Poem: Generations Of Wisdom

Generations Of Wisdom

Grandfather: Sinclair Gilbert Cannon

Photography: Jetta Marie

Poetry: Jetta Marie

Gratitude Of The Day: The generations of wise men in my family

When I was young,

My Grandfather would sit with me,

And teach me ponder the stars;

He encouraged me to ask questions

Of the universe and world alike,

Yet bestowed on me the wisdom,

Not to offer answers easily.

He taught me how to dream,

How to think for myself, 

And how to never give up learning

Just because no answer was available 

At the present moment I was in.

From him I learned of Past,

And how to build on it for my Future;

In him I found wisdom.

My Father,

Being my Grandfather's child,

brought  similar,

But very different lessons to my view.

Though he did  encourage me to dream,

My father had the challenge 

Of teaching me, 

That dreams cannot emerge

From nothing into something.

 Dreams of greatness have their place,

But They are nothing 

Without the courage to back them

With the hard work it takes

 to make them reality.

My father taught me

To dream,

And how to navigate reality

To make those dreams tangible;

In my father, 

I have found wisdom.

My Brothers,

Though young,

Have the same roots 

As the great men from which they sprang.

In quite moments, 

My oldest brother reminds me

That no matter how big you get,

No matter how tough you think you are,

You always have time for hugs

From the people you hold dear.

He reminds each time I see him,

That there is no excuse 

For being mean to others;

And that a moment to be a kid again

Even if only once in a blue moon,

Can lighten your heart

In ways you did not even know you needed. 

My baby brother, 

Though still learning to understand

The roots of wisdom 

From which he was created,

Reminds me to laugh each day,

And to seek for beauty 

Even if I must look more than twice

To find it under the dust.

Though still a playful youth,

It is awing to me still,

When he smiles his impish grin,

And prompts me to inquire 

Of the " what if's" 

OF the universe around us.

Somewhere, 

Though in a less impish tone,

Those questions of the stars 

Seem all to familiar to me. 

Yet it humbles me to the core,

And send gratitude to every fiber of me

When I ask who taught him to question

on such a profound level,

And all he can say

Is simply put,

"No one had to teach me to dream,

My dearest sister,

I was simply Born to think this way"

In my Grandfather,

I learned wisdom.

In my father, 

I learn it every day.

And in my brothers, 

it will live

And continue,

For all generations to come. 

Letter: Tis The Season To Be Grateful, Tra-la-la-la-LA!

Its Thanksgiving everybody! "Tis the season to be grateful, tra-la-la-la-LA!" So in the spirit of the season, I would like to know...what makes YOU grateful. I write everyday about the importance of gratitude, and I would love to get some feedback and to hear about some of the things in your life that make you grateful. Before you post though, I want you to REALLY think about it. Everyone can casually say.."I am grateful for my family, and my car, and random things..." and its great to hear, but I want to hear WHY you are grateful for these things!

 So here is the challenge...take a minute and really think hard about the 3 things in your life right this minute that you are grateful for, and share them with everyone here. Gratitude is a lot like faith..as you share it, it will grow, and in that process it changes outlooks, and lives. Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Thanks for following along, and stay tuned to more challenges and wonderful art to come! Love ya all.


Artfully Yours,

Jetta Marie B

Poem: Far From The Beaten Paths

Photo: Jetta Marie
Poetry: Jetta Marie
Gratitude Of The Day: Having the honor to live a life uncommon, and well off the beaten path of normal stigmas. I am unique, my life is unique, and I am blessed to be surrounded by friends and family who not only understand that, but encourage it.

Far From The Beaten Paths

IN ones life,

There are many forks in the road;

There are many moments that allow us

To face defining moments 

Where we get to chose what path we will take.

Decisions of destiny

And commitment to the outcomes of those choices

Are roads never easily traveled.

And choices that should never

Be held or considered lightly.

But in a life lived uncommon,

In a commitment to face the rocky ways

By which we make our choices,

With courage and steadfast demeanor;

When you see clearly that others 

Have no intentions to follow or accompany you,

And your path is unmarked, uphill, 

And impossible to predict...

You have a choice in a moment like this;

To run back to follow the path of others,

Or to say a prayer in your heart

And tackle the more difficult path 

One footstep at a time.

You can live in fear as you travel this path,

In a constant state of watching behind you,

Or you can marvel in  the fact 

That none have seen what you are seeing!

Though the climb to the summit 

Can ware you to exhaustion at moments

You can choose to remember the courage

You had in tackling the path at all

And learn to rely 

On the strength of the warrior 

you already are inside.

You can live in the adventure 

And find courage in how far you have come,

and the bravery to keep going

that you have already displayed.

You can live in the wonder 

Of the new, unexplored path you have chosen

Never  surrendering 

To the whispering of fear,

Or you can follow the path 

That everybody else 

Has already traveled

And furthermore, 

Trampled the flowers and greenery

As they came in hoards 

On what they deemed,

"The Easy Way  Home."

I for one, 

Was once like them;

Afraid that I could not succeed 

In traveling my own way.

Afraid of being alone

And having to rely on myself for survival.

But through watching those before me

Brave enough to leave the herd;

By following and understanding

They examples they set,

In accepting who they were 

And never failing to display courage

In a way I never thought I could; 

In watching them laugh 

When others insulted and called them ignorant 

For leaving the well beaten path;

When they returned to me stronger

Happier,

And with much greater stories to tell

Then I could have ever imagined.

Through their example of bravery

Through watching them never settle for ordinary

And inviting me often 

To join in the uncommon life

That they lived and chose each day;

In watching them 

I found the strength inside,

And took that first step

Onto an uncertain path

For which there was no prediction of outcome.

And I for one,

Have never looked back.

This uncommon life that I lead

The chances and leaps of faith I take

And yes, even the consequences that follow 

Have shaped me into more

Than a worn path ever could.

Hardship, though exhausting,

Is something I would much rather face

Than living a life without the beauty 

And growth in myself,

That I get to see when I travel the roads alone.

Forget the well worn path of others;

For I desire more than the common,

More than that already discovered,

And more than trodden dusty path of everybody else.

I desire freedom;

I desire adventure and new beauty;

I desire to live far 

from the unbeaten path of others.

Poem: An Ode To Dogs

 An Ode To Dogs  

 

           

 

Photo: Jetta Marie

Poetry: Jetta Marie

Gratitude Of The Day: My sweet dogs, Dax and Jazzie-Bell, who never give up when it comes to making me smile, even when I don't feel like it. 

An Ode Dogs

Animals are wonderful

They do not judge or care

if you are successful

 or if you  have all your hair

They do not care how much you weigh

they will be there still with love

so long as you can take the time

to give a belly rub

They really just don't understand

The lady at your work

Or that the reason for your tears 

is that she's a jerk

They do not care if you were wrong

when you had that fight

all they want to really know

is if you are alright

Slimy kisses, stinky breath

some may wonder what's their charm?

When they are rowdy or obnosious

or leave goobers on your arm

Those who ask those questions

are not seeing past stigmas fog

And odviously have never had

the companionship of a dog

There when you need them,

through thick and think

never judging your mistakes

impossible for them to be

insincere or fake

like a child all they see

is a person that they love

they just dont care about your flaws

they still love you, just becasue

no is not an answer

when you are sad and blue

to a dog they know one thing

something they must do

"my person's sad 

and its my job 

to fix that if i can

oh yes I know, this always works

I will slobber on their hand

it will gross them out at first, 

but then the plan you see

it to grab my toy and shake it hard

so they will look at me

Then I will run around and play

until I see them smile

Then its time for snuggles

though that may take a while

And once my plan's completed 

mom will be OK

Once I get them past the tears

Then with Dad I will lay."

This is what goes on

inside that doggy brain

And this is why we love them

from Yorkie to Great Danes

Poem: Finding You

Photograph: Jetta Marie
Poem: Jetta Marie
Gratitude Of The Day: Watching my sweet Chaz conquer his hardships and overcome them one by one. I love you handsome man. Stay strong.

Some Days are Tough 

Some days it is truly hard

To see light in your life

Sometimes things just bare you down

Sometimes nothing comes out right

Some days you may wonder

Why everything's so bleak

Some days may drag on

into days or weeks

Sometimes life is difficult

And being thankful just a notion

But once you start to seek the good

A change is set in motion

Though dark as things might seem

when you are trapped inside your storm

Once you start to seek small hopes

You'll locate more and more

Just as depression seeks for company

Like a virus of gloom and doubt

Gratitude is like a train

And happiness and peace the route

For when you see the good in life

No matter the fury of the storm

you will gain the skill to see

through that dark once more

Gratitude Is like that train 

That gets stronger as it goes

And those of us who know its power

Know it only grows

As it brings you from the dark

The sadness that you feel

Can finally then be put to rest

And your hope begin to heal

So don't give in to darkness

Remember that your loved

And the more that you express that

the more over dark you'll fly above

The more that you allow yourself

to see the good in life

the easier you'll find yourself

Dismissing apathy and strife

Armed with such great power

there is nothing you can't do

and in overcoming all your trials

know this ....

I BELIEVE IN YOU!

Poem- brother

Photo: Jetta Marie

Poetry: Also Jetta Marie
Gratitude Of The Day: Arakusu-san (my brother)

Brother

Brother,

Doubt not yourself

Nor The future you shall have.

Seek and yea shall find,

Brother,

Knock and it shall be opened.

The power in your heart,

And the beauty in your soul

Are gratitudes that have benefited

All who have come to know you.

Your smile and quirkiness

And love to make us laugh

brighten rooms

And cheer us when we are sad.

Your wisdom of the things you hold dear

are remarkable for your age

and have taught me to seek

for my own answers in life

Your courage to face life

and fight for what you believe are unmatched

And don't you ever forget,

Dear Brother,

The Value of your life

And the quality of life

you bring to others. 

If any soul who meets you

does not laugh when you joke

does not take comfort in your optimism

does not appreciate you

for the wonderful man you have become,

may they yearn for the laughs never had

And the friendship of a lifetime 

That they will miss due to blindness

I am proud of you;

Never forget yourself, brother

Never forget you are loved.

Poem: Connection To Simplicity

 Photography: Chaz Boren

 Poem: Jetta Marie B

Gratitude of the Day: Having a day to just think and connect with myself

Connect To Simplicity

In this day

In this moment of time,

We live in a world full of noise

Full of instant gratification;

A world

Of "I Want This Now!"

And commands to work harder, 

To work faster. 

We are rarely given a moment

To breath in a moment of quite;

To reflect  on our life

To ponder

To wonder

To dream

To simply not have to think at all. 

But in moments where serenity exists

In moments where you can freely breath

And you can chose to think 

Or to just be,

Those moments of freedom

Will grant you eyes to see truth

And air to breath deeply.

As Humans we need moments of quiet

no matter what we say.

We need moments to connect 

With God

Or Earth

Or even self.

We need moments where commotion stops

And we can simply be who,

And even what we are.

Moments of simplicity,

Moments of connection to greater self

Cannot be forgotten in our busy life's. 

For when you lose connection to self;

When you have no break

 In the chaos of progress and success,

And a world formed in "Right Now!"

Then there comes an ever looming future

Where your worth is no longer

Based on you,

But on your success.

What then if success fails you?

What then if material happiness eludes you,

or expels you from its grandeur?

Know yourself;

Beyond the grasp of  a face-paced society

Take the time to live moments

Formed from that which is quite 

And Simple.

In moments of Serenity 

You can learn to rely on yourself

And build a rock on which to stand.

Chaos is not happiness

Nor can it hold you in times of trouble.

Happiness is measured not from a monetary standard,

But in how you chose to live your life

And the understanding you have

of who you are 

Beneath supposed success of world aspirations.

It is understanding self, 

And learning to depend on ones self.

 This skill can only be obtained

When you leave the noise behind 

And take the time

To connect to  simplicity

And self.

First Post..About Time!

Gratitude of the Day: I found the courage to put together this blog!

One of the goals of my blog is to share the beauty I am able to find in each day of my life through the medium of the talents I have been given. There are many moments each day where something inspires me to write, sketch, compose a song, or take a picture. I know from experience how hard it can be sometimes to find any silver linings when you are having a crappy-craptacular day. Its hard to find gratitude for anything in life when everything seems to be going wrong. But rest assured that in each day, there is one little thing that you saw or experienced that has the ability to at least bring you  a smile.

 I can's express enough how important it is to count the blessing in your life, no matter how small they may seem at the moment. A neighbor who makes it a point to run into you on your morning jog, just so she can say "good morning"; a compliment from a supervisor or friend; the smile on a persons face when they actually LIKE the photo you took of them. Write these memories down somewhere, and keep them handy for the days when gratitude is hard to come by.

I read an quote once in a Winnie-The-Poo coloring book that has stuck with me for a long time, and has fueled a lot of the fire in me learning to appreciate myself and have gratitude even for little things. It stated "Even if  you're small, you can do big things."I was in a very dark place in my life when I came across this little ray of hope, and as I started to remember what I DID have in my life, rather than what I lacked, my health and outlook on life began to improve.

The first thing I had to realize was that, yes, I am defiantly a small fry in the scheme of the great plan of the universe. But through the coaching of my best friend and Husband, and the encouragement of my family during the hardest times of my life, I was able to realize that even if I am small, I SHOULD BE PROUD OF MYSELF and it does not make me worth less than BIG people. I have things to offer to society that make me important, unique and needed, even if they don't get a big applause from a random audience. I have values and appreciation for the things that I DO have, and when the world seems to be trying to bring me down, the "goggles-gratitude" have a way of helping me get the upper hand on the challenges I face.

Each of us has the power to use the "goggles-of-gratitude" to fight the hurdles that come with being human. We all have SOMETHING about us that makes us valuable, and important and worth the breaths we take. May the daily reminders of the beauty I am able to find in each day be an example to those who stumble across my little pinhead sized corner of the internet, and may you take my suggestion to keep a log of daily moments to be thankful for. It takes a little time, but once you get the hang of seeking out the little traces of good in this world, it becomes a lot easier to live in it.

Thanks for stopping by, and may my art and verses inspire gratitude in your life as well. I would love to see what my readers are able to see through their own "gratitude-goggles" so if you would like to either email me something to share, or post a SMALL exert in the comments, I would love to share your own little encouragements with those who are reading.

Artfully Yours,

Jetta Marie