Monday, June 6, 2016

My Shadows


image by glenn buttkus


My Shadows

I have seen George Foreman shadow-boxing, and the
shadow won.”--Muhammad Ali.

The day dawns around 5:30 am here in summer. By 7:30 am, when 
the sun breaks over the eastern foothills, my back yard is ready for 
me. It is jammed with ten kinds of shade, deep & dark, with good
clear edges--marvelous squads of shadows stretching across the
deck from the railings, posts, & furniture, across the dewy yard in
sinuous knots & patterns, shimmering under the huge hundred year
old maple tree in the neighbor’s yard, & my weeping willow & tulip
tree. The various shadows duel & mix it up, providing me with a
new show daily as I stroll gleefully about recording the drama with
my minimalist’s eye, & the growling click of the lens on my camera.

Shadows call me out
to play, as the sun creates
labyrinths without light.


Glenn Buttkus

13 comments:

  1. I love the play of shades, deep and dark, mixing it up with plants and trees ~ I like how the sun creates labyrinths without light ~

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  2. My favorite time of day when the shadows do marvelous things to the garden. That's when I like to try to capture it in my camera but it always seems to fall short.

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  3. I let the shadows do their things. My cell phone just doesn't do them justice so I write about them or just enjoy them. Everyday things - shadows. Who knew? I am so enjoying everybody's every day things. This one is exceptional.

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  4. Shadows are nature's chiaroscuro. It's good to enjoy them as art.

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  5. All that gorgeous word play describing the shadow play!

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  6. Oh! The light and shade and shadow and sound in this are STUNNING, Glenn.

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  7. So many have gardens lack proper shadow... I have always thought it was the main purpose... I simply love the different kind of shadows.

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  8. I love the Ali quote - I'd forgotten that. My father was a huge fan, a boxer himself. But those shadows captured my imagination. Give me shadow any time. Our house is mostly in shadow and stays wonderfully cool in hot weather, not that we get much of that in the UK!

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  9. All of it was imaged in my mind's eye as I read! An excellent example of show and not tell.

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  10. One is not alone with the morning's leisurely outing. If not for anything else the shadow is shadowing one's movements!

    Hank

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  11. Simple pleasures...playing with shadows!

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  12. I truly love this haibun. The shades of shadows....brilliant! Shadow boxing within your yard -- sparring with the light.
    RIP Ali

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  13. Gayle Walters RoseJune 8, 2016 at 8:04 PM

    Ha, I love that quote by Ali! What an amazingly clever man. And I love your observation of all the different types of shadows in your yard...they sure do make for some interesting photo ops.

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