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Showing posts from June, 2025

Dancers

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  Two moving as one Original artwork and poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 Cheers to the dancers who float with grace Two souls interconnected in a warm embrace  Salsa dancers sway sensually to the sultry tune Two lovers lost to each other under the moon Flamenco dancers feverishly clicking their heels Their high energy is palpable as is their zeal A waltzing couple moves with style and elegance Like two romantic swans in a rhythmic dance

Cubist Abstraction

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  Unpacking Cubist Abstraction  Come, letโ€™s look at this style of artwork With curved lines, colours gone berserk Aim for the whimsical, a lil abstract  Start with a form, then add or subtract  Choose colours that are vibrant and strong  Sprinkle randomly, thereโ€™s no right or wrong  Add bold, dark borders for a touch of class Elevates the artwork to look like stained glass 

Summer Reading

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  Summer Reading Artwork and light-hearted poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 Back in the day, summertime was all booked up With our nose in the book, we neโ€™er ever looked up The reading was varied but always a delight  We didnโ€™t do much else but thatโ€™s alright We jumped on our bikes and headed outdoors  To raid the different libraries and bookstores New authors, new stories, new adventures Whodunnits full of mystery and conjecture Timeless classics by the Russian masters  World War II saboteurs in British Lancasters Asimov opening up new worlds in outer space Mafia stories of omertร , loyalty and Scarface

Daddy

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Daddy, gone but still always near Original artwork and poem in remembrance of my beloved father Osmond Avelino Gonsalves (1920-1994) by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 Daddy, I still recall what I was doing that day When they called to say, you had passed away A wretched emptiness tormented me at first My heart was pounding so hard I thought itโ€™d burst But before long my sorrow turned to pure joy Knowing youโ€™re always there with me, your boy When I am uncertain about what I ought to do I oft find the answer in what I learned from you You said even if no oneโ€™s watching, do your best  And how one treats the poor tells more than the rest  A personโ€™s name is precious to each one (learn it) One cannot simply demand respect (you earn it) If I donโ€™t have anything good to say, I should be quiet  Discussing religion or politics at work can cause a riot Oh those heart-to-heart talks we had late into the night  You did real swell, Daddy. Hope my kids say I did alright  

Father's Day

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  Happy Fatherโ€™s Day Original artwork by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025. The quote is inspired by Theodore M Hesburgh The most important example that a Father can set for his children is to unconditionally shower their Mother with love, friendship, respect, companionship and loyalty.

Hoopoe

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The Exotic Hoopoe I was introduced to the Hoopoe ( Upupa epops ) while hiking and trekking on the outskirts of Poona/Pune in the late 1980s. It's a truly mesmerising sight, and once you see it, you cannot unsee it. Artwork and original poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 I thought my eyes were playing a trick When I first spied this colourful maverick Could it possibly be that a circus in town Is unbeknownst perhaps missing a clown? Or did an ambitious bird in a flight of fantasy Crown itself King of the forest in a flush of fancy? Ladies and gentlemen, I present the exotic Hoopoe Always dressed to go 'n putting on a grand ole show Addi tional notes : The Hoopoe is an exotic-looking bird with an orangish-brown body, with zebra-striped wings, a Chinese-fan of a crest (usually held closed, but often raised just after landing or when excited), and a rapier of black downcurved bill. Its birdcall is a distinctive โ€œhoopoopoo,โ€ giving it its name To view a short, slow-motion video, b...

Hummingbird

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Anna's hummingbird Annaโ€™s Hummingbirds ( Calypte anna ), no more than 4 inches in size, are common in Western Californian yards, parks, residential streets, eucalyptus groves, riverside woods, savannahs, and coastal scrub. They readily come to hummingbird feeders and flowering plants, including cultivated species in gardens. Annaโ€™s Hummingbirds are mostly green and grey, without any rufous or orange marks on the body. The male's head and throat are covered in iridescent reddish-pink feathers that can look dull brown or grey without direct sunlight.  Females are plain green above, and dingy grey below, often with red spots on the throat. They subsist mostly on nectar and insects. Takes nectar from flowers, and will feed on tiny insects as well. Will also feed on sugar-water mixtures in hummingbird feeders. Annaโ€™s Hummingbirds are a blur of motion as they hover before flowers, looking for nectar and insects. If you listen carefully, you can hear the male's scratchy metallic ...

Joyous - he's coming home

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 Joyous - he's coming home Whimsical original artwork and poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 Itโ€™s the 12th of June, my dear son is coming home soon Should be here by noon, Iโ€™m so joyous, over the moon I last saw him four years ago (or was it more? Not sure) His coming home is so good for my soul, this I do know Has he changed a lot? A little maybe (heโ€™s a grown man) In my heart, heโ€™s still my little baby, (Iโ€™ll hug him if I can) Iโ€™ve cooked his comfort food of meatballs and spaghetti  Even kept two glasses and a bottle of Chianti all ready Canโ€™t wait to see him; he is my pride and my joy Strong and handsome โ€ฆ so proud of my little boy

Saree

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  Ode to Women in Saree Artwork and original poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 Her load is heavy, but her gait is deceptively light She flits along elegantly like a butterfly in flight Tis no ordinary saree she wears - 'tis a rich tapestry Each thread carries untold stories steeped in history  A silent witness to tireless angels of a sacred vocation Of Indian women everywhere rising up to meet the occasion Allowing her to move freely, creating a graceful silhouette A perfect tribute to her resilience, elegance and etiquette The saree, old yet modern, always romantic and a tad sensual Preserving modesty, yet revealing just enough - very sensible

Orchids

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  Artwork and original light-hearted poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 Confessions of an Orchid Killa Orchids, nonpareil .. my Achilles heel, I feel I just canโ€™t seal the deal, and thatโ€™s for real Love โ€˜em to death โ€ฆ drives me totally crazy Theyโ€™re all six feet under, pushing up daisies Eye โ€˜em at Farmerโ€™s Market โ€ฆ smitten, Iโ€™d buy Bring โ€˜em home only to watch โ€˜em wither'n die Too dark, too much sunlight .. try as I might   Nutrients, soil, water .. canโ€™t get it right!   No more orchids for me, I goes with the rose Those I suppose I knows just how it grows  Orchids (family  Orchidaceae,  order Asparagales ) are a horticultural wonder that blends mystique, beauty, and diversity in a way few other plants do.  Fun fact: Orchids get their name from the Greek word for testicle, ' orchis '. Orchids are exotic and symbolise love, luxury, strength, refinement, and rare beauty in various Asian cultures Orchids often have intricate, symmetrical bl...

Pied Kingfisher

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  The Pied Kingfisher ( Ceryle rudis ) is a striking black-and-white mid-sized bird with a large head, small body, small feet, a long, dagger-like bill and a distinctive crest.  These birds are boldly marked black-and-white kingfishers with short, bushy crest and glossy all-dark bills. Males have a double chest band resembling a bowtie, while females display a single, often broken, band. โ  Caution : Pied Kingfishers may be confused with the larger Crested Kingfishers ( Megaceryle lugubris ), also called greater pied kingfishers. Crested kingfishers, unlike pied kingfishers, have a pink brown lining on the wings instead of a white lining. Aerial perching  It is known for its unique hovering ability, managing a true hover without using any air currents, relying on wing power alone. setting it apart from other kingfishers. The pied kingfisher is the largest bird in the world that is capable of aerial perching, hovering in place without using air currents, which means it doe...

Pentecost

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 The Feast of Pentecost Think of the Feast of Pentecost as the first birthday of the Church ... because that's the day the Holy Spirit descended on the Faithful to remain permanently and unfailingly till the end of time, guiding the Faithful to carry the Gospel to the ends of the world as Christ's disciples. Liturgy of the Pentecost In Acts of the Apostles 1:4-8 , the risen Lord Jesus instructed the disciples to wait in Jerusalem for the promise of the Father, the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained that they would be baptised with the Holy Spirit not many days from now (1:5) and they would receive power to be Christโ€™s witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the Earth (1:8). In Acts of the Apostles 2:1-11 , St Luke, the author of Acts of the Apostles, methodically lists all the nations encircling Israel starting from the East to the West to show Jews from every nation had gathered (probably for the Festival of Harvest ) when th...

Rainbow Rain

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  I wish rainbows would rain Original artwork and whimsical poem on comical English words by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 I long for the day rainbows make colourful rainfall  And the beach glows with starfish, big and small When a pat of butter knows that it can fly And all the traffic jams are tasty, not dry Just leave the bee alone, he doesn't ever bumble  Ain't seen a studious worm out of a book tumble! Alas, I'll never know what's up with Ketch in ketchup. SMH, the English language has so many crazy mashups Inspiration : After completing the artwork, I decided to splash colour, which brought up the image of a rainbow raining down ... whimsical? Of course, but then there are so many inexplicable English words ... hence the whimsical poem

Red Meadow

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  Meadow of Red Blooms and Butterflies  Original artwork and whimsical poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 As the world seems to be crashing all around me, I close my eyes and soon enter a world of fantasy. In a remote fairyland in a mysterious time and space, A cool zephyr blows my hair all across my tired face! I'm in a magical meadow ablaze with red wildflowers, Where seconds turn to minutes, which soon turn to hours. Just then, a swirl of red petals magically starts to appear Turning into pretty little butterflies ... my fears disappear Inspiration : I came across a photograph of a girl in a floral dress in a meadow full of flowers. And thought to myself, what if the flowers from her dresses rise up with those in the meadow into the sky and turn into pretty little butterflies ... I reimagined the scene which I painted and let the poem describe it.

Butterfly

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  The life cycle of a butterfly is the epitome of complete metamorphosis, consisting of four distinct stages: ๐Ÿฅš 1. Egg Where? Eggs, containing a developing larva (caterpillar), are laid on leaves or stems of host plants that serve as food for the hungry larvae. Appearance: Tiny, round or oval, sometimes ribbed or with a pattern. Duration: A few days to a week, depending on the species and temperature. ๐Ÿ› 2. Larva (Caterpillar) Main Goal: Eat voraciously to grow rapidly, feeding mainly on the leaves of the host plant Moulting: As the caterpillar grows, it sheds its skin several times (called instars). Duration: Usually a few weeks. End Goal: Prepare for transformation into a pupa. ๐Ÿš 3. Pupa (Chrysalis) This happens when the caterpillar forms a protective casing around itself. Often appearing still and vulnerable, a major transformation is occurring inside it, as the body completely reorganises the organs, wings, and legs in a process called histogenesis. Duration: Varies from days...

Tango

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  Tango Artwork and original poem by Kieran Gonsalves (c) 2025 It's getting close to midnight in Buenos Aires The night is torrid with passion and desires Strains of a melancholic violin 'neath a full moon A couple immersed in each other, sway to the tune The woman seductively flirts in a red sequin dress As her paramour gently wraps her in a warm caress To the beat of the music, she playfully leans in He draws her ever closer to smell her soft skin Footnote : After I shared this with my family and friends, I got reminded by Ajay who is extremely artistic, of the evocative Tango scene with Catherine Zeta-Jones and Antonio Banderas in the 1998 movie, ' The Mask of Zorro ' - visit https://youtu.be/kaJv6L8vF-Y