MARY'S MEANDERINGS
POETRY AND PHOTOS BY MARY NEMETH
Meander
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Me-an-der, meander!
Travel, explore, learn,
Experience leisure, quiet, peace,
Sight-see, dream, imagine.
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Soak up new sights,
Meet fascinating strangers,
Build strong friendships,
Explore foreign lands,
Off the beaten track, new environs,
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Venture out on your own?
Step out of your safety zone!
Test your limits!
Do what you CAN'T do.
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Choose to do what you desire:
Calm and relaxing or
Hectic and frightening,
Recharging and dizzying.
But make like a river and
MEANDER!
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Mary Nemeth is a retired elementary teacher living in Cincinnati, Ohio. A longtime photographer, she has traveled extensively and enjoys photographing the beauty found in the natural world. She has been lucky to study with nationally recognized photographers throughout the world. Her images have been published in numerous national books and magazines. For years, she has sold her work in juried art shows throughout the Midwest.
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Recently she has ventured into and fallen in love with the various forms of poetry and now attempts to express her thoughts through her writing. A longtime goal of hers is to marry her two passions into one single art form. Thanks to the valuable input from members of the Monday Morning Writers Group, Cincinnati Writers Project, Poetry Division, members and leaders of several Olli Poetry classes, and Pauletta Hansel's Poetry classes, she is now writing poems to accompany some of her favorite photos. Some of her recent creations can be found under the tab: POEMS AND PICS while her photo gallery can be found by clicking here: Zenfolio Photo Portfolio
My River
I’ve discovered my life is a river
meandering along its own path,
not following a route
well traveled by the masses,
not along a course
envisioned by others.
Being a mere babbling brook,
of little significance,
wrapped in my own existence,
I never saw all the possibilities
out of sight, around the bend.
As I grew, flowed downstream,
I gained substance,
exerted more power,
even flooded my banks.
I dared to carve out my own course.
Boulders were encountered:
no funds,questionable family support, but
I altered my flow and numerous tributaries
joined me, their waters intermingling with mine,
bringing with them more options
to pique interests, gain knowledge,
and modify the course set out for me.
As I ventured forth on that new journey:
college, teaching, travel, new friends
and exciting experiences brought much joy
and expanded my horizons immensely.
Some pursuits: crafts, art shows,
were followed but later dropped,
leaving oxbow lakes in their wake.
When I discovered my love of photography,
my life, my world, were energized, broadened.
Later on, I encountered the poetic word.
Learning to use precise words effectively
just added to my strength, my power,
and enabled me to blend those two passions
into a pleasing, complementary current.
My decision to chart a path previously unexplored
and unexpected by family and friends,
choosing to leave my work world
and attempt college,
years older than my new classmates,
unprepared as I was,
without the advantages of prep courses,
this challenging but enriching stream
continues to expand my life and horizons.
I ponder what my life would have been
had I not dared to break out of my banks,
to explore and expand those horizons.
Still chained to a desk, bored, unfulfilled,
flipping endlessly through papers?
I cannot imagine my bland life
on the stream not followed.
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