~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
King of the Castle
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cloud clusters clamber and cloak
the whitewashed mountains
while evergreens grow
fortress-like
Each conifer striving
to be king of the castle
but only until –
the Sun arrives
and burns off all pretense
Then He calls the faithful to heights
never before attained
where each one
casts down a golden crown
beneath the amber glow
of the Sun.
Wendy/2013
I am befriending the clouds. They have their own special beauty. I hope that you are finding beauty in whatever season you’re in. We’ve had over three weeks without sunshine… it peeked out for under a minute today while I was in the garden. 🙂 I let it shine on my face!
Golden Glow Blessings ~ Wendy
I would like to thank the following friends for recent blog award nominations. Although I don’t participate in awards any more, I appreciate the kind gesture and would like to list the following blogs in the order that they have linked to mine.
http://pjgracecommunity.wordpress.com
http://inspiremylife.wordpress.com
http://ajaytao2010.wordpress.com
http://jaydenmiller.wordpress.com
http://ibeatovca.wordpress.com
Wendy……..your prose and your phots are both superb.
Thanks you
Thank you for your generous praise, Richard! I’ll trade you some of our fluffy clouds for any spare sunshine you may have?
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy 🙂
Morning Wendy-Lee! I shall send you some Oz warm sunshine!! Hugs Paula xx
Good morning, Paulama! Thank you for offering to send me some warm rays! One good thing about these clouds is that they are holding in the warmth so I can work outside in comfort. 🙂 I may need to take my flashlight outside to take pictures of our snowdrops flowers… Hugs to you Paula! Been thinking of you – take care.
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy xo
Thank you…feeling much better! Just sailing along..Hugs Paula xxx
I love that you can find beauty even in the clouds…blessings.
‘He makes all things beautiful!’ I just have to believe it… 😉
Blessings to you Laurie ~ Wendy xo
Clouds fascinate me. Since I was a teenager I learned the names and types of clouds, and have been fortunate to see some unusual formations, some rare. As always I like how you join words to images.
I’m curious as to ‘whether’ you remember all the names for clouds? The kids and I enjoyed learning about them and even though it was my second time around I still forgot… Our kids seem to have inherited my husband’s good memory. 🙂
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy 🙂
Yes, I do. It drives my wife and Mother crazy because I name the clouds indicating what weather such a formation foretells. But my companions never remember the names so I’m left repeating myself each time. Obviously their interest is very low. Oh well…
Yes, I noticed the pun, a form of humour I am much inclined towards!
I learned to pun from my husband. If you can’t beat them – then join them! A lot of laughing goes on in this house…
Super! Happy are those who…
I love all of it, but especially, “He calls the faithful to heights never before attained”–it gives me chills of excitement, hopeful anticipation!! God bless you–love, sis Caddo (Sorry about the 3 weeks without sunshine–good thing we have built in Son-shine, eh?)
I agree,Caddo, He is our sunshine! When my firstborn was a baby I sang ‘You are My Sunshine’ to him a lot. Time flies by so quickly and soon we will too!
Blessings good friend ~ Wendy xo
What a wonderful vision, a mother singing that song to her baby!
I was unable to have children for over ten years…sometimes I cried with joy when I sang it. He loves music and has even done solos in a couple of musicals before his voice changed. He may start singing again since he’s playing guitar now. I sure hope so!
What a joyful, victorious testimony, Wendy!
Your photo of clouds is beautiful. I think that when we go without the sunshine for days, it makes us appreciate it all the more!… just like everything else in life. May you have blessed sunshiny days this week, my friend! 🙂
Daisy, your words are so true! Absence really does make the heart grow fonder… Today I spied some yellow crocuses getting ready to bloom for next month – yippee! I’ll keep my sunglasses ready. 😉
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy xo
I love that you found blessings in those clouds! What a beautiful photo too, really matches the poem. You are so good at this, Wendy . ..at blessing us! God bless you!
Thank you, Debbie! I grew up with a moody artist mom who taught me to appreciate nature through her paintings, gardening, and so many other things she dabbled in… I am moody, too, but I have tapped into the Source of Light that keeps the shadows at bay – when I am still.
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy xo
A lovely photo and a lovely poem. So very nice.
Thank you! You are helping me to appreciate my cloud covering with fresh eyes.
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy 🙂
Wonderful imagery, Wendy. Nature at its finest ~
Thank you, Tina! Nature inspires painters, photographers, poets and more while it boasts the talent of it’s own Artist.
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy 🙂
Your opening line and then the ‘sun burning off all pretense’ captivated me today! Thanks Wendy!
Melody, any pretentiousness I foolishly engage in is burned off regularly as I stumble each day. Having watchful teenagers around helps keep this ‘evergreen’ humble… 😉
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy xo
Ouch – don’t I know it! Add to that a passel-full of inquisitive young students who catch every skip of their tired teacher’s tongue, and you have the recipe for humility. ‘Just add water and mix thoroughly…’ 🙂
Hugs and a chuckle! Teaching is a noble but challenging profession. I admire you, Melody! I only have three students, since I am a homeschool mom, and today I got caught not having a math test marked yet… I don’t think I could handle a real class. 😉 Last week I fell asleep during a biology video and that made them laugh. I went to bed earlier after that…
*giggle* Hard to foster enthusiasm when your subject matter puts you to snoozing… 🙂
Beautiful poem!! Lovely shots!!!
Thank you, Rexlin, for your rays of sunshine that you bring here! 🙂
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy xo
What a gorgeous photo! I missed your blog while I was tied up the last month and a half!
Cheers, Wendy!!! (from Mexico this week)
Enjoy Mexico, Nina! My brother just passed through there recently on his holiday. Everyone is always smiling in any pictures I’ve seen from there. 🙂
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy xo
Such a good piece, Wendy, and so full of marvellous images – “the Sun arrives
and burns off all pretense.” I love this. It’s only as pretence is “burnt off” that heights can be reached. Your post was an absolute tonic, great photo as well. Thank you.
Thank you, Don! Those trees really struck me as competitors rather than companions with each other. The first is motivated by pride and the latter by Love.
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy 🙂
I find your poetry very refreshing – thank you for sharing it!
Thank you! I have been enjoying your haiku. Today I found some photos that are telling me that there are haiku to harvest from them… I hope to do that soon.
Blessings ~ Wendy
I love the phrase “befriending the clouds”! 🙂 I’m doing the same, especially since my visit to Africa where there were NO clouds, but only merciless sun and heat! Hugs dear Wendy
ps. And the clouds can be photogenic too, as shown in your first picture! Beautiful!
Apparently sunsets and sunrises look best with some clouds – I agree! Hugs!
Calee, at least with clouds you can put on a sweater to remedy the chill. Sometimes in the summer I put a wet garden shirt on so I can stand the heat longer if I’m finishing off a garden project. Clouds are okay. 😉
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy xo
I very much enjoyed your words and photo Wendy…three weeks with little sun is a very long time…hopefully you will have more soon!
Thanks, Heather! We had a bit of sun this morning 🙂 followed by wind and heavy rain. It made it cozy to be in the house. And it gave me an excuse to relax instead of heading outside. It’s not good to walk on lawns and flower gardens in heavy rain as it compacts the soil.
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy xo
I love the alliteration of the first line… excellent 🙂
Thank you! I love alliterations…and am hopelessly hooked on them.
Blessings dear friend ~ Wendy 😉