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Pictured, “Poems for Lovers Loving & Being Loved”
Poems for all loves, lovers family and friends.
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“the intent of this blog is to incrementally build a body of thought that works toward integrating various topics, yoga, fitness, and the arts – it’s a process…”
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happy 31st anniversary sheila 
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below the following poem, is my post for our 30th anniversary last year, on this same date
sheila and i were one month away from leaving texas for vermont for a bit to be near her family, and to see her home state
we arrived around 5 pm, rented a car, and drove to our new apt, met our landlady for our keys and intros, and walked down the few blocks to church street where the summer’s first festival of jazz was well under way
by the time we were seated out doors under the umbrellas at ken’s pizzas, the cooling dry air felt a bit chilly to us, dropping quickly to near 60, having that morning left houston’s humid nearly 100 degree days
we still smile remembering the girl taking our order say, “oh it was terrible hot today, hit 90!”
we knew what she meant, but now we really know what she meant
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so today, we celebrate not a monumental marker like our 30 year anniversary last year, with a grand family gathering in galveston in perfect 80 degree sunshine, and lots of granddaughters running to and from the pool -
today, the monumental marker is another year, and like the meaning of my recent work of the every-day, this added year, our 31st, is really very much that, a monument in itself, of itself – happy and grateful to have this time…
happy 31st anniversary sheila
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Our 31st Anniversary
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another year’s gone by and again
so full and yet
still filling with so much
more -
we’ve returned to your growing-up
lands and peoples
walked streets your parents walked when
their whispers were waves of feelings
calling you to leave your wings
and be a baby
for them
we’ve sipped coffee at the deli
they must’ve wandered in
snow stuck to their
boots, flakes
finding
eye-lashes and young necks to melt on -
i’ve walked mountains your father
held your hand on and
talked with you of
how the waterfront has changed since when
your brother was your tag-along
drove bridges you said you’d carried him on your
bicycle
we found new ways to see the summer
felt the fall-ish colors and crispy snows you anew me all new
we came and found continuity in our fitness classes
and soon we’ll discover a new knee for you
a new fit
for our life -
we’ve been in texas and vermont, in
austin galveston houston and burlington
all so completely different in the life they bring
and yet in all the differing climes all the changing skies and
all the ways that summers heat and winters freeze
plus all the ways we age
we’ve always stayed the same
happy 31st anniversary sheila
i love you
adan
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© 2012 felipe adan lerma
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[ added late 050112 ]
this poem, written the few days leading to today, May 1st, our anniversary, is also being linked to dVersepoets’ OpenLinkNight Week 42 Prompt, hosted by Tashtoo
falling also on may 1st, the prompt is a call “to take May Day 2012 as a day in support of the 99%”
i’m assuming that’s most of us
tashtoo goes on to write about how important poetry has been in her life, and adds,
“No matter your beliefs, your opinions, your grievances, there is room for your words….”
there is not greater honor of the belief in equality and freedom, i believe, than to encourage all opinions, even those opposed to one’s own
but let us remember, that without substantiation, opinions are just that -
and i believe tashtoo is encouraging of that substantiation and expression by each of us
with that in mind, i feel my tributes this year and last, to my relationship with sheila, carry as much validation of the value of effort and time with another person one cares about, as can be expressed in words and images
below is last year’s 30th anniversary posting
thanks so much ya’ll
namaste – con dios – god be with you
adan
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[ Please Note: originally posted 050111 ]
Intro
The Occasion!
today, may day, is sheila and mine’s 30th anniversary
nearly half our lives already!
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Preparation
i went back and forth, up and down, around and back, trying to decide how if when i would post about this event
this is what i decided -
since i don’t have enough digital pics to do justice to 30 years i’d only post a few, though one is a compilation of photos i took a photo of!
and, since i have at least four poems, two by each of us, written over the years, about anniversaries, i’d post that, 2 of @ by each of us
the “wedding blessing” would work as well, but it’s already posted
rather than re-word our orignal poems, especially sheila’s! i’ve opted to just do a short commentary, making them personal, for us…
i hope ya’ll enjoy them as much as we have living and creating them
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The Poems
all originals by either myself or sheila
short current anniversary-commentary follow each poem
The Photos
also all original
though the details vary, so the photography-detailing, how i played the edges, ala my post, playing my edge with photography, variations, are in the footnotes
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Anniversary
Anniversaries are a time
of celebrating and
remembering
all the good times
and good things. Of
rejoicing all the bad
ones overcome.
Only, don’t
let it be
just today.
Help each other
celebrate each other.
Help each other
remember each other.
And help recreate
each other’s tomorrow
today and forever.
© 1994-2011 adam light creations – adan lerma
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there’s a strong sense of shared-ness and recognition that, even if not necessary, for enlightenment surviving or simply existing, we can help each other
actually, knowing it’s a choice, it means even more i think…
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This Anniversary
This anniversary is
different from the others.
Not because it’s so many years -
Not because it marks a milestone –
Not because we’re doing
anything special to celebrate.
This time something
really clicked -
Something we’ve wanted for so long
happened.
Something brought us
the closest we’ve ever been.
Yes, this anniversary
is really “something”.
© 1997-2011 adam light creations / sheila lerma
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sheila wrote this just because she wanted to
many of our poems we’d sell and personalize in the 90′s, were written in response to requests
this poem was one she said she felt compelled to write, and says she still can’t quite place the words as to why this is so
i’ll take her word for it
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30th Anniversary Collage
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First Anniversary
The vows were spoken,
the bond was made
“only” a year ago.
Since then has come a
unique understanding
that only the two of you
can really know.
Dreams spun together -
Plans forged ahead
on a path that’s just begun.
Looking forward to sharing
many more years of caring
like this very special
Year Number One.
© 1997-2011 adam light creations / sheila lerma
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sheila did write this poem in response to an occasion, i believe our oldest girl’s first wedding anniversary
yet the sentiments are those i’ve heard her express to me many a time, about us
i think she’s right :
“year number one” and “year number thirty” -
are but number-markings set apart
all else remains the same
the path is always…
just beginning…
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Our Anniversary of Meeting
I remember the light
around
and in your eyes.
I remember
the quickened interest
in
my own heart and eye.
And I remember imagining -
in a flash flown by -
remembering this, our first moment,
many many times
in times then still so far off.
And I’ll remember all this
now, at
our anniversary of meeting,
as when those dreams of
future memories
had begun becoming one, like us.
© 1995-2011 adam light creations / adan lerma
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yea, i know not a wedding anniversary writing, but i guess i could argue, when did we become married, spiritually anyways
and i really did imagine, back then, when i first saw her, her shirt’s laced high collar touching lightly on her neck, auburn light brown hair pulled back gently across her light skin, that i would remember this moment in the future, and remember knowing i would remember then, now
happy 30th anniversary sheila
namaste – con dios – god be with you
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footnotes
[1] a pic we had someone take of us this past nov (2011)
besides cropping, i blurred the whole image, then history brushed our faces back in
most heavy photoshop users know they can adjust brush size via the bracket key “["
but if you don't, and use photoshop a lot, don't feel bad, i only found out a few months ago when i finally got tired of not using a keyboard shortcut, and did a search via photoshop's help search
this was kinda fun literally playing with edges i brought back into focus
a sharpening swipe on my eyes, and a smudge swipe (or two) on the bags under my eyes, and wallah! got the focus i wanted!
[2] sheila loves putting together collages of actual printed photos, playing with the selection and arrangement
i took advantage of that and grabbed a nice shot of many of our years together
each photo had its own light/dark balancing, so i did a gestalt that evened most of the darkness from the older pics, then bracketed a dodge brush smaller and larger and back, lightening our faces, followed by swipes with the sponge tool where the lightening made the faces too red
dodging the poster board edges around the various photos gave them a neat spotlight glow i like
i had the distinct sensation of feeling that the photos, with that glow around them, plus the memories and feelings they evoked, were like stars seen at night, twinkles of light pulling at the heart, only this time, i knew why…
[3] final photo dates back to 1981, or so
i left the old-time glare-glaze on the image, rather than removing it, because i felt it enhanced the sensation of our past
the cigarette was also left in, to show where i’ve come from – 19 years of smoking since a late teen, to finally quitting march 1983 – that story will come
i marginally saturated the color, sharpened and softened and re-sharpend gestaltly, finishing via a slight pull-back with the fade tool (love that feature)
if ever a doubt what a cutie-pie sheila is, here’s proof
just match it with the first photo 30 years later!
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INTEGRATING YOGA FITNESS AND THE ARTS
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