As Above ... So Below (poetry and photography)

A Walk Down 14th Street To The River

The little city of Astoria Oregon on the banks of the Columbia River is a photographer's paradise. The clustering of houses paints the hillside with a variety of colors evoking an almost storybook kind of feeling. 

The weather often changes abruptly with extremes ranging from bright sunshine, to drops of ice cold rain, clouds and hail and back again to bright sunshine sometimes accompanied by high winds. However the mercurial weather provides the dramatic lighting effects the photographer delights in.  Be sure to bring a poncho along, chances are you'll need it.  If not today you'll likely need it tomorrow. The changing weather may sound like a bummer but in reality it gives the photographer an ever changing progression of photo opportunities.

I took the bus into town and got off on 14th St. at about the middle of the hill which leads down to the river.   All along the way the bridge peeks out between the buildings.

I took photographs on the way down the steep sidewalks to the riverside and put them into a video. You can check it out below.

At the end of 14th St. is a pier with a bench and viewing area that looks out over the river on three sides, width, upstream, downstream and up the steep hillside on the Astoria side.  

Day Trip To Ilwaco

Ilwaco is a small community that has a strong natural connection with the Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River.  The locale is a picturesque setting on the water's edge.  While not big in size Ilwaco has a goodly number of unique shops and places to eat and drink. 

The Pacific Ocean and the Columbia River are awe inspiring.  So in this land of rain and clouds I decided immediately upon seeing 100 percent sunlight to go across the river and take some pictures. 

I got a real good sunburn and some fairly good pictures. I snapped the one below with my phone camera while on the bus overlooking Marine Drive. 

Morning at the Cove

"Morning at the Cove" consists of pictures and video I took on a couple of days.  The video of the surfers was taken well over a year ago and the other pictures and video were taken this month.

The Cove attracts surfers and it is unusual not to see some. It was fun watching the surf and the surfers playing with each other. 

The Warlords: a poem for national poetry month

A poem I wrote and which was published by aaduna in 2011 about the endless warfare embarked on by the consent of the nations titled "The Warlords:After Reading Du Fu Advent of Spring". The poem is being republished by aaduna in participation with National Poetry Month.  

The poem will be online for 24 hours at this link.    If you miss it the poem is below the picture.  I made the picture a few days ago while contemplating the plight of the refugees being driven from their homes by the Warlords of the current crop of leaders.

The poem that inspired me to write this, Advent of Spring, can be read at this link.  The Chinese were no strangers to endless war just like us. 

I

The Warlords

After reading Du Fu, “Advent of Spring”

The warriors have ruled

from time immemorial.

They have come and gone and come again

time after time:

nations, princes, and kings one after another

building on the pile of corpses

stacked beneath their feet.

None have served the people honestly.

Who has given them control?

Where have they come from?

Will they ever leave us alone

to raise our families

and die in our own beds

with our children by our side?

Their grip is on our neck

and they force us

to our grave

in their search for

others to plunder.

They cannot live without war;

it is their meat and drink

as ours is the hearth

and the embrace of our lovers.

They declare those who cry for

peace and complain of war

‘enemies of the state’

and seek to silence them

while we the people are victims

of their lust

and made to pay for their

desires to be satisfied.

Will they ever leave us alone

to raise our families

and die in our own beds

with our children by our side?

© 2011 David H. Roche