Yldara - A Glimpse at Poetry & Life

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Beyond Words

Friday, January 25th, 2008

Beyond Words

Shadows roaming free
impressions of a moment
lithe, somber acknowledgment
of truth, plain to see

Swirling, ageless face
distant from grasp and yet near
commanding presence too clear
of long gone love’s trace

Tall tales of freedom
rising from the ashes cold
fresh, spinning from threads of gold
burgeoning wisdom

Yldara 1807071139

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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Lustrous Golden Light

Thursday, January 24th, 2008

Lustrous Golden Light

Shining center
source of glory
radiant star
of energy

Your gifted light
glowing, gilded
marks the passing
of every day

where all planets
are drawn to come
gathering round
year in, year out

Marking the time
in favored light
glistening still
-a sight divine

Yldara 2611070725

(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)

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God is amazing!

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2008

Isn’t it amazing,
how HIS grace
restores our faith?

Isn’t it amazing,
How HIS wisdom
has no end?

Isn’t it amazing,
How God’s love
can bring us peace?

Yes, HIS grace
restores our faith.

Yes, HIS wisdom
knows no end.

And yes, HIS love
does bring us peace….

Isn’t HE amazing?
GOD is amazing!

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Thaw

Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008

Thaw

snow cloaks in silent white the gloom
winter’s own folly trimmed in flakes
yielding icicles, frozen lakes
silk veil, cast over Jaro’s womb

while from a heart of hope borrow
every wish and dream one can find
that worries and cares of the mind
thaw, birthing a new tomorrow

then numb the pain of sorrow’s friend
in melting ice and uttered spell
so misery that grow and dwell
in sadness’ lair, completely end

Yldara 310307501

Author’s Notes:
Jaro (Joro, Jord, Jorth) – Norse mythology—goddess, personification of earth

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Curious Mount Serenity

Monday, January 21st, 2008

Words are frail in comparison
to your rugged, jagged slopes
Tumbling without a pattern
this way and that-a-way too

Your summit defies reason
(gravity quit a long time ago)
An off the wall venture
of a purpose driven world

Still, you outright puzzle
to no foreseeable end
all who try to divine
just what you are about

Yldara 2111070721

Author’s Comments:

I wrote this partly light-hearted poem, thinking I could describe a fictional mountain that embodied certain truths and perceptions that we all face. Whether it has manifested itself in our day to day struggle or happened just once, many of us have at one point, met something that seems insurmountable and tried to figure it out all by ourselves.

Truth is, we just cannot do it by our lonesome selves. We need help. Help that comes from friends, family, neighbors, nature, scripture –all, pointing to God’s handiwork.

We, of course, may not like the sort of help, solution or answer He gives us, but with that same answer comes a sense of Peace. And when one really reflects on it, that peace, is profound and always filled with grace, love and mercy.

A peace that surpasses all understanding, AMEN.

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I have seen a number of French bread recipe on the net that is for those who are gluten sensitive. Yes, they are gluten free and the reviews on them have been quite good. Unfortunately for me though, I cannot use the eggs or even the egg-replacer (powdered form) that is needed in these recipes because my child has violent reactions to not just gluten but eggs and potatoes as well.

After a whole lot of experimentation and numerous failed attempts, I finally have one French bread recipe that results in a bread that is crusty on the outside and soft on the inside. And I call it -

Z French Bread

1 cup brown rice flour
1 cup white rice flour
1 cup tapioca starch flour
3 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt (fine)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 tablespoon honey
1 1/2 cups warm tap water
2 packets active dry yeast (7 g. each)
2 tablespoons butter, melted
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon arrowroot starch flour
1/3 cup warm soda water
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
additional olive oil for brushing

In a big mixing bowl combine flours (except arrowroot), xanthan gum, sea salt and baking powder.

In a smaller bowl, dissolve honey in the warm tap water. Stir in active dry yeast and proof or let foam for about 7-10 minutes.

While yeast is proofing, in a cup mix well together olive oil and arrowroot starch before adding in warm melted butter.

When the yeast is ready pour it along with oil mixture, warm soda water and cider into the bowl of dry ingredients. Beat well with a hand mixer on medium speed for about 2 minutes then beat on high for additional 3 minutes more.

At this point you can either spoon the mixture onto a cornmeal dusted baking sheet forming it into 2 logs or spoon it into a gallon sized plastic bag then pipe it out by cutting a close to 2 inch hole on one corner. Either way, you should yield 2 logs that is at least a foot long each.

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Brush tops of your dough/log with olive oil then cover lightly with plastic wrap and let rise ( in a warm and draft free place; usually the top and not inside of your warming oven) until almost double in size. The process takes between 25-35 minutes, based on my experience.

Remove plastic wrap, slash each dough diagonally every few inches if you like and bake for between 40-45 minutes.

Bread is definitely done when you tap on it and it sounds hollow. I usually do the tap test at 40 minutes.

If it passes the test, take bread out and let cool on wire rack for at least an hour before attempting to slice it. I find that it is much easier to slice gluten and egg free breads when they have been cooling for at least an hour.

Left overs can be turned into bruschetta or just eat the bread with some spread–Yum!

I have found that this bread keeps for 2-3 days without refrigeration in its whole log form (possibly longer but my family eats the lot by day 3). Sliced up, the bread is still crunchy and moist until day 2; by day 3 it started to show signs of staleness.

Below are pictures of the gluten free, egg free and potato free French Bread:

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Joaquin

Saturday, January 19th, 2008

Growing up in poverty and conflict, I may have known some people who could be classified as “Notorious”- in one form or another. Yet, for the life of me, when tasked to pretend to know one and write about them, all I could do was ask my father-in-law, if he knew or heard of anyone notorious enough to write about. He then proceeded to tell me of about this guy, Joaquin Murietta, who supposedly got captured and beheaded, with his head being put on display.

There seems to be a lot of myth, good old-fashioned rumor and half-truths about the guy and his story (life and death) from what little research I could do due to an imposed time constraint. But I figured, if he made a good subject of both fiction and truth, he would make a good subject to write about in a poem (however weird, it may seem).

Here’s what I came up with under 15 minutes of writing and editing:

Joaquin

You walk a path, grim trodden
Bent on avenging those you lost
Blood, stains your worn dark boots
Dead bodies, strewn in your wake

Was it not but a while ago
you tended to farming with such love?
Now your eyes are cold as ice
Your heart, beats terror and death

Wish time could be rolled back
to days of love, hope and peace
when your smile and laughter
yielded more, than golden fields

Yldara 2511070642

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Water Baloney

Friday, January 18th, 2008

There must have been a time when water was free. A time, when one, did not have to pay to drink or use it - at least, not with money. Maybe, with one’s sweat? Or, is it with one’s head? Most likely both.

Nowadays, water costs (just look at your water bill) a pretty penny to use, be it for drinking, cooking, cleaning up or “watering the yard”. Yes, I thought watering the yard was kind of weird too, until summer came to Texas. My husband had to water the yard before it all (the lawn grass) died on us.

Water these days also comes labeled and bottled which adds to the cost, be it out of one’s pocket or Mother Nature’s.

A few months ago, I read that some bottled water, are so prized by water connoisseurs and/or people with too much money and not enough sense, that they can actually cost between 40-60 dollars a (750 ml) bottle. More, if bought in some fancy club(s) around Tinseltown.

I am probably, one of those who will not know and understand why those water elitist pay for the bottle, rather than the water. Still, when all is said and done, it is their money after all - right? It is also such Herodian attitude that pushes and keeps the bottled water business, floating in money and controversy. Of course, one could argue - am just envious of their “success”. But, since having loads of money and a business empire is not my idea of success, that argument fails to impress.

Anyways, with all that in mind I thought of writing a poem considering a scenario, 20 or so years down the road, when clean water has gotten so expensive and scarce that one needs pure comedic relief ( and tons and tons of prayers) just to get through the day:

Water Baloney

Water Baloney My grandchild wrote
to say – His father found
water, cheaper boiled
eight hours this way:

Dig a hole two miles down
and start pumping it up.
Sift through the silt,
rock, sand and blood cup.

Filter it all out,
twenty times four.
Boil it eight hours -
Not a second more.

Yldara 0911070740

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Photo of Spiced Honey Butter Cookies

Thursday, January 17th, 2008

As promised, some days ago — here’s a picture of the Spiced Honey Butter Cookies in various shapes and sizes:

Hope this helps to inspire you to try the recipe out and maybe even flavor it with the spice you like best. Remember that these Spiced Honey Butter Cookies are only gluten free, egg free and potato free - everything else that’s fun filled and full of yummy goodness (according to 3 happy kids) are in them. So…

Click for Spiced Honey Butter Cookie recipe

Happy Baking !!!