Bloom Sublime

The entrancing hues of a purple night
Bathed in the passion of this day's light
Petals, leaf and stem in green entwine
Such be the beauty and grace of Iris bloom sublime.

Rose Marie Raccioppi

Bloom Sublime, Iris Photograph, Collectible Clicks©Rose Marie Raccioppi, 2009.

Opus 7

Frames of Mind
Opus 7
Color
Line, form and hue
Mood
Moment of change
Time
Now, known and held in reverie.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Frames of Mind, Opus 7, Watercolor, Conceptual, 2007, Rose Marie Raccioppi, http://www.apogeeart.com

Behold

Red and yellow blooms and brush of white
Waters in shadow, waters in light
Resplendent green, Spring's story told
A vibrant stillness I to behold.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Behold, Spring Blooms, Photograph, Collectible Clicks©, Rose Marie Raccioppi, 2009.

Majestic Array

Petals enfolding the caress of light
Wings of violet brushed with white
Savor I such flowering rapture this day
The Iris, Spring's bloom in majestic array.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Majestic Array, Iris, Photograph, Collectible Clicks©, Rose Marie Raccioppi, 2009.

Markers

Seasons, moons, measures of time
Markers to define moments mine
Mountain, valley and soaring plain
Vistas of purpose I to proclaim
Ascension, the soul's spirit and questing plight
To be free and embraced by God's knowing light
The snow a gossamer veil and blanket to be
Quiet is its touch gentle upon me
A calling silence I hear with each step I take
As I look behind 'tis my path in snow I make
Rippling waves of wind, untempered, untamed
From a direction it is so named
Wild and possessing these winds that enfold
It is the story of the West Wind that is here told
Seasons, moons, measures of time
Markers to define moments mine.

Rose Marie Raccioppi

As I listen to Debussy, Preludes, Book 1

Les Collines d'Anacapri
The Hills of Anacapri
Des pas sur la neige
Footprints in the Snow
Ce qu'a vu le vent d'Ouest
What the West Wind Saw


Snow Storm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps, 1812, oil on canvas, Joseph Mallord William Turner, British, 1775–1851

A Chair Awaits

A chair awaits
Cascading streams of water
Sounding gentle ripples
Leaf, stem, rock and moss
Bathed by the warming sun
Brilliant be the held light
A chair awaits
Awaits.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


A Chair Awaits, Photograph, Collectible Clicks©, Rose Marie Raccioppi, 2009.

This Reverie

What lament, what memory need I find
Within this pensive pause of mind
What query am I to dismiss in this moment now
This heart to live love's vow
Echoes of heart I hear from deep within
And gone the despair, the daunting din
Songbirds call and knowing is my heart
From this reverie I shall not depart
Lilting moments in sweet sounding plea
Make my beloved ever known to me.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


As I listen to
Franz Joseph Haydn
Andante and Variations in f minor HOB.17/6


This Reverie/Ashante, Rose Marie Raccioppi, Watercolor, 2000, http://www.apogeeart.com

A Memorial Day Tribute, May 25, 2009 In Honor of Lt. Col. Michael L. Murphy, USMC

Dedication of Murphy Court

Bittersweet

A loss, an honor, bittersweet so true
For the life of a son is ever love to you
Memories of younger days shared in joy
Be it a favored game or a treasured toy
Wife and children so blessed was he
In their souls he shall ever be
A life in dedicated service he did give
A son in honor and love shall ever live.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Lt. Col. Michael L. Murphy, USMC was killed on the night of Dec. 11, 2000
along with three other brave Marine Warriors
while test piloting the MV22 Osprey Helicopter.

Street dedication set for Marine test pilot | lohud.com | The Journal News

Source: www.lohud.com

Calls

The speaker calls for the listener
The writer calls for the reader
The performer calls for the audience
The artist calls for the soul
And the child calls and calls
What is heard
What is now known
What do we yet trust
And the child calls and calls
What do we answer
What do we do
What do we plan
What do we yet dream
And the child calls and calls.

Rose Marie Racciopi


Calls, Rose Marie Raccioppi, THE WIND AND THE WILLOW, Publish America, 2008.

Baby at Play, 1876, oil on canvas, Thomas Eakins, American, 1844 -1916, John Hay Whitney Collection.

Boreas

The North Wind calls its name

Within folds to hold its claim
Warp and weft of swaddling sublime
Wrap and enfold this moment mine.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Boreas, Oil on canvas, 1903, John William Waterhouse, 1849-1917.

Is It as It Seems

Impressions and dreams
Is it as it seems
Perception and thought
What illusion have I brought
To this life and soul of mine
In this moment of past and present time
What am I yet blinded to see
That is deep within me
Shed these illusions that bind and hold
Free the pain and memories of old
This moment innocent of each yesterday
Revels and sparks life’s miraculous way.

Rose Marie Raccioppi



Is it as It Seems, Rose Marie Raccioppi, THE WIND AND THE WILLOW, Publish America, 2008

Lady Lilith, 1866-68 (altered 1872-73), Oil on canvas, Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1828-1882, Delaware Art Museum, Wilmington, Delaware.

Who

Who heeds the words of this poet
Who listens to these echoes of heart
Who feels the yearnings and the fire
Who sees the vision held clear

Is it the wind that whispers its own song
Is it the sun that warms and nourishes
Is it the moon that sheds its light
Is it the star that guides our way
Is it the stranger who extends a hand
Is it the child who gives a knowing smile
Is it the soul in its moment of call
Is it God in all present grace

Who heeds the words of this poet
Who listens to these echoes of heart
Who feels the yearnings and the fire
Who sees the vision held clear.

Rose Marie Raccioppi



Who, Rose Marie Raccioppi, THE WIND AND THE WILLOW, Publish America, 2008.

The Inspiration of the Poet, c. 1630, Oil on canvas, Musée du Louvre, Paris, Nicholas Poussin, 1594-1665.

THE WORD

In sound and silence THE WORD now heard
In the sweet melody of the songbird
In the whisper of the wind upon leaf and bloom
In the warmth of sun this very noon
In sound and silence THE WORD now known
In all grace, love and beauty shown.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Ophelia, 1894, Oil on canvas, John William Waterhouse, 1849-1917

This Grandeur

Passion's pulse in command
Piano keys await your hand
Sounding this array of emotion
Fingers set in waves of motion
God, Truth, Power, Love and Grace
Known with each finger placed
Piano keys voice spirit’s calling plea
Presence, reflections, lyrical reverie
Gloria Patri be the praise, the claim
Held is this grandeur in your name.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Passion, Piano and the Poet's Pen

May 17, 2009
Valley Cottage, New York

Performance Extraordinaire

In Tribute to

Yashar Yaslowitz
Pianist

With loving gratitude,

Rose Marie Raccioppi
Poet



Terpsichore, Muse of Music And Dance, ca. 1739, Oil on canvas, Jean-Marc Nattier, French, 1685-1766

Where Does The Pain Go - 9/11

Where does the pain go
When no longer can you take hold
When the fires devour hope
When the moment claims life

Where does the pain go
When man annihilates man
When terror rules reason and heart
When the unspeakable defies God’s name

Where does the pain go
When the innocence is lost
When suspicion and fear hover
When trust is betrayed

Where does the pain go
When a life is saved
When love holds a memory
When grace touches the tearful heart

Where does the pain go
When spirit and soul awaken faith
When destiny abides in God’s light
When the silence offers guidance

Where does the pain go
When determination and resolve assemble
When purpose and plan are set forth
When in the name of God, life, beauty and love are called.

Rose Marie Raccioppi

In Dedication to The Human Spirit

Vocal by Marci Elyn Schein

Music by Michael V. Ficocelli


A Tribute to the Production of

Little Fig Stage
Music, Song and Dance
May 16 -17, 2009

Source: www.broadwaycares.org

Westchester based Theatre Company Little Fig Stage will be presenting “The Music of Hope,” a benefit concert for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights Aids on May 16th at 8pm and May 17th at 3pm
Off-Broadway at The Players Theatre in Manhattan.

An absolutely brilliant production of "Where Does the Pain Go," deeply expressive music, magnificently sung, choreographed with a beautifully sensitive dance. One of the many outstanding "Songs of Hope," presented by Little Fig Stage. BRAVO!!

Thank you for a most memorable evening , one of seeing my words, feeling their meaning, hearing them sung, seeing them danced.

Where Does the Pain Go, Watercolor, Etched Glass, Rose Marie Raccioppi, 2001

The Battle of the Huns

Sword to sword Soul to soul
Spirit and life to bear the toll
Revenge, regret and warring heart
From God's grace do they depart
Spirit hovers in the dark shadow of despair
Vacant of God's grace and knowing care
In defiance of life's fervent call
To be at peace, one with one and All.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


In Tribute
The Battle of the Huns, symphonic poem by Franz Liszt, (1857) arr. Matthew Cameron


Hunnenschlacht, (The Battle of the Huns) Wilhelm von Kaulbach, German, 1805 – 1874.
The painting that inspired the symphonic poem of the same name by Franz Liszt , depicts the battle of the Catalaunian Fields in 451 A.D., where the Hun armies led by Attila fought a savage battle against a Roman coalition led by Roman General Flavius Aëtius and the Visigothic king Theodoric. According to legend, the battle was so ferocious that the souls of the dead warriors continued their fighting in the sky as they rose to Heaven.

This Awakened Heart

The coolness of morning dew upon leaf
The gentle ripple of moving waters
The caress of soft winds
The feel of shimmering veils in sounds I hear
The embrace of each piano key
And known be this awakened heart.

Rose Marie Raccioppi

Franz Liszt
1811-1886
Consolation No. 3

Liszt at the Piano, 1840, Oil on wood, Playing for Beethoven and surrounded by Hugo, Paganini, Rossini, Lamartine, Sand and Marie d'Agoult (seated on the floor), Josef Danhauser, 1805-1845, Source: Bridgeman Art Library.

It is in us

It is in us that there are
all the rivers and the seas
all the colors of the rainbow
all the calls of the wind
all the beckoning buds of Spring
all the blooms of Summer
all the splendor of Fall
all the reverie of Winter
It is in us that there are
all the sounds
all the light
all the emotion
all the music
The music, the music
of passion
of quest
of thought
of resolve
The embrace of
heart
hand
The music, the music
the lure be known
rapture in the touch
soul sublime.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Astronomy Picture of the Day, M31: The Andromeda Galaxy, Credit & Copyright: Robert Gendler (robgendlerastropics.com)

Impressions

The darkening twilight
impressions
hues
Blanketed by the nearing of night
The palette of a distant field
Held in this moment of change.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Impressions, Rose Marie Raccioppi, Watercolor, 2002, www.apogeeart.com

Passion, Piano and the Poet’s Pen

Passion, piano and the poet's pen sublime
Music and artistry 'tis nature's grace divine
The music, the words, the poem's soulful plea
Impassioned strings of heart known and set free
The artist's unveiling, the poet's word
And the music, the music, to be ever heard
These gifts of purpose, will and intent
Summon be the Muse with God's blessings sent.

Rose Marie Raccioppi




Passion, Piano and the Poet's Pen

Yashar Yaslowitz
Piano

Rose Marie Raccioppi
Poetry

On Sunday, May 17, 2009, 2:00 pm, at the Valley Cottage Library, Valley Cottage, New York
www.vclib.org/areas.asp?id=74

In Tribute to Nathaniel Ayers, The Soloist

Calling, calling is his prayer
The strings of his soul dispel despair
The music within is ever heard
Known to his heart is God's word
Confusion and chaos in great abound
Within his world a purpose found
The music, the cello, his being, his glory
And told is the Soloist story
Beethoven to fill his chambers of pain
'Tis the music and God to call his name
Colors in resounding rapture and light
His soaring soul these moments in flight
From the shackles of judgment he does flee
In sonorous ascension his spirit known free.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


The Cello Player, 1896, Oil on canvas, Thomas Eakins, American, 1844-1916.

In Loving Celebration

Happy Mother's Day

In Loving Celebration
2009


In Reflection

There is purpose and plan
Within each heart of man
When life is given anew
The gift of time is bestowed upon you
Days to mark a quest, a desire
And known be life's passion, life's fire
Peace and love to embrace each day
And known be the Glory to God I pray.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


After the Bath, Oil on canvas, c. 1901 , Mary Cassatt, American, 1844 - 1926.

Woven Threads

Woven threads
Thought and being
Solitude
Moments of intimacy
With the inner secrets of self
Passion in quietude
To move this soul's Presence to praise
A silent resonant call is heard
Wonder, oneness, echo a repose.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


“I Am Half-Sick of Shadows," Said the Lady of Shalott, 1915, Oil on canvas, John William Waterhouse, 1849-1917.

Praise and Gratitude - Blog Award This Day

Apogee Poet: Rose Marie Raccioppi’s compendium of her poetry & artwork (both her own & by others) is by definition a “lovely blog.” It’s most pleasing to view & to visit. Ms Raccioppi is a published poet who’s a prolific writer, posting a poem a day (or more) since the blog began earlier this year. Her selection of photos & paintings always interact well with her verse, & her own paintings are very appealing. This is a blog that’s worth checking out by anyone who admires a good visual presentation.

Robert Frost's Banjo

http://robertfrostsbanjo.blogspot.com/

In gratitude I accept and I am most honored by such considerations.

Rose Marie Raccioppi

The Spoils of Spring

Budding leaves of many hues
Reaching branches of the lofty oak tree
The quiver of dawning grass laden with Spring rain
Robins red of breast aflight in my garden near
Blooms of grace and brilliant white
The song of birds distant yet heard
The presence of soft winds and a gentle rain
The silent sounding of growth abound
Such be the spoils of Spring, this day found.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Windflowers, 1903, Oil on canvas, John William Waterhouse, British, 1849 - 1917.

Troves of Time

Mood, these moments of being the troves of time
In reflection, thoughts as words line by line
Treasures vaulted within this heart
From which reverie has its start
Garlands of thought ever free
Gifts of life bequeathed to me
Now and memories of old
Mark this time yet to be told
What pray tell am I to understand
The God within holds loving command
And so this moment born ever new
Troves of time betrothed to you
This moment to reach and willingly share
And known be your heart and loving care.


Rose Marie Raccioppi

Of Desire

Thought in a web spun of desire
The quest, the passion, life’s flaming threads and fire
Yielding this heart this yearning need
Guided by God’s Word and loving creed
And in the embrace of Creation’s call
The music, the art, the knowing, God’s gift to all.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


The Summoning of the Muse, 40” x 56,” Acrylic on Panel, 1993, A. Andrew Gonzalez,
http://www.sublimatrix.com/html/gallery.html

I Thyself

From deep hurt and loss a web to spin
In threads of anguish caught this heart within
Soulful reflection and resolve I proclaim
In forgiveness and faith I call God’s name
To feel the knowing, the purpose, the plan
Ever God’s gift to life and man
Free be this heart and lamenting soul
I thyself in glory to live life’s goal.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Photo credit: http://www.daylife.com/photo/04rhgI8a8aggL

Upon the Field

The dew upon the field so wide so vast
The kiss of nature in drops of water cast
The bloom ever in color and splendid array
The blessings of Creation this very day
The loving grace of field and bloom bright
The gentleness of petal to hold God's light
Such is the splendor and love of the Presence we share
This array of divine beauty in God's care.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Oat And Poppy Field, Giverny, 1890, Claude Oscar Monet, 1840-1926.

Wisteria

Clinging, twisting, flowering beauty divine
The bloom of pendent clusters upon each twining vine
Wisteria, the feel of silent winds and mystic Presence of your array
Woody vines upon walls in grace and grandeur to behold this day.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Wisteria, Photograph, Collectible Clicks© Rose Marie Raccioppi, 2009.

Falsehood Real

So desperate is the will forsaken
The soul in anguish waken
The lament of a living lie
The sound of your hue and cry
No longer can you conceal
The loss, the fear, the falsehood real
Hushed only by truth and God's love within
The search, the knowing, the absolved sin.

Rose Marie Raccioppi


Falsehood Real, Rose Marie Raccioppi, THE WIND AND THE WILLOW, Publish America, 2008.

Orpheus, 1775-1776, Antonio Canova, Italian Sculptor, 1757-1822, State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia

Beyond

I hear a voice beyond the words spoken
A voice speaking in the silence between each word read
The voice calls to my heart and the spirit is led
Beyond the walls that house us in the filled room
Beyond all color, line and form, beyond the breath
Beyond all present to a time that fills eternity
To a place vacant of need
To that place of silent being
To that place of silent being.


Rose Marie Raccioppi


Beyond, Rose Marie Raccioppi, THE WIND AND THE WILLOW, Publish America, 2008.

Astronomy Picture of the Day, Pete Lawrence, http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap090430.html