Album of the Month

James Taylor's Greatest Hits, one of my all time favorites, it speaks for itself.

to an unknown person (on a train from koln)

he stood gazing through the glass
as you set separated staring back
your fingers reached up touched the pane
tip to tip caressing each other
together but alone, feeling only glass
the train moved, he sighed and walked away
his face softened with loving pain
he's going to miss you

A prayer

In the somber silence

I lit the candles

At first they hesitated

The flames flickered

And threatened to die

But slowly surely

They grew, they rose

Into strong steady flames

Unwilling to be extinguished

Waving to and fro

Combining with one another

Forming a bigger, stronger flame

Today, in the somber silence

I lit two candles

A prayer for each of you

Homeless Man attacks HUF Student

I was accosted by my brothers former roommate the other day. This would not be strange except I am in Italy, and I just bumped into him. Small world eh? I was going to write about it but Steven beat me to it.

An Almost Mugging

As you may or may not know, my youngest brother David is in Italy for the semester. A few days ago he was at the train station in Sienna, and he was headed to the W.C. before he got on the train. On his way to the W.C., someone grabbed him violently and started shaking him, at which point David freaked out because he thought the Gypsies were coming to kill him. Then, just when he was getting ready to fight for his life, his attacker started laughing hysterically and released him. When David turned around he was shocked to see the Ruskie. Apparently, the Ruskie's job is in a slow period so he's in Italy for a month. David is showing him around Florence today.

The River Speaks

Italy has enchanted me
the mighty Arno calls my name
gently first, but then tugging strongly
come walk on my banks, dream
cut loose your inhibitions
study, learn, write
partake in my beauty
experience the culture
cut deep into the land
carve your path
as I did mine
the Arno tugs at me
and I answer,
for Italy has enchanted me

Growth

long lines, short lines
crossed lines, coarse lines
thick lines, thin lines
darting everywhere
this way, that way
all arranged in disarray
but wait, be still
a pen moves boldly
these lines slow, mesh
disarray will go away
from within, it comes
a face gentle, young
confident and strong
born from confusion
liberated to life

Album of the Month

This is simply, the album I listened to more than any other last month. I can't get enough of this sound.

When in Rome...

Metamorphosis

Small and weak, a tree is born

Seasons change, years pass by

It develops, shifts, gathers size

Roots push deep within the earth

Anchoring firmly, forming foundation

Storms blow in, breaking limbs

It holds its ground, steadfast and resolute

Developing, growing still

Once this tree was feeble, even bare

Now it stands majestically bold

Laden with the fruit of age

david elliott baird 5.11.08

To an unknown person (on a train to Prague)

He stood on the platform
Raised his arm, waved good-bye
and watched your train depart
Love filled his face
Tears magnified his eyes
He hesitated, turned and walked away
He's going to miss you

Munich

Saturday, I was in Munich. Saturday, I visited Dachau. On Saturday, I cried.

Embarking

Tomorrow is the beginning of my first free travel.

First we go to Munich. Getting there may be a mess. We waited to long to make our reservations so instead of one train, we have to take three, which costs more money.

Next we will go to Prague, for two days I think.

Our final stop will be Vienna.

These are just plans, the reality is that we may go other places too. I bought I train timetable book today, so we can plan on the go. I am just going to make sure my info is right before I get on the train. My understanding is that my brother Steven, may have taken the wrong train a few times. That would be an adventure though.

A Gate

Heartfelt

Daily I say things I don't really mean
things to others which only demean
Venturing to realms, I simply don't know
drifting in currents, where I can't row
Be swept up, swiftly carried away
as if falling, without a belay
Reaching out, desperately, trying to stop
my weight, my PRIDE, I know I must drop
Pride creeps in and sulks as a thief
loosing friends I search for relief
Saying, "I'm sorry." what will it do?
I humble myself, before God, and to you

Almost Missing the Train

It was a pleasant day, and we were going as a group to Lucca for the afternoon. I needed to pick up a phone in Florence so I got instructions for the train and ventured ahead into Florence alone. Having developed a good feel of the streets, I took my bus into town and quickly walked to the cybercafe that had my phone. Then I went directly to the train station because I only had about 20 minutes until the train was supposed to leave. It was at the train station that my troubles began. Lucca was such a small stop that it was not listed on the board, I actually need to be looking for another town, also I had the wrong time written down by two minutes so the train I was looking for was non existent. This information was all on the schedule given to me; therefore, not something I had copied down wrong. Ah but I have a phone now, so I called Kyle and he said, "Look for Lucca 1:10 the rest of the group should be on it already." Kyle was reading from the same schedule. By now my time was running out, so I called Robbie, "Track 5," he said. With a minute to go and the track on the opposite end I sprinted towards my track and jumped through the closing doors of my train to Lucca. Ah what and adventure.

Under the Tuscan Sun

Agrigento

Palace Wanderings

The Night Train (An Adventure to Southern Italy)

Following a strenuous day of education, the HUF group embarked on adventures to southern Italy. The first leg of this trip was an overnight couchette. Such trains rides were not new to me, as I had experienced at least one when in Greece. A few things did come as a surprise to me. First of all, I was the only couchette, to be a mixture of guys and girls (I had intense nightmares of being expelled from Harding), secondly, we were joined by a young Italian man. An Italian man, who really spoke little English (I guess that should be expected), but that talked to us for four hours anyhow, even after we tried to sleep. These are the things that I learned (it took all five of us with two dictionaries to interpret), his name was Orezzo, he was 19 years old, and did not go to a university because he is a sponsered cyclist. In fact he claimed to be the champion cyclist of Sicely. My new freind also had two girlfriends, one in Florence, and one in another town. He seemed to have a sense of humor. When asking our ages he discovered that I was at least two years older than every member of the room, at which point he nicknamed me Molto Vecchio, which means very old. He called me that the rest of the night. Other than that, the train ride was rather unadventerous; although, I did discover that I need to attempt not to end up on the bottom bunk in the future, I don't really fit.

On Listening to Mark Twain

At the beginning of my adventures in Italy I posted a Mark Twain quote on this blog. As I travel I have been attempting to follow his advice, and so last Sunday I got lost. Not only did I get lost, but I got lost on purpose. In a small way, it was an attempt by me to explore and discover interesting things in Florence. The following information is the best way I have found to get lost on purpose.

Step One: Get on a bus, any local bus, preferably one of which you know nothing of the destination.

Step Two: Get off said bus, and a random unknown stop, and wander deep into the streets.

Step Three: Hopefully by this time you are lost. Now find your way back to the bus stop home, while enjoying the city around you. Hopefully you will discover, something new and interesting.

The results of this experiment were somewhat mixed for me. I did learn how to get to the train station, that is a good thing. Then I somehow ended up at the Duomo, which was slightly disappointing. I do believe that in the future I would like to have a compass to accompany my map, so that I can get my bearings easier. Although, it would be more of an adventure without one. Sunday roles back around in a few days, I can't wait to get lost in Florence again.

Album of the Month

Recorded in 2003 and released in 2004, Riot on an Empty Street, has a great sound. Kings of Convenience brings joy to my ears whenever I partake of this album, which in this case is every few days.
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More than Chess

in a cozy little town,
with little to do
look to the hills
this way, that way,
what do you see?
perhaps castles,
of medieval days
protectors of the lands
standing tall, boasting strength
defying all, even time
stand on their foundation
scale them with your eyes
think, imagine living there
the smells, the sounds
can you feel, can you sense it
does it become reality?

seats

Autumn In Tuscany

nestled in the hills
in the midst of Tuscany
following an aged man
down a well beaten path
hurtling puddles, climbing hills
amongst emancipative beauty
in the cool autumn air
intimately knowing the harvest
ravaging the vine
of its abundant crop
selecting luscious bunches
to be fermented, morphed
sold as fine wine

Harvesting Grapes

My Closet

With the exception of four t-shirts
this is everything, I have. I hope it
is enough. I must say it has been
rather cold lately.

Firenze

sights, sounds, swirling around
take a breath, look at ground
here, there, where do i stare
buildings of beauty everywhere
what is this, what is that
could this be where DaVinci sat
slowing, stopping, standing still
this moment seems so surreal
the mountains and Florence envelope me
I'm surrounded by timeless history
in the home of great intellectual
art music history and literature rule
take a breath, raise a foot
stroll along on their soot.

Music in Florence

Big Band Jam

I never could have imagined listening to big band music, next to a naked statue of David in Italy, but it happened.

Life was good...

Life was great here in Italy, and then I woke up this morning and realized I had to go to class. That was a downer. Then I looked at my watch and realized I had to be in class in exactly two minutes. Needless to say, no shower for me this morning. I think that I am going to immensely enjoy Robbie's Humanities class. Due to the fact that I am acquainted with a lot of the information from the same course in Greece, I am hoping that my learning experience here will be amplified. We have a book, that I am really looking forward to reading, it is supposedly packed full of great information. I also had Italian class this morning. I think that if I wake up in time for my morning cafe, I will enjoy this class. Mona is a very happy person, a fact which does not mix well with extreme sleepiness, but that is up to me to change. We are having a welcome gathering tonight so there won't be any glamorous stories of exploration today, but those will come in days to come.

Is David really cracking up?

Michelangelo's David 'may crack'
By Mark Duff
BBC News, Milan

Michelangelo's famous statue of David could collapse because of its exposure to mass tourism, Italian experts say. They say the massive statue of the naked boy-warrior is in danger because of its size, shape and the weakness of the marble from which it was carved. But they warn that the greatest risk comes from the footfall of many visitors who troop past it each day at Florence's Galleria dell'Accademia. The experts want to protect the statue by insulating it from the vibrations. This would cost about 1m euros (£785,000). Otherwise David could topple over, engineers from the University of Perugia say.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7626093.stm

Florence Photographs

First You Must Explore

Yesterday, we were introduced to Scandicci. By introduced I mean this, Robbie took us to town, led us all around, showed us how to ride the bus and got me all turned around as to where I was. He then preceded to give us some rather sketchy directions and say well see you at the Villa, and drove off. Fortunately I made it back, although it was a rather daunting stressful task. While in Scandicci, I did have the opportunity for my first cappuccino at Mario's. It was delicious. Today, I woke up to a dreary slow, chilling drizzle outside my window. So I looked through my meager selection of clothing, picked out a sweater (not hard as I only have one), and prepared for my first visit into Florence. Armed with map and umbrella, I trekked over to bus 16 with the group and headed into town. Once there Robbie once again quickly led us through a maze of streets, dropped us off with Kyle and disappeared after lunch. Then Kyle took us all to a central square and said okay, get some supper, explore and find your way back to the villa. Once again I made it back. Today I felt more confident than yesterday. Due to the bleak conditions decent photography was mostly out of the question, but I did manage to snap a few, just like a good tourist. I look forward to spending lots of time in both of these towns in the near future, and hope to take some good pictures soon. Until then here are a few halfway okay pictures.

Wakiing realization

cockle doodle doo, the rooster crows
disapprovingly i awaken
the window shutter beats the bed
i arise to latch it
looking out, i see much
short stubby trees, vineyards
hills and mountains
a slow drizzle drifts down
and a cool refreshing breeze strikes my face
i take in Italy

Bicycle

The Land of the Boot

It took just a little over twenty four hours, but I finally arrived in Italy late last night. Truthfully, alot of it is much the same as back home. As we were driving from the airport, I saw lots of tractors working in the fields, and the ever familier round bale of hay. We arrived at the Villa, after a frisky walk up a small hill, to the sound of some delightful music. Now I sit here tucked away in my own private corner, of a room, after finishing my stove top espresso breakfast.

Ciao

Time to Go

I leave for the airport and then Italy in search of grand adventures shortly. As I packed my bag last night, this quote of Mark Twain's floated through my mind.

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

Llama for President

John McCain or Barack Obama,
I think I'd rather elect a llama

I found this picture online when I should have been sleeping. While of course I would never vote for a llama, I found it amusing. I had already written my rhyming phrase a few days ago, while experiencing large amounts of boredom, as I painted a basketball court. When one has inhaled paint fumes for too long strange things happen.

Album of the Month

Embodied by the genius of John Scofield, Billy Martin, John Medeski, and Chris Wood, this is an album to buy. Released in 1998, it is not new, but it is new to my c.d. collection. A Go Go, contains ten tracks that thrill my soul. Get it, listen to it, you will understand what I mean, hopefully.

hands

stained, callused, work worn hands
staring straight back at me
these could change my destiny
the define position
create first impressions
tell who i am,
before i speak
shifting gears, turning wheels
they take me places

clean, smooth, slender hands
reaching out straight at me
these could change my destiny
they define passion
promote gentleness and grace
improve who i am
shifting gears, turning years
they give me foundation

barrelhouse (bee's knees)

syncopated rhythms dart off the stage
smoke lingers in the air
cool gyrations run through the crowd
be-bop gives birth
to a new kind of soul
a sense of individuality
freedom of the mind
i stand, moving to the beat
finishing my beer, walking away
fusing the rhythm with my feet

changing phases

glowing, glistening
the moon shines
illuminating the dark
clouds swirl around
trying to embrace it
with will o' wisp arms
i sit far below
wandering, contemplating
phases, of the moon
of me, always changing
sometimes growing
sometimes shrinking
always whole
but sometimes invisible
to others

Zeus

seek, search

Growing exponentially

I seek and I search

I can’t see in the dark

Groping blindly I stumble

Trying again

I seek I search

Light beams in

Perfection an impossibility

Perseverance a reality

Album of the Month

This past weekend, while in Houston, I picked up The Weepies latest album, Hideaway. To say the least, I am enthralled by this music. I might have shamefully listened to the c.d. four times on my drive back to Searcy. Their sound is intriquingly phenomenal. For a taste of their sound visit their myspace.

daily

exasperated, all is gone
senseless, numb to life
trembling, nothing left
falling, heart is cleft
releasing, loosing strife
rejuvenated, new day begun

mind's maze

yearning causes learning
which gets my mind a churning
hatred, scorn war and pain
in these where is there gain
forgiveness is the way to live
why can't we just love and give

yearning causes learning
which gets my mind a churning
as lepers of emotion
how do we put love in motion
it is written, "Jesus wept"
why can't we reach this depth

yearning causes learning
which gets my mind a churning
if aiming for perfection
means killing my reflection
then death to me
love i will be

yearning causes learning
which gets my mind a churning

transition

my heart throbs
my soul aches
my spirit slowly breaks
much i have to reveal
how would this make others feel
my legs are weary, my feet sore
i can't bear this load anymore
i stutter, speak, words begin to flow
jubilantly i glow
happiness, freedom, joy live in me
i speak his name with ecstasy
love gives me wings on which i soar