Leafy-with-love banks and the green waters of the canal
Pouring redemption for me, that I do
The will of God, wallow in the habitual, the banal,
Grow with nature again as before I grew.
The bright stick trapped, the breeze adding a third
Party to the couple kissing on an old seat,
And a bird gathering materials for the nest for the Word
Eloquently new and abandoned to its delirious beat.
O unworn world enrapture me, encapture me in a web
Of fabulous grass and eternal voices by a beech,
Feed the gaping need of my senses, give me ad lib
To pray unselfconsciously with overflowing speech
For this soul needs to be honoured with a new dress woven
From green and blue things and arguments that cannot be proven.
Away from the land but always in my heart.
Starting this piece of writing with a poem written by Patrick Kavanagh in 1954. Honestly the Royal Canal is one of my favourite parts of Dublin and a spot I will always bring a tourist or a visiting friend just so they can see, smell and touch the… the ? the essence of the area I suppose. The feeling of sitting on a bench and just staring into the space in front of you is magical. And it was obviously magical for Pato.
Currently writing this whilst on a 3 week vacation in Tenerife, my last post was November 2020.
Back then I was talking about how much I had dived into film and at that stage I have been developing my own film at home. Skip forward now to August 2021 and I haven’t taken a single digital image :) Well apart from the odd image on my phone.
I have been really digging film man, and i’m still in awe with its powers. Shooting a lot of 120 lately with the Yashica 635 and a lot of Portra. One really important mile stone I have passed is the confidence of photographing people on the streets. Now I do need to give thanks to the Yashica though as this is mainly the reason I have been able to photograph strangers of the streets. The 635 is such a beautiful camera that people tend to come up and ask me about it, which in turn, leads to a photograph.
Check out some faces below, which have been shot on this deadly camera.
Its amazing how true these words are ringing for me today (Thur 19th of August) I have been stuck in the past and stuck in old ways. Stuck in the same frame of mind and thinking process that I always have been. Not being able to move forward and attack life in a better more refreshed and open minded way.
Moving forward and sitting beneath a light that suits me better. The light being a newer approach to life.
I was never one for thinking about therapy and always thought it a scary and dark place you need to be in to need it. But I have sought out for it and i’m getting stronger because of it. You may have someone in your life you can talk to and there may be someone there online telling you “i’m here if you need to talk”. That is such an amazing thing to have available to yourself, but therapy is much more. There is something so relieving about telling a stranger your issues and thoughts. It really is like turning your bin upside down and shaking out all the garbage. Maybe not a good metaphor but when that hour is over your mind is empty and clear.
A new step in life is always scary, especially if it’s a new step after living 30 plus years the way you are used to. Having someone available to you so that you can just continuously talk out-load and maybe reach a point where you say to yourself “oh shit ! that actually doesn’t sound that bad, now that I have talked through it” is extremly beneficial, especially if you want to stay positive in life for yourself and those around you.
I’m thankful that therapy has been introduced to my life and I am even more thankful to myself for opening my mind and actually taking the step forward and letting it in. I don’t think therapy is a word that gets passed around the family table much and if it does, its met with a response of “what’s wrong with ya’ or a very concerned raised eye brow. Where in fact, it should be met with admiration and a positive attitude all around.
My Mind. org is what was introduced to me and if I can introduce this to someone else that may need it then there will be more positivity in the world :) Click the link above to check out their website where they have a lot of therapists to choose from.
Also, one more thing on the above. Due to COVID hitting us all hard, the HSE are offering help when it comes to therapy. The Covid-19 project is running until the 31st of September where you can take advantage of 12 free therapy sessions if you are eligible. This was a huge help for me and I only found out about as my therapist advised me of it. So if you are reading this, I would highly recommend that you check it out and speak to your GP.
Heres to looking forward to a brighter future, because life ain’t always empty :)
Home now from that 3 week vacation and then back on another 1 week vacation to Paris. Such an amazing place to visit with a camera and a home to so many amazing photographers. I have some lovely rolls to develop and will do a little write up on them once I have them scanned.
In the mean time, i’m going to end this with a video I created from my trip to Tenerife.
Enjoy x