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March 11: One Year Since the Tsunami

Wednesday, March 7th, 2012

It seems hard to believe, but it has been a year since the tsunami hit Japan and severely damaged the nuclear reactor. I am re-running “Winds of Death: Nature Claims Its Victory”.

Wind of Death: Nature Claims Its Victory

How now shall the living live

with so much life now gone?

Nature moved the water’s edge –

an echo of a rumbling thunder

urging waves to drive asunder

an ancient land to history’s ledge –

illumined by a modern sun

that now becomes invented dawn

glowing upward from the ground,

naked now with walls all gone –

bringing clouds on wispy wind

that burns the skin but makes no sound.

How now shall the living live

with death now floating all around?

We look for faces on the shore

amid the fish and cars and ships,

brought to us by seismic blips

in ways we have not known before.

Nature mocks with every tide;

beaches fill with those who died.

We turn away from the winds,

but see the fires and the clouds,

knowing they can kill the crowds

searching ground, searching sea

for glimpse of life among the dead,

a thousand thoughts in our head.

Nature took what we had made

and we can only wait and see

if life itself now will fade.

The clouds we made are moving now;

we watch the winds so warily:

Hearts with hope submerged in dread.

We feel the winds; we see the dead.

We ask ourselves: What are we now?”

We ask ourselves: “What will we be?”

Our minds benumbed of clarity,

we stumble through the lives we were,

victims of technology:

Nature claims its victory.

Tags: "daniel mark picture poems", "tsunami poem", Health, memorial poem for family member, memorial poetry, Nature, Nature Claims it Victory, nature poem, picture poems, poem, poems, poetry, poetry to honor deceased person, technology poem, Tsunami, Winds of Death, wisdom
Posted in Health, Love and Family, Memorial Picture Poem, News | No Comments »

Steve Jobs: An Organ Recipient; A Man Who Changed Our World

Friday, October 7th, 2011

Far too young.

Steve Jobs lost his battle with pancreatic cancer this week.

But remember that without a donated liver, he would likely have lost his battle several years ago.

The world lost one of its best a couple of days ago. Lost in the outpouring of accolades for a genius committed to excellence is the fact that he outlived his life expectancy. He was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer years ago, but most who have heard that diagnosis have only months to live. How did Steve Jobs survive so long? In part because he received a liver from an organ donor a couple of years ago. He thanked his donor in one of his speeches, and acknowledged that he was alive because of that generous gift. I did a poem last year entitled “So Hope Will Live,” written from the perspective of a recipient and serving as a “thank you” to organ donors and their families. The poem was not written with Steve Jobs in mind, but it might express his sentiments. Here is Part I of that poem:

So Hope Will Live (Part I)

We are strangers now a family,

forever joined – not by choice –

but joined by need and joined by pain:

different lives, but common voice –

a cry for love, a cry for life,

so hope will live, eternally,

born of saddest irony.

Life will never be the same –

not for you and not for me:

One you love – who shares your name –

now is gone, but I remain:

a second chance, a new domain –

a gift of life, that lives in me;

we are strangers now a family.

Be an organ donor: www.donatelife.org.

Tags: "a gift of life", "daniel mark picture poems", "donate life", "organ transplant", "poems of inspiration", gift, gifts, organ donation, organ recipient, picture poems, poem, poems, poetry, Steve Jobs
Posted in Health, News, Organ Donation | No Comments »

The Silence and the Darkness: September 11

Sunday, September 11th, 2011

The Silence and the Darkness

A September 11 Poem

Can you hear the silence?

There’s a space there in your mind,

ten years old

but still brand new –

still burning you and touching you

though you were far away.

Can you see the silence?

Not a cloud was in the sky,

but a lost and wayward airplane

turned in to a tower

and your world stopped to ponder

until there was another

and then you were not sure at all

of what it was you knew,

but you knew it was a morning

unlike any other

and you could not forget.

Can you smell the silence?

Terror reigned and rained

in Pennsylvania, NYC and DC

and sunny skies were fillled with clouds

of smoke and fire

and shouts and screams

and gasps and sirens

and mothers, fathers, children crying –

a spot of sun through monstrous clouds;

this was life

among the dead.

This was life

among the dying.

Then the loudest sound of all:

Silence: silence so profound,

from sky down to the ground

and back again.

And then the sky began to fall,

and all we knew was nothing,

nothing then at all.

You recall the silence.

It is always there –

a space inside your mind

that never will be filled:

not with pictures; not with sound;

just a piece of silence

in a place of darkness

inside of which is vastness

with a thousand million questions

and a thousand million resolutions

that all come down to this:

How shall we now live?

The silence and the darkness

brought by stealthy enemy

somehow can unite us

when we ourselves can not.

Remember those who perished.

Remember those they loved.

And remember then the heroes:

They never let us down.

Celebrate that silence.

Celebrate that darkness.

Celebrate that space.

And celebrate America,

rising from the ashes.

Can you feel the silence?

Then ponder once again:

Who have we become?

And who shall we now be?

Tags: "daniel mark picture poems", "the power of words", airplane, anniversary gift, anniversary poem, Darkness, dream, dust, inspiration, memorial poetry, picture poems, September 11, Silence, space, terror, unite
Posted in Memorial Picture Poem, News | No Comments »

Freedom From Tyranny Day!

Monday, July 4th, 2011

It is Independence Day, the 4th of July, 2011.

It has been 235 years since our Declaration of Independece was signed.

What did it really mean? (more…)

Tags: freedom, Independence Day, tyranny
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Japan’s Tragedy: Nature Claims its Victory

Thursday, March 17th, 2011

As with Katrina, Japan’s nightmare is the world’s reminder that there are things we think we can control, but do not. The investigations will follow and the fingerpointing will begin, but for now, our thoughts and energies should be with the Japanese people and their leaders as they struggle with their personal losses, their financial losses, and their clean-up issues. They will struggle for awhile to determine the best ways to rebuild their nation and their lives. First, they must find hope and resolve, so they can mourn with the purpose of moving forward.

The following poem recognizes nature’s power. (more…)

Tags: "earthquake poem", "Japan poem", "Japan poems", "tsunami poem", earthquake, hope, Japan, Nature, rebuild, resolve, Tsunami
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Life Should Be Like Golf (Where There’s Sand There’s Fire) PGA 2010

Monday, August 23rd, 2010

I am showing two picture poems today.

The first one is called “A Blessing for the Golfer.” We will talk about that one below. The second one is about puppies and dogs. I will talk about that one first. Everyone loves a puppy or a dog who used to be a puppy. They bring love and joy into a home in a way that few things can. At the right, below, you will see a silly poem with a picture of our 5 year old puppy, and though she needs a haircut, she remains very cute! This is a wonderful gift for a child with a puppy, or for anyone! You can find it in our Store, under Dog Memoirs. Put your puppy’s photo in the opening. It’s a terrific way to celebrate your puppy or dog, and to commemorate how important he or she is in your life. The last stanza reads: “My puppy loves to play and run / and then she rests when she’s all done. / Could any puppy be more fun? / There simply is no better one!” If you have lost a dog, we have another commemorative piece entitled “Farewell, My Friend, Farewell” which honors your best friend. This is in the Store also.

The second is entitled “A Blessing for the Golfer”, shown above. This celebrates the game of golf in a unique way, and makes a wonderful gift for any golfer. It is shown in black matte, 8 inches by 10 inches, with room for a 3.5 x 5 inch photo of your favorite golfer. “May traditions of this ancient game / always stay with you. / May you always play with pride and class / and to this game be true.” This is the last stanza, and pretty much says it all. A gift any golfer would be proud to display in a family room or office. It could be given as a prize at golf outings or tournaments too! It comes in other colors too, and also in landscape format (10 by 8 inches). See our Store under Sports Poems.

Today’s poem is too long to include in its entirety. It is entitled “Life Should Be Like Golf (Where’s There’s Sand There’s Fire).” I am not very good at golf; in fact, I would say I am quite bad! And most people I have played with would agree! But I love the game, and I admire those who play it well. The PGA held its tournament at Whistling Straits last weekend in Sheboygan, WI. It was a great tournament with a very exciting closing round, won in a playoff by a young man from Germany named Martin Kaymer. He beat a very long-hitting left handed American named Bubba Watson in a three hole playoff. A very interesting thing happened in the last few holes, however. A young man named Dustin Johnson actually had a very strong chance to win the tournament, but was assessed a two stroke penalty near the end of the final round, and therefore not only did not win, but was not even allowed in the playoff round because the two stroke penalty dropped him down to 4th place in the tournament. In fact, if Dustin Johnson had hit a very makeable putt (which he did not miss by much), everyone would have thought he had won the tournament in regulation. The penalty was not announced until after he had finished his round. He was forced to sign his scorecard which included the 2 stroke penalty, thus effectively eliminating him from the playoff. If he refused to sign the card, or signed a card without including the penalty strokes, he would have been disqualified and unable to claim any prize money. As it was, he did win several hundred thousand dollars, but the lost title meant more than the money. The penalty was assessed because he did not realize he was hitting his ball from one of the thousand sand traps on the course. It was a very small bunker, and the crowd was standing all around the trap and some spectators may have been standing in it. He prepared to swing, thinking that the ground was just worn down to dirt, due to crowds walking on the area for several days. He prepared to take his shot and scraped his club across the sand on the ground a couple of times before hitting the ball. The rules of golf say that a golfer may not touch his club to the ground when preparing to hit a shot out of a sand trap because it would allow the golfer to improve the lie of his shot, and this would be unfair. A violation is a two stroke penalty. Apparently, there were signs in the clubhouse and around the course, warning the players that many of the sand traps are small and may not look like the usual sand traps. Dustin Johnson apparently did not read the signs. Here are a couple of stanzas from this rather long poem:

Fog came to Sheboygan

early in the morning,

a whisper on a gentle wind

that floated in to Whistling Straits

from Lake Michigan.

But in the end were two men,

young and very strong.

One hit left and one hit right

and both could hit it out of sight,

sometimes just a bit too long.

Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson

moved to playoff tee,

losing Dustin Johnson

to a penalty.

So two young men now faced off

seeking not just victory,

but also names on storied Cup

and a place in history.

Though Bubba Watson hit the pin

on shot from off the green,

Kaymer put the winner in–

just a little breaker–

and with that putt he had his dream:

his name engraved on Wanamaker.

(The next stanza talks about Dustin Johnson’s sand trap and penalty. The final two stanzas are these:)

Dustin Johnson showed his class,

and showed why golf is great:

he didn’t cry; he didn’t whine

about the rules or course design.

Instead he took it like a man,

and signed his card on the line.

(Next time he will read the sign!)

Life is full of strangest fates.

He thinks about what might have been

there at Whistling Straits.

Though it may seem harsh to some,

this is what is best in golf:

In golf, the rules don’t exist

to bend or get around.

If life, perchance, could be like this,

we’d all be better off.

Life, I think, should be like golf.

(All poems and text copyright Daniel Mark Extrom August 2010. I really like how this one came out. It took some time to finish it. If you’d like to see the full version, email me at info@danielmarkpicturepoems.com and I will send a copy via email.)

Tags: "A Blessing for the Golfer", "Bubba Watson", "children's gifts", "Dustin Johnson", "gifts for kids", "golf gift", "golf gifts", "golf rules", "Life should be like golf", "major tournament", "Martin Kaymer", "My Puppy Loves", "PGA golf tournament", "PGA tournament 2010", "puppy gifts", "Puppy poem", "sand trap", "Wanamaker Cup", "Wanamaker Trophy", "Whistling Straits", bunker, bunkers, dog, dog poems, golf, golf poems, PGA, puppies, puppy, Wanamaker
Posted in News, Sports | No Comments »

The Power of Words Part II

Monday, August 9th, 2010

Who Writes Product Manuals? In the last post, entitled ”The Power of Words, Part I,” I talked about the Power of Words, suggesting that sometimes we don’t even know the power of our words. Perhaps, sometimes, we don’t know the power of the lack of words. And doesn’t it seem that people have very short attention spans today? Twitter (which I am not yet on) is limited to 140 characters. That’s not much space, but it serves its intended purpose of being a headline. We live in a world of headlines and sound bites, and seem happy to avoid anything that is going to take any investment of time to speak or write, or to listen or read. Doesn’t this have the makings for disaster in the future? Isn’t this especially so in a world where our scientists are discovering more and more about distant universes, or the properties of life deep under the oceans, or advances in medicine? If life becomes a matter of simple one or two word commands or explanations for most of us, can we begin to understand more complex ideas or propositions or explanations? What happens to reasoning, thinking, analyzing? Most things are just not that simple! And what of those who spend the time trying to learn, to research, to investigate, to experiment? Are they going to want to spend time trying to explain things to those of us who can’t be bothered to listen or to read or think about anything that will require our time and energy? Maybe they will stop trying to learn. Then where will we be? We all must be thinkers and learners and researchers and readers and listeners! It makes for a better and more interesting world!

I spent three hours yesterday trying to install a light on our garage. The instructions came in multiple languages, with pictures, but which made little sense in actual application. It should not have been very hard, and of course there were warnings all over the place about the dangers of electricity, but the writer could not communicate how to properly do the installation. The “writer” tried to be concise, to the point that it was impossible to understand how to do the installation. And most of my time was spent trying to compare the instructions and pictures with what I was seeing in the electrical box and in the parts of the light to be installed. Not enough words! More words and better pictures could have saved me hours of time, not to mention aggravation! Ultimately, the instructions were almost worthless. While brevity is a quality to be admired in speaking and writing, it should not be a substitute for intelligent and effective communication. Mark Twain once wrote to someone: “I was going to write you a short letter, but I didn’t have the time.” Mark Twain, one of the greatest writers in American history, understood that it takes time to be brief, to take a complex idea and reduce it to as few words as possible. I doubt very much that those who prize brevity over content are writing with the talent of Mark Twain, and those who refuse to read anything that does not seem brief to them are probably not the most thoughtful of readers. Some things demand longer explanations because they are complex things! If a doctor told you that you had a “boo boo” instead of telling you that you had a torn rotator cuff or kidney stone, would you feel comfortable that he or she knew what they were talking about? It’s a succinct answer, but it’s not effective. Don’t be too busy to listen or learn! Don’t be too busy to effectively communicate!

Above is a poem entitled “A Thousand Dreams.” This is one of my favorite love poems. It’s short, and won’t require that much thinking. The key here is the beauty of the thought, and the words are used to convey that thought. Here’s a way to show your love for your favorite person. This is a wedding poem that also works as a love poem or as an engagement poem. You can see both the longer version and the shorter version in our Store. If you are in love, or if you are getting engaged, or if you are getting married, this is a great way to show your love! It can be read in your ceremony if you want. We have some great wedding or love or engagement poems, and with your photograph, it makes a great gift! Go to Store, click on Special Occasions, and click on Weddings/Engagements. (copyright Daniel Mark Extrom, 2009-2010)

PS I would love to hear some comments on the picture poems! Do you like them? Any ideas for new ones? Any ideas for different presentations? Don’t be shy!

Tags: "A Thousand Dreams", "effective communication", "I have dreamed", "Power of Words", "sound bites", analysis, brevity, dreams, engagements, gift, gifts, love, love poems, picture poems, succinct, thinking, wedding gift, wedding poems, weddings, words
Posted in News | 1 Comment »

The Power of Words Part I

Sunday, August 1st, 2010

MOM DIDN’T UNDERSTAND THE POWER OF HER WORDS. I mentioned in my first post that part of the mission of this blog is to explore the power of words. The old phrase that “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words (or names) will never hurt me!” is, in my opinion, very wrong! In fact, words can hurt far more deeply than broken bones. Bones usually heal and the pain goes away, but the pain of hurtful words can last forever. I think most of us wish we could take back some of those words. So we must always be conscious of our words, not only for the power they have to uplift or encourage or to show love, but also for the power that they have to hurt or even destroy. But words can also be used to motivate or inspire too, and sometimes tough words are necessary to bring about a change for the better in someone’s life and attitude. We might even have to speak some tough words to motivate ourselves sometimes, including using tough words to motivate us to get over someone else’s hurtful words directed at us!

My business is built on using words in a poetic way, not only for their own power, but also for bringing happiness, beauty, contemplation, fun, excitement, emotion, etc. And, when the words are put next to a photograph, they make a beautiful picture and a lasting memory!

Words, of course, are not the only way to communicate. A look or glance can show approval, or disapproval, or satisfaction or unhappiness, or can be quizzical, or can be critical. Gestures too can convey a message. I am a member of Toastmasters, an international organization devoted to helping people become better speakers and leaders. Last week I gave a speech which discussed the power of words. In the speech, I related an incident that occurred many years ago when I was a very small boy of 4 or 5 years old. I had accidentally, and through my own stupidity, swallowed a marble! I screamed, of course, though not in pain. I just knew that that marble was on its way to a place where it wasn’t supposed to be, and my real pain came from the realization that I was really dumb, and I exposed my younger brother to the same risk that I took by putting a marble in my mouth. He was just smart enough not to let it go down his throat! I shouted to my mom that I was going to die! I was sure of it. She calmed me down by giving me a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. She knew that always worked! Finally, after I stopped crying, reality hit me: “Mommy,” I said, “what’s going to happen to that marble?” Mom didn’t then understand the power of her words. Her answer was intended to comfort me. She said, “It will probably come out when you go to the bathroom.” She smiled, failing to see the abject terror I felt as I looked down at what I perceived to be the exit path for that marble. Some of you may recall the Seinfeld episode when Kramer passed a kidney stone in the men’s room while he was at a circus. He screamed so loudly that the man on the high wire lost his balance and fell to the floor below, unprotected by a net. I never felt the pain that Kramer felt (or the pain that the high wire guy felt!), but I anticipated it for years, and the idea of going to the bathroom was, well, very scary for quite awhile. In fact, now that I think of it, I never have seen that marble! Great! Now I’m scared again!!!!

Up on top of this post is a piece entitled “May This Home.” Here is a portion of that poem. This was written earlier this year to celebrate the home and what it means to us. I hope it means a place of comfort to you:

May This Home

May this home give shelter

from the storms that life will bring

and may it give us music

when we yearn to sing.

May this home give comfort

and may it always be

a place of warmth and welcome

for friends and family.

May this home inspire

our minds to want to learn.

May this home give respite–

a place where we can turn

for knowledge and for wisdom

and for strength to face each fear.

May this home give love

to all who enter here.

You can see the full version of this poem in our Store, under “Special Occasions.” I have given a number of these as party gifts, in lieu of a bottle of wine, and people have always loved it. They can insert a photograph of their own home, or perhaps a photo of their family in a home setting. They can put it in their front entranceway to welcome visitors. Or it goes nicely on a table in a living room or family room. It makes a great gift! I only have a limited quantity of these pieces right now, but will be ordering more. Next post I will mention some wedding pieces. This is a time of year for weddings, and we have some very special wedding/engagement/love gifts in the collection! Feel free to take a look, also in “Special Occasions.”

One Other Note: We are still working out some technical bugs on the site, and these should all be taken care of in the next few days. Be patient! If you’d like to order something, we are offering, for a limited time, free shipping to anywhere in the continental USA. If you are out of the country, email us and we will get a shipping price for you. Thank you!

Tags: "May This Home", "the power of words", comfort, communication, fun, gestures, gift, gifts, home, hurt, inspiration, inspire, knowledge, love, marble, messages, mom, mommy, motivate, motivation, music, pain, picture poems, poem, poetry, power, presentation, respite, sing, strength, Toastmasters, warmth, wisdom, words
Posted in News | 3 Comments »

The British Open: “A Cheer for Louis Oosthuizen”

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

A (Poetic) Cheer for Louis Oosthuizen

The Royal and Ancient World today

received another son

who traveled to St. Andrews,

speaking Afrikaans.

He is not Peter Oosterhuis,

nor Phil Mickelson.

But now we have all learned to say

“Lodewicus Theodorus Oosthuizen.”

Amid the sound of bagpipes,

and cheers of Scottish folks,

he won the British Open,

a champ among the blokes.

With Player in his history,

and also Ernie Els,

on this, Mandela’s birthday,

he answered all the bells.

With Zack Rasego on the bag,

and howling winds so strong,

he broke the field early,

for one who was so young.

With drives that cut each fairway–

a surgeon with a knife;

with irons shaped to find the space

to give a birdie life;

with putts that found the bottom

of oh so many cups—

he had the nerve,

he had the swing,

and most of all he had the game—

this is the man,

this is the name:

Louis Oosthuizen.

A champion among champions

at the place where golf was born,

today a boy became a man:

This is the day the world cheered

for Louis Oosthuizen.

Daniel Mark Extrom / July 19, 2010

I wrote this last night as I was thinking about what I wanted to write about this week. It’s a very simple rhyme scheme, and even a little silly, but I kept thinking about how this 27 year old with a new baby had beaten an incredible field under difficult golf conditions, and how he seemed to have so much class and composure. I wrote a piece last year about Tom Watson’s incredible performance, and maybe I will post that one some time too. The British Open is always a great tournament, and this weekend we saw a great performance under pressure by a seemingly very nice young man. Golf is a terrific game, and all of these players are amazing! I may have this etched and send it to the Royal and Ancient. Maybe they’ll put it up in the clubhouse!

Tags: British Open, champion, class, golf, Louis Oosthuizen, Scotland
Posted in News | 2 Comments »

We Are Live!!!! Welcome to Our Site!

Monday, July 5th, 2010

Welcome to danielmarkpicturepoems.com! This is a brand new site which has three primary goals:

First: to advance the love of words and the power of words!

Second: to offer the most personal and unique gift items – gifts that you would be happy to receive and proud to give!

Third: to offer items that are beautiful to see, to hear and, most importantly, to think about.

Since there has been life on earth, there has been communication. Even insects and animals communicate with each other. Watch ants build a home. Watch birds build a nest and feed their young. We now have the most technologically-advanced communications systems in the history of the world, and they are amazing. Even 25 – 30 years ago, few could have imagined what is now available to so many people.

Yet, sometimes the simplest ways to communicate are the best. Poetry is one of the oldest art forms, one of the simplest communication forms, and one of the most effective communication tools. It has been used to pass down ideas, history and memories in a form that could be remembered by later generations, before there were writing systems to record and preserve those histories. It has been and is still used to convey messages of hero glorification, love, commitment, celebration, appreciation, recognition, kindness, caring, anger, frustration: in short, the entire existence of human life and thought and emotion. There are poems for weddings, love, babies, memorials, pets, sports, music, occupations, inspirational, nature and holidays.

I don’t claim to be a world-class poet, for there are many who have studied it for years, who have written volumes of it, who have critiqued the words written by others. I do not ask to be judged by those who are educated in it or who are accomplished in it, for I will fail in comparison. I simply write simple words and record simple thoughts, mostly striving for some form of rhythm, often with some rhyme, and then these words are used to accentuate your photographs. We put the words on picture matting, leaving room for your photo, or that of your loved one.

I think it makes a unique gift item, and the goal is to offer beautiful, unique and provocative items to decorate a small part of a home or office. I will constantly be adding to the collection, so watch as it grows. And I can write something special for you or one of your loved ones, and it will be an heirloom forever. Tears followed by multiple ”thank you’s” are quite common. We offer love poems, wedding poems, engagement poems, graduation poems, holiday poems, sports poems, and much more! Cruise on through, and let me know what your think!

I hope you follow along with me as I develop this business and these poems and products. I welcome your thoughts, ideas and suggestions. Feel free to email me.

Right now, the site is still in the developmental stage, so please bear with me as everything gets fine-tuned. I will make mistakes, and I apologize in advance for them. Most of all, I hope this site will be fun, inspirational, thought-provoking, and happy!

And off we go!

Daniel Mark Extrom
July 5, 2010

Posted in News | 5 Comments »