Saturday, May 21, 2005

Castaway Heart

I remember your lips and want to be Robinson Crusoe there
I remember the bone of your hip and sparkling eye
Oh the curve of your cheek oh the curve
I melt into your smiling stare
We must touch each other that we may
Know who we are
And who we are not

48 comments:

gulnaz said...

thanks for commenting on my blog. i would not mind if u were to link my blog.

'know who we are
and who we are not'
....my favourtie part..:)

gulnaz said...

i don't know anyone from your part of the world...its so wonderful to hear from a new part of the world...am so glad you came across my blog. :)

angel-A said...

incredibly beautiful and deeply philosophical! as usual ;-).
thank you, Russell, for your art or should i say your heART???!!!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks angel-a for your kind and wonderful words; I am deeply touched! I thought about you when I was working on the title. I'm so glad you enjoyed this peom!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi gulnaz! I'm glad we found one another. Have a look around the blog. There are pictures of life in good old Kaz scattered about. I am extremely impressed with you poetry. Glad you liked this poem (that's my favorite part too) and looking forward to lots of great reading as soon as I get this link up!

Russell CJ Duffy said...

sometimes words fail and this is one of those times. i enjoyed this poem a lot.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks CJ! It is always a pleasure to hear from you and thanks for the great words. Your comments are much valued and appreciated!

Sue hardy-Dawson said...

Hi Russel, I like the idea of some one melting under their lovers stare

Roger Stevens said...

A touching poem.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi Sue! I think this is an experience we all have had. We live in the eyes of our beloved and we are simultaneously swept away. We recognize the danger but succumb to the pleasure, eagerly! Glad you found the poem enjoyable!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi Roger! Sea bass recently got another reason why it's my favorite sea food. Glad you enjoyed the poem. I'll be rhyming soon too!

Pincushion said...

What a great blog you have here! Explored it a bit and loved the pictures! So exciting to find somebody from a new part of the world! Surfed in from Gulnaz's and am so glad about it :))
Will be back for more n more..!

..and.. 'We must touch each other that we may
Know who we are
And who we are not '
Beautiful!

Pincushion said...

...btw..am linkin to u! hope u don't mind :)

Russell Ragsdale said...

pincushion, thanks for the nice comments! Glad you found me and I'd be honored to have you link up!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks Laura! ?)

angel-A said...

Hi Russell!
"I melt into your smiling stare"
sounds so warm and sunny and makes me smile :)
thank you for your supportive comment on my blog. it means a lot to me. hug!
angel-A

Anonymous said...

Beautiful words! To know who we are... very well put!

Pincushion said...

Thanks for droppin by..of course I wouldn't mind if you linked to me..it would be an honour :).
Thank you!

gulnaz said...

i have been seeing some of your earlier posts....and enjoying myself.
wishing you lots more tulips :)

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi angel-a! I glad you're smiling, I wish I could see it! Also glad to be helpful or supportive for you any time, my sweet!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks JPD! I'm glad you found some beauty here. I really appreciate your kind and thoughtful comments!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Gama, great to have your feed-back. Thanks for the kind appreciation!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi pincushion! Did some pleasant reading on your beautiful site and was very impressed. Should have the link up soon and, certainly, the honor's all mine, thanks! So glad you are enjoying my blog too!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Oy gulnaz, I'm so glad we have found each other! I love wondering between the treasure of your lines. I'm honored you are enjoying being here as well.

Lovers in the shade,
Even in the parching heat
The real sun burns within --
Now I know why I write!

Nicole Braganza said...

So sincere...I love the last bit too,

'know who we are
and who we are not'

gulnaz said...

:)
you are too sweet! :)
thanks for putting up the pictures on the front page...i luuurv the pear trees one, it looks like a corner of paradise and the red and white tulip is sooo pretty and the snow it has covered everything like the blankets which must be covering everyone in those homes.
tea is cooked in a samovar in kashmir as well and those given to brides as part of their trousseau are in copper and with filgree work, they are used on special occasions by them. my bro's wife is from there, so i know, though she didnt get the samovar. :)
you have your own pasta roller too! i cooked some today but i added garlic and yoghurt to one half and tomatoes, onions and garlic to another.

niki said...

"I melt into your smiling stare"....I love it.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks Nicole! I am honored that you have enjoyed my blog. I'm glad to meet you and am looking forward to exploring your blog. Please come back often!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi Gulnaz! Sounds like I should be dropping by down at your place right at supper time! In Russian we have a saying that says: good people always drop in right on time to join us for supper!

I'd love your recipe for those pastas. Would you care to share them?

Glad you're enjoying my blog, I'm such a chatterbox that it might keep you busy for quite a while!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi Niki! Hope you birthday was ABSOLUTELY THE BEST! Thanks for the kind words, my sweet! See you soon!

Roger Stevens said...

oh the curve of your cheek oh the curve

That's a lovely line. yeah, I like this poem. Just popped back - but nothing new for my tastebuds yet.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks Roger! Glad you liked it! Got to get by your way soon and see what's cooking over there! Worked on a poem today but am a little under the weather today. Didn't quite finish it yet. Have to teach all tomorrow and half of Saturday. Don't know when I'll get it wraped up. Glad you dropped by!

gulnaz said...

i have often heard my elders saying that each morsel has the name of its eater written on it. the interpretations are 1) our food/destiny takes us or keeps us where it would 2) good god provides for us all 3) that if a guest comes to eat, it was his destiny to eat here and the fare provided to us is probably part of his destined fare, so welcome a guest. :)

ze pasta: i'm the silliest cook on earth, i cook by instinct and forget soon enough. I'll try for you: first i sauted some pureed garlic in which i had added salt and paprika, in butter. Then tossed in the pasta and then added a bowl of yoghurt/curd. Not too much, just enough to coat all.

Hope you better soon. :)

Russell Ragsdale said...

Gulnaz, God provides for us all which means there is always enough for as many guests as we are honored to have come to our table. The Russian and Kazak hospitalities honor that God by never failing to provide for any unexpected guests. It seems like a miracle but it never fails!

A big thanks for the recipe! I can't wait to try it!

Thanks for your good wishes; I was instantly better when I got them!

angel-A said...

Hi Russell and K - i found this so beautiful not to share ;-)

http://www.flickr.com/photos/digianalogue/14884319/in/photostream?#comment4402828

Russell Ragsdale said...

Thanks angel-A! That was a really beautiful picture! I've never been to Toronto but Montreal is one of my favorite cities in the world. Looks like Toronto could move right up there with it. Got to go there and see it.

angel-A said...

Dear Russell,

had this link brought you to toronto? hm-mm, i wanted to link you to the picture "want to know you" by a young Japanese photographer.... now i posted it to my blog, you can enjoy it there. and Toronto...yes! it would be fun to see you there.

i started to link my heart to the blogs i enjoy, hope you are ok if i string your blog to my heart.

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi Sweet angel! Yes I went to Toronto first but after that I went to your heart and found "I want to know you" there. It is a wonderful feeling. Hope I'll find a way to visit Toronto someday soon but have no idea when or how that might work out.

I'd love for you to have me in your heart, and will put up a link so I can get there in a flash!

Thanks, my sweet!

Julie said...

Very nice!! very passionate, you go w/ your hot self russel!
Thank you so much for your support and care and thoughtfulness, it trully does mean more than you all will ever know.
Have you ever cooked wild turkey breast?

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi Julie! We used to get an occasional wild turkey during hunting season and we'd cook it whole and buried in the ground. Few are priveledged to eat such tasty food!

And few are also priveledged to know such an outrageously great lady as yourself. It is my honor to offer you my humble support and concern!

Thanks for the great words of encouragement on my poem. Your comments are greatly appreciated!

Namaste

Julie said...

Russel,
We have two wild turkey breast in the freezer from the recent hunting season. I have marinated and grilled (in foil) and it was great, was looking for other ideas,, send to me when you can.

You are such a sweetie, I send you lots of hugs and love!
Namaste always!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hi Julie! I have never brought any wild turkey home from hunting (either in the bottle or on the bone) so I'm unfamiliar with its home cooking process. However several things come to mind. First, I often cook a regular turkey by smoking it over a wood fire (always excelent) but doing the breasts alone is tough because they are dry and must be basted especially often. Another old chef technique for doing them in the oven is called poaching. Butter is an emulsification of water in oil and you put lots of it on the breasts before putting them in the oven (we often use this technique with chicken breasts). Another idea is to bake them on a bed of mirepoix (a fine juilenne of carrot, onion, and celery) again with regular baisting. Another idea is to bake them en papillote on a bed of matignon (onion, carrot, celery, mushroom, bacon or ham, all in fine dice and lots of butter. I would prepare the breast as for poaching, spice and season it and place it on top of the matignon and fold it in the backing paper. then it could be smoked or baked. One last suggestion, coat them with butter as for "poaching," pack them in an eigth inch thick layer of duxelle (onion and mushroom slow cooked together until they are almost black), wrap them in slices of parma ham, and put them in the oven (or en papillote) on a bed of white mirepoix (chopped onion, whites of leek, celery, parsnip, and mushroom trimmings). Additional moisture could be provided by some white wine or vermouth plus more butter, or perhaps heavy cream or cream fraische.

Good luck!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Hey Julie, backing paper is a misspelling -- it should be baking paper!

Julie said...

OH, you are so sweet to take all that time to describe different preparations! I have three breasts, so i will try different ways each time and let you know! I only cook a half of one at a time b/c they are so HUGE. They taste like dark me to me. Everyone says 'I can't believe you will fix what your husband hunts' and I say it is better for the animals to live like that, than in industrialized farming.
thank you so much!

Russell Ragsdale said...

It is my pleasure Julie! Be sure to tell me what you did and how it came out. I'm eager to hear all about it!

It is sometimes difficult for people to understand the everything on this plannet exists at the expense of the life of something else. Even the placid little clorophil goodies kill their neighbors by out-competing with them for necessary sunlight, water, etc. We get real civilized and pretend we're never brutal but there is no changing the fact of how we survive! Have pity on your neighbors and don't pop the bubble of their illusions and, beyond that keep standing by your man.

You're great kiddo!

angel-A said...

Privet Russell!

thanks for linking your blog to my heart ;-)

meeting in toronto would be wonderful! i believe God will provide us with a chance.

salute!

Russell Ragsdale said...

Privet moi angel-A! I love our link. What could be better than visiting Toronto under the wing of my favorite angel!

angel-A said...

0;-)