The Intervention

In which Spider-Man tries, unwisely, to counsel the battling Odinson Brothers.

A Dark Poem Based on Japanese Folklore

Today's post honours Rommy of Kestril's Rhythms and Groove on her birthday. Dear Rommy, I've learned so much from your blog over the years about Japanese tea ceremonies, kimonos and other interesting aspects of Japanese culture, as well as enjoying your wonderful poetry and short stories. Wishing you a Happy Birthday and many, many more!

O many-tailed wise one

your auburn fur

white-trimmed

so soft

against my face

O shapeshifting trickster

your ivory teeth

needle-sharp

so deep

within my neck

An uninvited guest was I once

at your sun-shower wedding

an unwilling corpse am I now

at my unscheduled funeral

O great kitsune

I bow to your justice

[© Debra She Who Seeks, 2016]

This is my entry for today's prompt at Magaly Guerrero's Dark Poetry for the Cruellest Month blog event.

Owls for Laurie

This post is dedicated to one of my favourite bloggers, Laurie of I Love a Cloudy Day. Laurie lives in a northern Ontario city with her husband Garry, surrounded by the rugged boreal terrain of the Canadian Shield. Laurie loves cats and dogs and, indeed, all tame or wild creatures. But her particular favourite is OWLS.

For example, I believe this is an ACTUAL, UNRETOUCHED photo of Laurie with one of her many owl friends. How she gets away with bare arms and lacy gloves in the middle of winter is beyond me, but she is one tough COOKIE, eh?

And who can blame Laurie for loving owls? They are magnificent birds. Just look at this spectacular image of a snowy owl in flight, whose photo was captured in January by a TRAFFIC CAMERA outside of Montreal --

EAT YOUR HEART OUT, all you human photographers in the blogosphere who would just kill to get a shot like this once in a lifetime! An inanimate piece of technology beat you to it!

Owls inspire not only photographers, of course, but also artists of all descriptions. Even those whose chosen medium is the WOODPILE out back --

But, I ask you, do we REALLY know and understand owls?

Owls can have bad days, just like EVERYONE ELSE.

But I KNOW that even if an owl were having a bad day, Laurie would still love and admire it. She truly understands how important NATURE and THE WILD should be in our lives.

May owls always bring you joy, Laurie!

Quadricentenary

William Shakespeare died 400 years ago today on April 23, 1616. That date is also speculated to have been his 52nd birthday. His cause of death is unknown but it was apparently sudden, unexpected and natural.

What better way to pay tribute to the greatest of English playwrights and poets than by using his own words?

What a piece of work is a man!

how noble in reason!

how infinite in faculty!

in form and moving how

express and admirable!

in action how like an angel!

in apprehension how like a god!

the beauty of the world!

the paragon of animals!

And yet, to me,

what is this quintessence of dust? 

(Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2)

(Photo is from the 2013 movie Only Lovers Left Alive.
And yes, of course, that is Tom Hiddleston.)

Earth Day, Part 2

And now, a couple of LOLs for climate change deniers . . . .

We should listen to people like this instead . . . .

There's only ONE country that will benefit from global warming.

Is this the REAL reason behind Canada's push to keep marketing oil from the Alberta tar sands? We'll never admit it!

Earth Day, Part 1

This Friday is Earth Day again! And I've got so many environmental LOLs this year to mark the occasion that I have to spread them out over two posts. Part 2 will be on Thursday.

Horitomo's Cattoos

Kazuaki Kitamura (nicknamed "Horitomo") is a Japanese tattoo artist who is skilled not only in the use of an electric tattoo gun, but also in the much more painful traditional art of tattooing by hand.

A cat lover, Horitomo has produced a delightful series of prints called "Monmon Cats" (which I believe simply means tattooed cats or perhaps "cattoos"). Some are whimsical and some are fierce. Indeed, some are so fierce that people call them "Yakuza Cats" (after the notorious Japanese mafia-style gangsters).

This next one is entitled "Severed Head and Sakura" (cherry blossoms). It sends a real mixed message, doesn't it? Nice samurai blade though, kitty!

Of course, Horitomo also tattoos his cats directly on clients --

And here is the artist himself, with a non-tattooed friend --

Bunnies Behaving Badly, Part 2

Unfortunately, bunnies behaving badly are not just a modern phenomenon. No, there is a long, long historical precedent of anti-social behavour by bunnies. Just take a look at these actual drawings from illuminated medieval manuscripts and you'll understand what I mean. (Many thanks to Lady M at Lady M's Haunted Parlor who did the research for this post).

See how these beastly bunnies delight in taking vengeance on their canine enemies?

But they get positively bloodthirsty in dispatching their human foes!

I'm not sure whether the bunny in the last picture is hitting that guy with a rock or sexually molesting him but either way, not acceptable!

Bunnies Behaving Badly, Part 1

Don't let the cute public image of bunnies fool you. They get up to all kinds of disreputable behaviour, much of it involving drugs, fast cars and wild sex --

They should never be trusted in restaurants either.

Bunnies have no real sense of public duty or public service . . . .

And these are the bunnies that need a good tazing but never receive it.

But this is the worst one of all -- Bunold J. Jump!

He's currently running for the presidency of the Bunny States of America, which is traumatizing a lot of other bunny citizens. Some days they just can't cope with the idea.

Help them, Doctor, help them!

Music and Words Award

My favourite Australian, Michael d'Agostino of A Life Examined, recently gave me this award, the sweetie! Thanks, Michael, here's my "music and words" answers to the accompanying questions!

1. What does music mean to you?
I have always loved music -- all types of music. I don't think any other art form can express emotion so well, so accurately and so movingly. Plus music transcends time, language, culture and is truly universal. Now, here's some uniquely Canadian music for you! These young Inuit throat-singers performed at Prime Minister Trudeau's recent swearing-in ceremony. Traditionally, a throat-singing song ends when one participant can't help but laugh. Isn't that a great way to finish?



2. What's your first music-related memory?
As a pre-schooler in early 1960s Canada, my favourite kiddie TV show was "The Friendly Giant" on CBC. Every Canadian of my generation knows its opening theme song "Early One Morning" played on recorder and harp. And hey, those cheesy special effects were state of the art in those days!



3. What was the first album you purchased yourself?
I don't remember the first full album I bought, but I do remember the first 45 I purchased -- "Hitchin' a Ride" by Vanity Fare. It would have been around 1970 when I was 13. And I still have it! No, I am not a hoarder. Oddly enough, this song features a recorder too.



4. What's the latest music you purchased?
The last CD I recently purchased for myself was "100 Days 100 Nights" by Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings. I love their sound and their retro-cool video for the title song!



5. What's the last song you listened to? (be honest)
While I'm writing this post, I'm listening to a CD of Dwight Yoakam's greatest hits. How I love old-timey-twangy-drawly country hurtin' songs!



I'm passing this award on to several fave bloggers who regularly post music videos on their blogs. Often they introduce me to great new music (well, new to me anyway). I'd love to hear their answers to these same questions!

LL Cool Joe of CAPture the BEAT
anne marie in philly of From My Brain To My Mouth
fearsomebeard of Fearsome Beard
Jim of Ocean Breezes
The Cranky of Cranky Bar
Kay G of Georgia Girl With An English Heart
Professor Chaos of The Daily Irritant
Janie Junebug of Janie Junebug Righting & Editing

A Birthday Dirge for Magaly

This is my entry for today's prompt at Magaly Guerrero's Dark Poetry for the Cruellest Month blog event. Magaly's birthday is tomorrow and she has asked for Birthday Dirges to be composed in her honour. She cited as a model/example the ever-popular Viking Birthday Dirge.



Now, I find the Viking Birthday Dirge to be as hilarious as the next person. Goddess knows I've forwarded it to everyone who I even suspect of having Norse ancestry. They love it too! But it's an entirely different thing for someone of my sunny disposition to deliberately write dark and dire things concerning something I've always been trained to regard as the happiest of occasions -- a birthday! Writing this dirge was totally counter-intuitive.

But I've done it for you, Magaly, only for you! Have a wonderful birthday tomorrow and a most joyous celebration. Okay now, everyone put on your best frowny face while reading my dirge --

It's your birthday.

Happy birthday.

Getting older is such fun,

You'll get wrinkles on your bum,

On your birthday.

Happy birthday.

It's your birthday.

Happy birthday.

Oh but that is not the worst,

Your whole country's gonna burst,

On your birthday.

Happy birthday.

It's your birthday.

Happy birthday.

You live in the U.S.A.,

Prez'dent Trump is on his way,

On your birthday.

Happy birthday.

It's your birthday.

Happy birthday.

If that's not okay with you,

How 'bout Clinton Number Two?

On your birthday.

Happy birthday.

It's your birthday.
Happy birthday.
If the States go all to hell,
Come to Canada to dwell!
On your birthday.
Happy birthday.

[© Debra She Who Seeks, 2016]

See? I just couldn't help myself -- it has a happy ending!

What the Frick Frack . . .

. . . is going on here?

Ohhhh, I see, the box says it all . . . .

Yes, it's that time of year again. Enjoy it!