My love affair with Paris began in 8th grade. I had this rather odd, quirky French teacher at my high school. He was dramatic, expressive, and could hardly wait for us to ‘fall in love with French’. (And no, I did not fall in love with him). In order to demonstrate the verb, tomber (to…
Category: Soul Strolling
Blessing of Water
This poem is in response to a prompt from the Writer’s Gathering I attend here in Seattle. We’d read through ‘Beannacht ‘(Blessing) by John O’Donahue from Echoes of Memory, and the following line stood out for me: “May the fluency of ocean be yours.” Blessing of Water “May the fluency of ocean be yours.” May…
Ode to my Father’s Knee
You bore the weight of loss upon your body from a young age; your little knees torn and scratched from playing football on the gravel ground, bled the pain and carried the scars of your mother’s life – gone, at such a young age. Your father carried you as best he could dressing you each…
Ode to ‘The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt
Your creator was a gifted artist Blending the richness of gold With the passion of red The dark black of night With the velvety carpet of floral green. I made your acquaintance At the Belvedere Museum in Vienna Pausing in awe At the power of your tenderness, Now knowing I would fall in love with…
Reflections on Costa Rica
I stand at the threshold of the gate that leads from the patio of our condo in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. I can smell the ocean: the morning fragrance of sea salt air dancing together with the warm tropical breeze and the symphony of birds chitter-chattering “Bienvenidos, Sharon.” It is early in the morning…
Ode to Paris
Thomas Jefferson wrote about you, dear friend, “A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of life.” And so right he was You captured and delighted my heart At the wonderful age of 21, When I stood atop your Tour Eiffel and proclaimed To the wind, ‘I shall return’…
Ode to 50
I knew you were approaching; but honestly, I was a bit apprehensive about your arrival. I wondered to myself, “How would I like to honor crossing this threshold?” My souls answer, “Kauai” After the gift of journeying 49 years, I knew to pay attention. And so, rather swiftly, my soulful creative inner traveling guide danced…
Cooking class with La Cuisine Paris
This was the first time I participated in a cooking class in Paris; it was fun, interesting, engaging, educational and delicious. http://lacuisineparis.com/ offers a variety of classes and I decided to participate in the morning market class. We met outside Cafe du Metro (kitty corner to metro Maubert Mutualite) at the corner of Boulevard Saint…
Fat Tire Bike Tour to Giverny
Claude Monet lived in the village of Giverny from May, 1883 until his death on Dec. 5, 1926. My first memory of seeing one of Monet’s paintings was when I visited Musee D’Orsay in Paris in the early 1990’s. Before that I’d been introduced to his work via my mom, who loves many of the…
Taking my soul for a stroll in Paris
I’ve been re-reading a favorite book of mine over the past few months: ‘The Art of Pilgrimage’ by Phil Cousineau. I’ve underlined and folded down so many corners on so many pages; the phrase that resonates with me most deeply is, ‘take your soul for a stroll’. What does it feel and look like for…
Hello Yellow
Hello, buttercup you called from the waters edge Fancy meeting you on the path this morning. You reminded me of Princess Buttercup and brought a slowly moving smile to my face. Can we bring joy and hope to your heart this morning? Questioned the Iris as my feet tread the lakes path. Look at us,…
Ode to Pike Place Market
We first beheld each other in the fall of 1979, through the eyes of the original Starbucks mermaid logo. I was a bright eyed, enthusiastic, falling in love with Seattle fan. A virgin coffee drinker, deeply ensconced in my Scottish/Canadian tea drinking roots, I was lured to your domain by my summer camp gang from…
Sharon Richards 