December 22, 2023
December 8, 2023
Unintended Consequence
Constructed of quarried boulders, the breakwater extends across the bay for about a mile. For those willing to make the intimidating walk across, you will be rewarded with secluded beaches, two lighthouses, and the chance to observe crabs, starfish, and maybe a seal along the way.
We checked the tide chart, so not to get stranded at high tide, and began our trek. Token, a little brown rescue dog found at a New York city subway station, came along. At almost the halfway point, Token decided to return to less challenging terrain. No matter our calls, Token never looked back, never slowed. Once we arrived back at the sandy beach where the breakwater begins, Token sat happily waiting for us.
knowing eyes
focused and patient . . .
heron
We checked the tide chart, so not to get stranded at high tide, and began our trek. Token, a little brown rescue dog found at a New York city subway station, came along. At almost the halfway point, Token decided to return to less challenging terrain. No matter our calls, Token never looked back, never slowed. Once we arrived back at the sandy beach where the breakwater begins, Token sat happily waiting for us.
knowing eyes
focused and patient . . .
heron
December 1, 2023
A Journey to Behold
The time had come
to embark on a journey,
to leave family and friends,
to depart the only home
you have known.
As you stand in the doorway
the rooms behind you
filled with memories
pull at your heart and mind
to remain.
There is comfort here,
the beyond unknown,
there will be no going back
once that step is taken,
the door closed.
Voices inside you call out
with doubt and with sadness,
yet there is a new voice
a singular voice, your own,
you know you must go.
The door closes
and a darkness falls over you
covers you in confusion,
but as you turn there is a light
that brightens the soul.
All that has gone before
and all that you have learned
will be with you, to guide you,
as you begin this journey –
a new life, your own.
to embark on a journey,
to leave family and friends,
to depart the only home
you have known.
As you stand in the doorway
the rooms behind you
filled with memories
pull at your heart and mind
to remain.
There is comfort here,
the beyond unknown,
there will be no going back
once that step is taken,
the door closed.
Voices inside you call out
with doubt and with sadness,
yet there is a new voice
a singular voice, your own,
you know you must go.
The door closes
and a darkness falls over you
covers you in confusion,
but as you turn there is a light
that brightens the soul.
All that has gone before
and all that you have learned
will be with you, to guide you,
as you begin this journey –
a new life, your own.
November 23, 2023
A Place I Used to Go
. . . there cannot be growth without sacrifice and there is no guarantee that what will come tomorrow will be half as precious as what was ours just yesterday.
— Jim Metcalf
We encounter many things as we make our way through life that help steer us along our path, or perhaps set us upon another path entirely. There are people who influence our thoughts and beliefs. There are events that remain with us always. But we also encounter little things that can impact our lives – sometimes without realizing it at the time.
Often times we may hear a song that will take us back to another place in time. I remember my first true awareness of music when I listened to Chet Atkins’ album “Mister Guitar” in the early 1960’s. The album turned me onto music and would lead to my own guitar lessons and a love of music that today includes many varied styles. My every day is filled with music, but when I pull out “Mister Guitar,” I am transported back to where it all began.
During my school years, literature was not to my liking. It did not matter what form or style of literature – if it had words, it was disliked. Everything changed in the mid 1970’s when I picked up Jim Metcalf’s small book of poetry “In Some Quiet Place.” That one book created a love for words that literature classes could not. Although today I read many different forms of writing, I still occasionally pull out one of Jim Metcalf’s books and discover again that first thrill of the printed word.
I have long had a passion for visual art. I owe most of my knowledge and appreciation of art to my uncle, but a turning point came when I purchased the book, “The Art of Andrew Wyeth.” Wyeth’s work fascinated me. His art was realistic in that the scenes and subjects were immediately recognizable, yet they also told a deeper story and created a mood that drew you in and captured you. A high point came in 1980 when I visited a museum show of Andrew Wyeth art. My love of art today embraces many different styles that include the world of craft. But for me the soft tones and quiet melancholy of Andrew Wyeth’s world will forever remain a fascination.
So, excuse me while I get a cup of tea, put on Chet Atkins’ “Mister Guitar,” grab my tattered copy of Jim Metcalf’s “In Some Quiet Place” and “The Art of Andrew Wyeth.” I need to revisit some old friends, drift back to where things began, and dip once again in water from another time.
— Jim Metcalf
We encounter many things as we make our way through life that help steer us along our path, or perhaps set us upon another path entirely. There are people who influence our thoughts and beliefs. There are events that remain with us always. But we also encounter little things that can impact our lives – sometimes without realizing it at the time.
Often times we may hear a song that will take us back to another place in time. I remember my first true awareness of music when I listened to Chet Atkins’ album “Mister Guitar” in the early 1960’s. The album turned me onto music and would lead to my own guitar lessons and a love of music that today includes many varied styles. My every day is filled with music, but when I pull out “Mister Guitar,” I am transported back to where it all began.
During my school years, literature was not to my liking. It did not matter what form or style of literature – if it had words, it was disliked. Everything changed in the mid 1970’s when I picked up Jim Metcalf’s small book of poetry “In Some Quiet Place.” That one book created a love for words that literature classes could not. Although today I read many different forms of writing, I still occasionally pull out one of Jim Metcalf’s books and discover again that first thrill of the printed word.
I have long had a passion for visual art. I owe most of my knowledge and appreciation of art to my uncle, but a turning point came when I purchased the book, “The Art of Andrew Wyeth.” Wyeth’s work fascinated me. His art was realistic in that the scenes and subjects were immediately recognizable, yet they also told a deeper story and created a mood that drew you in and captured you. A high point came in 1980 when I visited a museum show of Andrew Wyeth art. My love of art today embraces many different styles that include the world of craft. But for me the soft tones and quiet melancholy of Andrew Wyeth’s world will forever remain a fascination.
So, excuse me while I get a cup of tea, put on Chet Atkins’ “Mister Guitar,” grab my tattered copy of Jim Metcalf’s “In Some Quiet Place” and “The Art of Andrew Wyeth.” I need to revisit some old friends, drift back to where things began, and dip once again in water from another time.
November 17, 2023
Thinking About Circles
What about the earth,
the sun and the moon;
what about morning
to night and back again;
what about seasons
where spring follows winter;
and then there is life
from birth to death.
Are we limited
to a straight line?
the sun and the moon;
what about morning
to night and back again;
what about seasons
where spring follows winter;
and then there is life
from birth to death.
Are we limited
to a straight line?
November 10, 2023
Just One of Those Days
It’s just one of those days you can’t explain
. . .
Some days you write the song
Some days the song writes you
— Guy Clark
When a writer is faced with a blank page and the task of putting words together with a mind that does not want to cooperate it is called writer's block. But artists can face the same problem with a blank canvas. Just getting started can be a difficult task. Then there is the problem when the image that is developing on the canvas does not match the image visualized in the mind. Examples are many where even great artists have painted over sections of canvas that did not suit them, or simply painted a different image on the back of a canvas.
Then there are the times when a work of art has been completed, installed in a place of distinction, and something really goes wrong.
Ben Long has made a career as a teacher and a painter of frescos. He has created stunning frescos in churches and public buildings. Beginning in 1988, Ben Long spent two years creating a very large fresco for historic St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over 1500 square feet and 30 feet high, the fresco depicted “The Agony in the Garden”, “The Pentecost”, and at the center “The Resurrection”.
In 2002, the unthinkable happened. The entire center section of the fresco crashed to the floor with remaining areas severely damaged. A heart-breaking disaster. While it would be determined that numerous construction projects in the immediate area surrounding the historic downtown church was the cause of the destruction – with the foundation work on a high-rise bank building next door delivering the final blow – the loss was still devastating.
The creation of art can be difficult and often frustrating work. To render an object that reflects one’s thoughts, vision, and passion, can be exhilarating. The late folk artist Sybil Gibson once said, “I have had so many adversities related to my painting – along with some notable successes – that I sometimes wonder at my determined drive to keep trying in the face of some of my disasters. Everything one creates doesn't turn out a masterpiece, but it is such a joyous thrill to bring off something you recognize as being good from your innermost self.”
. . .
Some days you write the song
Some days the song writes you
— Guy Clark
When a writer is faced with a blank page and the task of putting words together with a mind that does not want to cooperate it is called writer's block. But artists can face the same problem with a blank canvas. Just getting started can be a difficult task. Then there is the problem when the image that is developing on the canvas does not match the image visualized in the mind. Examples are many where even great artists have painted over sections of canvas that did not suit them, or simply painted a different image on the back of a canvas.
Then there are the times when a work of art has been completed, installed in a place of distinction, and something really goes wrong.
Ben Long has made a career as a teacher and a painter of frescos. He has created stunning frescos in churches and public buildings. Beginning in 1988, Ben Long spent two years creating a very large fresco for historic St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over 1500 square feet and 30 feet high, the fresco depicted “The Agony in the Garden”, “The Pentecost”, and at the center “The Resurrection”.
In 2002, the unthinkable happened. The entire center section of the fresco crashed to the floor with remaining areas severely damaged. A heart-breaking disaster. While it would be determined that numerous construction projects in the immediate area surrounding the historic downtown church was the cause of the destruction – with the foundation work on a high-rise bank building next door delivering the final blow – the loss was still devastating.
The creation of art can be difficult and often frustrating work. To render an object that reflects one’s thoughts, vision, and passion, can be exhilarating. The late folk artist Sybil Gibson once said, “I have had so many adversities related to my painting – along with some notable successes – that I sometimes wonder at my determined drive to keep trying in the face of some of my disasters. Everything one creates doesn't turn out a masterpiece, but it is such a joyous thrill to bring off something you recognize as being good from your innermost self.”
November 4, 2023
Remembering When
My grandfather was an avid fisherman. He loved fishing the rivers and lakes of Middle Tennessee. Mother would talk of weekends growing up when breakfast would be whatever he caught that morning. And if fishing was not good, there would be frog legs.
dog-eared page . . .
returning
time and again
dog-eared page . . .
returning
time and again
October 21, 2023
Outlook
Mountain born and bred they say. His home is, as it always has been, a cove in a narrow valley. A simple life for a simple man -- never wanting more, never needing more, never venturing beyond the tree lined rim.
The day finally came when he traveled beyond his valley to a bluff on the other side of the mountain. The vastness of land stretching out before him caused him to exclaim, “So that’s the world. God almighty ain’t she a whopper!”
journey . . .
the blurred distance
becomes the past
The day finally came when he traveled beyond his valley to a bluff on the other side of the mountain. The vastness of land stretching out before him caused him to exclaim, “So that’s the world. God almighty ain’t she a whopper!”
journey . . .
the blurred distance
becomes the past
October 6, 2023
Then You’ll Know What I know
We all know that an artist sees the world around us in a slightly different way, something Leonardo da Vinci described as "knowing how" to see. But how do you teach or even explain this way of seeing to others? This is something all art instructors must try to convey to their students.
One can possess great technical skills to create art, but still fail to capture a scene or a thought. The artist must learn to go beyond the technical aspect of creating art and develop a “feel” for creating art. The same can be said for music. There is more to being a musician or singer than just playing the notes or singing the words – one must also know how to bring “feeling” to the music.
There are many things in life that we must learn to do, but being able to perform the technical aspect of the task does not guarantee that we will be good at it or even enjoy doing it. Many people enjoy fishing because they find it relaxing. However, if you have ever tried casting, you know that it is not a simple task. It is one that requires practice to develop a “feel” for it. And if you learned to drive a manual shift car, you know that it is more than just a matter of knowing how, but also developing a “feel” for shifting the gears.
So, what is this “feel” for doing something? It is the mental state at which a person no longer consciously thinks about a task, but merely does it. Moreover, is this not true about everything we do as we go about our daily lives? What often seems a difficult task can be accomplished with a bit of practice and patience – and developing a “feel” for it. Our lives today have become so hectic, are we losing our ability for concentration, for contemplation, for developing a “feel” for how things are done?
When Scottish singer/songwriter Dougie MacLean wrote of his experience trying to learn to use a scythe – the age-old tool with a long handle and a curved blade for cutting grass and grain by hand – he captured his father’s instructions with these words:
O this is not a thing to learn inside a day
Stand closely by me and I’ll try to show the way
You've got to hold it right
feel the distance to the ground
Move with a touch so light
until it's rhythm you have found
Then you’ll know what I know
One can possess great technical skills to create art, but still fail to capture a scene or a thought. The artist must learn to go beyond the technical aspect of creating art and develop a “feel” for creating art. The same can be said for music. There is more to being a musician or singer than just playing the notes or singing the words – one must also know how to bring “feeling” to the music.
There are many things in life that we must learn to do, but being able to perform the technical aspect of the task does not guarantee that we will be good at it or even enjoy doing it. Many people enjoy fishing because they find it relaxing. However, if you have ever tried casting, you know that it is not a simple task. It is one that requires practice to develop a “feel” for it. And if you learned to drive a manual shift car, you know that it is more than just a matter of knowing how, but also developing a “feel” for shifting the gears.
So, what is this “feel” for doing something? It is the mental state at which a person no longer consciously thinks about a task, but merely does it. Moreover, is this not true about everything we do as we go about our daily lives? What often seems a difficult task can be accomplished with a bit of practice and patience – and developing a “feel” for it. Our lives today have become so hectic, are we losing our ability for concentration, for contemplation, for developing a “feel” for how things are done?
When Scottish singer/songwriter Dougie MacLean wrote of his experience trying to learn to use a scythe – the age-old tool with a long handle and a curved blade for cutting grass and grain by hand – he captured his father’s instructions with these words:
O this is not a thing to learn inside a day
Stand closely by me and I’ll try to show the way
You've got to hold it right
feel the distance to the ground
Move with a touch so light
until it's rhythm you have found
Then you’ll know what I know
September 22, 2023
September 16, 2023
Three Poems
drifting
on the water
the fog billows and swirls
as though being stirred by a hand
unseen
fragile
with days numbered
she speaks of olden days
and tells stories of past glories
this rose
Passage
today
the cherry tree
that rained petals of white
is now raining leaves of yellow
and gold
August 4, 2023
June 23, 2023
June 3, 2023
Déjà vu
The old postcard is postmarked September 22, 1913. On the front is a picture of a boarding school for girls. The message reads, “Dearest, I got your letter this morning and sure did enjoy it. Will answer it real soon. Please be good and next Wednesday send me a package of chocolate cakes. If you send it then, I will get them by Friday. Am very happy up here. Love to all from the ‘noise of the family’.”
No matter the amount of planning and preparations we make for children, the child will ad lib all the way. It is always interesting how much children of yesterday and today are alike.
a new day . . .
the mockingbird’s
old song
No matter the amount of planning and preparations we make for children, the child will ad lib all the way. It is always interesting how much children of yesterday and today are alike.
a new day . . .
the mockingbird’s
old song
— Dan Hardison
Note: The Columbia Female Institute was an Episcopal finishing school for girls established in 1835. It was forced to close in 1934, a casualty of the Great Depression. The school was located in Columbia, Tennessee.
Cattails
April 2023
Note: The Columbia Female Institute was an Episcopal finishing school for girls established in 1835. It was forced to close in 1934, a casualty of the Great Depression. The school was located in Columbia, Tennessee.
Cattails
April 2023
May 18, 2023
February 4, 2023
Mother's Vase
Haiga by Dan Hardison
This haiga is included in the book "contemporary haibun 18", an anthology of haibun, tanka prose, and haiga from 2022. Available from Amazon.
Comment by editor by Ron C. Moss: “'Mother’s Vase' offers a poignant senryu with which we can all identify: how our dear mothers hold everything together. As with all of Dan’s work, the line work in the drawing is sure and steady, displaying great concentration, and the muted pastel colours work well with the subject."
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