JOY's POEMS: 2013

Fallen Red Leaves

Fall's Fallen Red Leaves

- Joy Krauthammer

Fall's fallen red leaves

make my heart skip a beat

and my feet

skip in joy.

Early morning,

silly I feel

jumping into the little pile of leaves

moist with evening's foggy dew.

Autumn 2013

Fall's fallen foliage

peak in redness.

Please peek at picture.

Sharing the only red leaves

I've encountered in LA.

love and blesSings, Joy

Love lone Liquidambar styraciflua,

sweet gum tree in Santa Monica.

Five pointed leaves turn crimson, flutter down.

Their fruit-- spiky, prickly hard round pods,

hang over my parked car.

On a thick foggy fall,

early Sunday morning

as I squat on the damp ground

and photograph beauty,

walkers go silently past.

Do they see the brilliant red leaves

solely on this tree?

- Joy Krauthammer

Liquidambar styraciflua red leaves

Liquidambar styraciflua red leaf

Liquidambar styraciflua red leaves

~ ~ ~

Homage to Mom

Homage to Mom

Agave at LACMA

- Joy Krauthammer

Agave, shot for this week's "Green" theme

for 52 Frames, on-line photo group.

While I was editing/cropping Agave,

I had a visceral jolt,

and also suddenly realized for first time

that my photo looked like my mother's, obm, art,
all green (which I truly couldn't stand)
agave and leaves painting

from 50-60 years ago.

Art mostly hanging on walls of our NY home, now gone,

over the green upholstered, down feather couch

which I wasn't allowed to sit on.
(No plastic covering!)

I still have a metal serving tray

with Mom's painted green agave

and her poem written on tray back.

Turn over the tray.

Shocking that I had no idea

I was so connected to Mom from so long ago.

She, too, before me, was also

a poet, photographer, multi-dimensional artist, and a gardener,

but Mom died young, 49 years old, over 44 years ago.

Mom had worked WW II in the Pentagon
and in the aftermath of the Holocaust,

the only religion statement I heard growing up,

Mom would say out loud,

"How can there be a G*d?"

Maybe Mom is helping G*d to paint the sunrise...

~ ~ ~

POEM ON PAINTED TRAY

"In the hour of False Dawn

The Beasts of Burden appear

Dun-Colored, one with the earth

Silhouetted dimly against the promise

Of a rising sun."

- Libby M. Melton

The green couch in poem, I trucked from NY to Maryland to cousins for them to enjoy.
A great couch, even if green. - Joy

~ ~ ~

Compassion Haiku

Compassion Haiku

friend dying at home

holding hands, and saying Bye

I bring her my joy

- Joy Krauthammer

Cancer kills too young

Tishrei arrives in hours

Friend enters new year

~ ~ ~

No Camera Haiku

No Camera Haiku

Mesmerized by sky

Pink purple sunset color

Camera not used

- Joy Krauthammer

Sunrise Pine Haiku

Sunrise Pine

Big pine blocks my view

40 years old hides sunrise

red glows through needles.

- Joy Krauthammer

Sunrise Palm

© Joy Krauthammer

Sunrise Palm

Unprotected in the powerful wind,
trying not to be blown over, I wait
until the palm lifts her feathery frond
to envelope and reveal the rising sun.

- Joy Krauthammer
12.2013

Haiku Fig Etiquette

HAIKU FIG ETIQUETTE

figs, great food in class

tummy quiet with yummy

no one hears me eat

- Joy Krauthammer

Enjoy my devotion of
FIGS: Photos and Poems

http://joys-poems.blogspot.com/2013/02/manna-from-heaven.html

http://joys-poems.blogspot.com/2013/02/figs.html

http://joys-poems.blogspot.com/2013/02/fig-tree-at-sinai.html

http://joys-poems.blogspot.com/2013/12/fig-tree-gives-again.html

http://joys-poems.blogspot.com/2014/01/hummingbird-on-fig-tree.html

http://joys-garden.blogspot.com/2013/02/fig-tree-collages.html

http://joys-poems.blogspot.com/2013/08/haiku-fig-etiquette.html

http://joys-joyousjoy.blogspot.com/2012/08/gds-fig-tree-parshat-ki-tavo-moses.html

http://www.chabad.org/theJewishWoman/article_cdo/aid/626326/jewish/Manna-From-Heaven.htm

Passion Fruits
http://sephirathaomer.blogspot.com/2009/05/passion-flower-returns-as-first-love.html

~ ~ ~

Full Moon Haiku

August Blue Moon

Moonlight

By light of full moon,

my garden I watered well.

Moonlight touched my skin.

- Joy Krauthammer

~ ~ ~

Ruach Moon, Canby, Oregon

Geese In Flight Haiku

Geese In Flight

Waiting for the sun

looking toward the Old City

G*d's beauty meets me

- Joy Krauthammer

River of Light

River of Light

Painted Path

by Joy Krauthammer ©

Torah, a path to follow,

sometimes through a dense forest,

with Light guiding the way,

and painted with the colors of the rainbow.

Path may be curvy or straight,

short or long,

narrow or wide,

deep or shallow.

Is the path rapid or slow,

high or level?

Familiar or new?

Easy to follow or not?

Filled with delights or difficulties?

 Torah gives place to pause.

(as do stones in a stream)

Breathe deeply, reflect, and listen.

From flowing waters,

varied sounds are heard

as many voices are heard in Torah.

The ear of the heart

can flow to the heart of G*d

in silence or sound.

Quiet the mind.

Shema / listen

What do you hear?

What is my path,
my purpose toward the Divine One?

Do rocks, challenges, become obstacles (to a well),

or provide places to step higher on the path?

Shema.

Can you hear the sounds of water

tinkle, splash, rush

falling, passing over the stones?

Is the heart awakened?

 In the quiet shade of trees,

high, by a cliff,
Big Sur

overlooking the ocean,

I have sat

on raised stones

in a gentle mountain spring,

and played my Tibetan singing bowl.

I sing Shalom / peace. I am grateful. I am at Onement.

- Joy Krauthammer

G*d is Love

We are created B'Tzelem Elokim / in the image of G*d.

River of Light
of our illuminated heart
lives in the path of the Tree of Life.

Beginning with Chesed / Loving-Kindness
to Malchut / Shekhina's Presence of full Light,

49 Gates of our emotions and actions

flow through the heart

from the Source.

- Joy

Genesis 2:10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden;

Psalm 46:4 There is a River whose streams make glad the City of G*d.

Psalm 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters.

 Water as a metaphor for Torah.

There is no water except Torah. Bava Kama 17A

"O, all who are thirsty, come for water." Isaiah 55:1

http://count-the-omer.blogspot.com/

~ ~ ~

Molalla River

Canby, Oregon

~ ~ ~

G*d Loves Me Heart

Heart
silk, salt painting
by Joy Krauthammer ©

G*d Loves Me

Outlining a radiant heart

to fill with intense red and purple

is exciting to me.

Freely splashing water

and wildly brushing layers of color onto silk

is satisfying for me.

A frosting of salty tears

add surprise and a magical marbling finale.

With a bit of a broken heart

I dance on silk, knowing

G*d loves me.

- Joy Krauthammer
~

G*d Loves You

~ a story

by Joy Krauthammer

Grieving

when my husband, z'l, had died

after lengthy life-support,

and after I had served for years

as Caregiver Angel Warrior,

I felt very 'alone',

although surrounded by friends.

My beloved Jerusalem rebbe Yosef Ben Shlomo Hakohen, z'l, said to me,

"G*d loves you."

I painted these words

and hung them on my wall where I work.

I felt loved and healed,

no longer alone,

accepting this wisdom,

and have shared the thought

"G*d loves you"

with others during my Bikkur Cholim / visiting the sick experiences.

~ ~ ~

Published in Chabad.org

The Creative Soul site "ART FOR THE SOUL, Jewish Artists Reflect".

May 2013

http://www.chabad.org/blogs/blog_cdo/aid/2231188/jewish/G-d-Loves-You.htm

A Kol ALEPH Feature: Words to Inspire

June 5, 2013 issue

published by Kol Aleph Online Journal

"This lovely bit of poetry by Joy Krauthammer inspired us when we had a long day at the office!"

http://kolaleph.org/2013/06/05/kol-aleph-presents-words-to-inspire/

More on HEART:
http://joys-art.blogspot.com/2009/12/published-art.html

~ ~ ~

Artist of Life

I am an 'Artist of Life'

~ Joy Krauthammer

My life as art
comes from my heART.

It beats as a drum
and it is open
and flows in abunDance.

It is open to you.

It is open to Oneness.

Raindrops

RAINDROPS

- Joy Krauthammer

In the garden,

from deep inside

my joy is delicate and expansive.
Raindrops dangle from flowers

Dazzling, translucent gems.
Each a crystal of delight.

They hang and don't fall.

Sun shines through the gems.

Drops sparkle on tubular red flowers.

A circus of joy-drops.

I dance and sing.

Sitting on green leaves of rose bush

raindrops make their presence known.

They don't fall.

Gently, I shake down the drops
off favorite Double Delight rose

to lift its heavy wet head.
"Come back, Rose".

Reaching high, standing beneath

laden boughs of a citrus tree,
I carefully tug at the round, full fruit

to receive from the tree.

I pluck the fattest golden grapefruit

first harvest of the season.

Ah, so juicy and delicious.

Thank you, G*d.

Over 33 years ago
I planted citrus trees.

Shaking the branch

I release the sun-lit crystals.

Hanging from the fruit

raindrops fall on me.

My body accepts

the gift of falling fresh raindrops on my skin,
Ah, a delight.

Baruch Hashem.

So filled with true joy,

I don't feel the morning chill

until I leave the garden.

~ ~ ~

PS
The glorious raindrop day ended not with more rain where I live, but with a r a i n b o w!
When the sun appeared I hoped I'd see G*d's miracle, and went outside.

From the other end of the Valley in the Eastern sky where I could see a partial rainbow, friend Suzanne called to say she saw a full rainbow and hailstones! She remembered to call me with rainbow alert!
On the phone, we share the blesSing.

For more Garden of Joy photos:
http://joys-poems.blogspot.com
http://joys-inthemorning.blogspot.com/2013/03/mornings-joy-filled-deep-delights.html

Joy-drops also photographed on International Women's Day

3/8/2013

Raindrops on Lagartijos

Rose Pink "viviparous" Kalanchoe succulent

Do you see the reflections on raindrops?

Rose Leaves and Raindrops

Raindrops on Grapefruit

Grapefruit inside

Golden raindrops

Orange Raindrops

Raindrops on Oranges

Raindrops on Jade

(planted the Jade 35 years ago)

~ ~ ~

Rainbow Eastern sky toward sunset time

G*d planted a Rainbow.

Eastern sky toward sunset

Rainbow and Plane

~ ~ ~

About Me

Fallen Red Leaves

Homage to Mom

Compassion Haiku

No Camera Haiku

Sunrise Pine Haiku

Sunrise Palm

Haiku Fig Etiquette

Full Moon Haiku

Geese In Flight Haiku

River of Light

G*d Loves Me Heart

Artist of Life

Raindrops

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