Postcards from Paradise: I See You
Photographer’s Note: I photographed Lena where she is sitting on the ground immediately outside the front door of her house. Dalina, her mom, asked me to do some portraits of Lena, as they have none. Here the late afternoon light and gentle breeze assisted me.
Waiting in Line
When you listen you reach
into dark corners and
pull out your wonders.
When you listen your
ideas come in and out
like they were waiting in line.
Your ears don’t always listen.
It can be your brain, your
fingers, your toes.
You can listen anywhere.
Your mind might not want to go.
If you can listen you can find
answers to questions you didn’t know.
If you have listened, truly
listened, you don’t find your
self alone.
~ Nick Penna, fifth grade ~
(In Poetic Medicine by John Fox)
About the Photographer:
Andre du Plessis hails originally from central South Africa and currently resides in the U.K. (London) where he works in private practice as a Physician with a unique Anesthesiology Specialty. His great love for photography began when he was a young boy of five, and has remained with him steadily since. The great motivator for his photographic adventures is never knowing where they will lead him. When asked about the spontaneity of his “Street Shoots” with regard to his South African series he responded in this way:
“In general, my subjects are people I do not know; in essence they are strangers to me at first. My objective is that the images I take of these people become something that transcends this void, and perhaps bridges any distance between us.”
~Andre du Plessis (bio)
For More Postcards From Paradise, Please visit recuerda mi corazon. There you will find more beautiful places to visit and enjoy.
is there anything closer to paradise, then the enormity of being seen? truly seen, when time is suspended, when eyes drink into the depth and breathe of each other??? when in this true
ReplyDelete"taking in" you cannot begin to know ...where one heart ends and the other begins.
i love you noelle. even though we have yet to share the same moment in the presence of each other, we practice this art of seeing, listening, of taking each other in. for the gift of this, i thank you.and for each heartfelt crafted post where you invite everyone around youto open, to see, and to truly be seen.
This little girl's eyes reflect the world and her soul seems to drink everything in. What an amazing people capture-r Andre is. And Nick's words? Profound. He's obviously an old soul.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Meri. That is lovely. I think that all three children must be old souls now that you mention it. Thank you for that insight.
ReplyDeletexo,
Noelle
This man captures souls in his photography. Lovely poem. this young man will create wonders,also.
ReplyDeleteListen is a focus word for me. We may stop to pray but also need to pause to listen.
ReplyDeleteLove this Noelle.
As always, so delighted with your photos and the intro to the photographer. I love your new nameplate, too, although those lilacs have sure grabbed me in the weeks you had them up.
ReplyDeleteI am completely blown away by the words and wisdom of that fifth grader. And the photo - he captured her beauty so she could see and know it, always. What a gift.
ReplyDelete