Haste, Not see His Sorrow? Ever lost Touch, Let a good Friendship die Cause you Never had time To call And say,'Hi' You'd Better slow down. Don't dance So fast. Time Is short. The music won't Last.. When you run So fast to get somewhere You Miss half the fun of getting There. When you worry and hurry Through your Day, It is like an unopened Gift.... Thrown Away. Life is not a Race. Do take it Slower Hear the Music, Before the song is over....

This poem was written by an unknown teenage girl with terminal cancer, please feel free to share it... ------------ --------

The Muse and her Minotaur

The Muse and her Minotaur, consists of 100 rare Picasso etchings documenting a love affair, and have been donated to a British Museum.
The etchings will be the only complete set held by a public museum in the UK.


The prints document the love affair that was to define an artist's career.
Now all 100 of Picasso's Vollard etchings are to be shown in London after being donated to the British Museum.
The prints were created as a visual diary of the artist's life with his young mistress and muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter.
She became the inspiration for some of his most famous work, and caused the downfall of his marriage.

Minotaur caressing a sleeping woman (June 1933). The black-and-white prints show dream-like scenes where Picasso often depicts himself in his studio as a Minotaur.

Blind minotaur led by a little girl in the night (Dec 1934). The prints were created as a visual diary of the artist's life with his young mistress and muse, Marie-Thérèse Walter
It is one of just a handful of complete collections of the etchings, which had an original print-run of more than 300 in the 1930s.

This will be the first set to be seen in Britain in more than 50 years as many other sets have been broken up or lost.


Sculptor working from life with model posing (March 1933). Marie-Thérèse, who was only 17 when they met, is also heavily featured posing mostly in the nude.

Portrait of Vollard II (March 1937). Right, Rembrandt and two women (Jan 1934)

Picasso and his secret lover conducted their affair for several years until his wife, Olga Khokhlova, found out and left in disgust.
The etchings, created between 1930 and 1937, will go on display at the museum in central London next summer.
A fund manager working in the City bought the prints for around 1million Euro as a gift for the museum, and told the curator of his generous donation via email.

The 100 etchings are known as the Vollard Suite because they were commissioned by Paris art dealer and print publisher Ambroise Vollard, who gave Picasso a Renoir and a Cezanne painting in exchange for the work.
Vollard gave the Spanish artist his first Paris exhibition in 1901.
But Vollard's death in a car accident, followed by the outbreak of the Second World War, delayed the release of the prints.

Maybe, I'm a hopeless romantic, but I love these black and white sketches. I love the mystery behind them and the creativity that comes from being in love, it adds to the artists ability to depict such dream-like beauty.

The Elusive Norfolk Mace

The Norfolk Mace: History 101

Norfolk's historic silver Mace, is the only existing pre-Revolutionary American symbol of civic authority of its kind, it has a long, elusive and interesting history. Its presentation to the Borough of Norfolk in 1754 by Robert Dinwiddie, lieutenant governor of Virginia from 1751 to 1758, climaxed a friendship between the colonial official and Virginia's principal port of entry and exit dating back almost three decades.

Made in London of pure silver, the Mace has an inscription stating it was given to the Corporation of Norfolk in 1753. It was not until the next year, however, that it was delivered, for the minutes of the Norfolk Common Council for April 1, 1754, explicitly state that Dinwiddie delivered the Mace in person and was gratefully thanked for the handsome gift.

According to tradition, the Mace was removed with the public records at the time of the burning of Norfolk in January of 1776 and was returned only after the danger had passed. In its earlier days the Mace was always carried ahead of the mayor upon his entering court or before him in processions. On September 15, 1836, it was carried in the parade honoring the one hundredth anniversary of Norfolk as a borough, and on May 13, 1857, when the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the landing at Jamestown was observed, it was taken to Jamestown Island to be a part of that celebration.

In May of 1862, when Norfolk was evacuated by the Confederate forces, it was hidden by Mayor William W Lamb under a hearth in his home on West Bute Street.The Mayor told no one his hiding place and the mace was lost for thirty two years! It was eventually recovered but was practically forgotten until 1894, when Norfolk Chief of Police C.J. Iredell discovered it in a state of disrepair in a heap of litter and old records in a room at the police station.

At that time, Norfolk city officials asked the Norfolk National Bank, to accept its custodianship. And in its carefully restored state it was displayed in a specially built glass case in the downtown Norfolk main office of the bank for several years. Today you can view the elusive mace behind glass on the second floor of The Chrysler Museum.

For more info about The Norfolk Mace and or The Chrysler Museum check out their website at... http://www.chrysler.org/

Chatuchak! Not Just Any Market!

The Chatuchak Weekend Market is held every Saturday and Sunday and is NOT to be missed if you are in Bangkok. It’s the biggest market in all of Thailand. In fact it is the largest market in all of Southeast Asia. This market offers everything from clothing, crafts, and antiques to food and drink. You name it and the Chatuchak Market has it.
An estimated quarter of a million people visit this veritable shopaholic’s paradise each day. The site has over 15,000 stalls and vendors, all grouped into sections to make it easier to find specific items. Here’s an inside tip: Go to this market early in the morning to avoid the crowds and to beat the heat of the day. Bargaining is expected and some vendors will reduce there initial price by more than half. I walked around this area for hours collecting souvenirs and snapping photos.
This is where I met the blind ‘phallic master’, Dhakron, a Bangkok native, who was sporting a pink mohawk hair-do. I negotiated for about 30 minutes to purchase a hand-whittled phallic necklace that he was wearing. Unfortunately, the piece was very old and dear to him and I couldn’t seal the deal with the man who was once a Thai wrestler. So, I walked away, empty handed and phallic-less with only my memory of Dhakron.
On the ‘down side’ for me, the Chatuchak Market is also known for its sale of animals. The animal lover in me knew enough to avoid that section. Dogs, cats, snakes, tortoises, and songbirds are for sale as pets (or food) and the market also has a reputation for trading in endangered species. The government tries to regulate the illegal trade. Several raids on dealers have revealed animals being kept in awful conditions. While casual visitors are never likely to experience it, this illegal trade still continues out of sight.
Last month, the Bangkok news reported over 150,000 Monitor Lizards were confiscated from the backs of pick-up trucks as they crossed the border into Bangkok. And just yesterday on CNN's online news blog I read that the Thai Police arrested a man at the Bangkok airport for attempting to smuggle two baby leopards, two baby panthers, a monkey, birds and more, by stuffing them into suit cases and attempting to bring them to Dubai. No doubt in my mind that these animals came from Chatuchak.
The Government of Thailand got lucky this time, and they are trying to put a stop to this abuse, but the scales are uneven.

For more information about the Chatuchak Market and other popular markets in Thailand check out this website ~ http://www.bangkok.com/shopping-market/popular-markets.htm