Spunk waiting with AantíiciipÁation!
Gabriela announced the winners of her Woman: Splendor and Sorrow: | Love Poems and Poetic Prose poetry contest this morning. I am very excited to announce that I shared Third Place with D. Wallace Peach. Congratulations to Virginia Mateias for her First Place poem, and Ingrid Wilson, and Eric Daniel Clarke for their Second Place poems. You can read all the poems at: The Winners of The Poetry Contest Woman: Splendor and Sorrow: | Love Poems and Poetic Prose.
My poem is One Side Sacred The Other Side Profane inspired by Gabriela’s poem Between Sacred and Profane. I based my poem on W. Eugene Smith’s activism against mercury poisoning in Minamata, Japan in the 1970s. He published a book titled Minamata: Life Sacred and Profane in 1972 that brought the issue worldwide attention. I first saw the book when I was a photo student at the University of New Mexico in the early 1980s. I wanted to buy a copy of the book back then, but I couldn’t afford it as a student. Now copies sell for hundreds of dollars, so I still don’t have one. W. Eugene Smith was one of the most important American photojournalists of the 20th Century. I don’t think he ever took a bad photo. His County Doctor series is brilliant. Chisso employees attacked and beat Smith in 1972. Smith lost sight in one eye and never really recovered. He died in 1978 at the tender age of 59. His death was a huge loss to the world of photography.
Dawn
We have cloudy skies tonight. The photos below are from last night before I encountered the zombies and sprites.
Christine’s Tree with the moon in the background. Mia’s Tree under Venus. Christine’s Tree with a bicycle in the background.
Sunset
Off Center & Not Even 
Congratulations!
The dawn image is especially beautiful to my eyes.
And I love Spunk, as you know. 🙂
Thanks, Susan.
Timothy, thank you for entering the contest. Congratulations once again. Your poem is spectacular.
Thank you also for sharing the story behind the poem. An interesting story that teaches me more about you.
And what a beautiful post. The kitty, the photos and your wonderful words.
Thank you for making my life more beautiful 🤗
You are welcome, Gabriela. Thank you for giving everyone a platform to share their poems.
My pleasure Timothy.
Congratulations, Tim. Your poem was absolutely beautiful!
Lovely images here, too!
Thanks, Dale. I’m happy you liked it.
I did!
Congratulations on your insightful poem being honored, Timothy. I thought of W. Eugene Smith while reading your poem, both bringing to light the horror, the daughter in her bath…rigid as her mother takes care… Luckily of his photos I retouched, I didn’t do that one.
The Wiki said the mother asked that photo be removed from future publications. But it is the most powerful of the photos. Smith was a master. You are lucky to have worked with his photos. Thanks, Cheyenne.
Congratulations, Timothy! You certainly chose a worthy subject for your moving poem. Beautiful photos.
Thanks, Michele.
Congratulations Timothy!
What a great poem and honor so deserving of your talent and gifts!
Your poem stood alone but the history is so awesome to know about. Well, now with your award money, you can buy that book.. Not sure that’s legal tho. 🤣
Spunk is so proud of you and the sky took note 💖🙏🙏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🤗 Bravo💖
Thanks, Cindy. I really appreciate your sweet comment. I would buy an original edition of the book if I knew some of the money would benefit the victims of Minamata disease, but it’s not worth enriching a collector or book dealer.
You’re so welcome Timothy. I would as well. That makes a lot of sense. Besides, you have lots of WP poets to support in our community. 💖❤️🌷 Flowers for you!!! 🌷🌷🌷 to celebrate! 💖
Congrats Tim!!🥳🥳
The pictures are Beautiful, especially the dawn ones!
And Spunk looks so cute while waiting😄😻
Congratulations to you and Diana on your placings in the poetry challenge, Timothy. Great pictures but the last one is startling.
Thanks, Roberta.
Congratulations Timothy !
I like the opening picture of Spunk, he looks so relaxed 😉
Great shot of the sunset too.
Thanks, Rudi.
Congratulations, Tim!! I am celebrating from my side of the world. I hope that you will recite it for us. You and Diana are amazing poets. And a big thank you to Gabriela for organizing the poetry contest. I have been off grid for a while because of the Pineapple Express that came through this weekend showering us with 200mm of rain (about 8 inches) in 2 days. We had a couple of power outages in our neighborhood which limited our heat. But there has been devastating mudslides, flooding and evacuations. Today was the first day of sun that we have seen in a couple of weeks. Tomorrow the rain is forecast to come again.
Thanks, Rebecca. Laurie’s sister is stuck in Hawaii, rough place to be stuck, because of the flooding in Bellingham.
A great place to be stuck!!!!
YAY!!. Mega congrats to you and Diane. So well deserved. And what better way to celelbrate than with a set of new pics too xxx
Thanks, Shey.
I read them and i loved them all. Once again congrats
A wonderful poem, Tim. Congratulations again. So well deserved.
Thanks, Jeff.
Congratulations! I enjoyed your poem when I first read it on Gabriela’s site and now knowing the backstory, it has even more meaning. Well-deserved!
Thanks, JYP.
Congratulations, my dear friend, so well deserved and congratulations to all! You already know I’m a huge fan of your poetry as well as your well trained painter of skies and scenes. Now I’ll rest for a while here to absorb some colorful energy. [I’m sure Spunk knows exactly what I mean! 😉 ]
Thanks, Marina. I appreciate you support.
…still here! 😉
Congrats!
Thanks, Teri.
Congratulations, Tim, and thanks for the introduction to W. Eugene Smith and his work.
The photos are beautiful. I did see the moon again last night, almost full, and quite bright. A clear night and 28 degrees this morning.
The multi-talented Tim Price! Congratulations, well deserved, my friend!👏😊
Thanks, Tiffany. I appreciate you.
Congratulations, Timothy. Beautiful photos as always. 💞
Thanks, Anne Marie.
Congratulations!
Thanks, Brian. Check your email.
Well, that was pretty much awesome – did you fill those with water or did the pulverization turn them to juice!?! Thinking if you add a bit of Tannerite you wouldn’t even need to clean up afterwards …of what was actually left. On the downside, kind of hard to light after that.
They were filled with water because the hardware store was out of cheap red paint. The water helps them explode. But you have to use a round that tumbles like the 7.62×39 and .223 or it just makes a nice little hole in the pumpkin and the water or paint dribbles out. We discovered that with the Russian 7.62x54R that only left little holes. Very disappointing.
Got it – extra expensive these days with those rounds (more the 7.62, but even the .223s are inching up… if you can even find them on the shelves). Now I am intrigued to find out what an S&W 500 hand cannon would do with an hp round as long as you don’t flinch pulling the trigger and miss the pumpkin entirely. You have put a lot of ideas in my head hehehe.
A .44 Mag hollow point was dissapointing, also.
Your skies are heavenly! Spunk is a cutie… And congratulations!
Thanks, Nancy.
What a beautiful cat! A such lovely photos too.
Thanks, Lizzy.
Congratulations!
Thanks, Dawn.
Hello Spunk!! 😍🥰😘
Spunk sends his love. Thanks, Anabel.
Sending from Spain a lot of love for the nice Spunk 🥰
Congratulations, Tim!
You are in good company wit D. Wallace Peach!
Fabulous shots. Thank you!
Thanks, Resa.
I’m going to read one of Diana’s books. I just have decide which one.
Congratulations Tim … these photos are winners too!
Thanks, Julie.