Conversation with a scallop shell You’ve been calling to me from your marine mollusk home for quite some time – Whispering to me via gifts from friends Pendants on necklaces Surprising me in a box wrapped with string Words inscribed “Unless you leave room for serendipity, how can the divine enter in? The beginning of…
Category: Travel
Paris Pilgrimage Magic
“Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it.” Goethe Years ago I dreamed of wandering the streets, neighborhoods, museums, and restaurants of Paris with a group of women. I wasn’t sure how it was going to happen, nor the logistics of facilitating such a venture,…
My love affair with Paris
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…
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 ‘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…
Ode to Genau
From the moment of our introduction in Vienna, Austria, I knew we were to become dear friends. What a delightfully wonderful presence you are: Precise and playful, Full of promise and hope, Statement and simplicity. You can be exclaimed with a shout and strong conviction Or whispered quietly and almost musically from the lips. With…
Sharon Richards 