Paperback
-
PICK UP IN STORECheck Availability at Nearby Stores
Available within 2 business hours
Related collections and offers
Overview
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781481774741 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | AuthorHouse |
| Publication date: | 07/18/2013 |
| Pages: | 68 |
| Product dimensions: | 8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.18(d) |
Read an Excerpt
Flights of Oratory
Poems and Photography
By Philip E. Galluccio
AuthorHouse
Copyright © 2013 Philip E. GalluccioAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4817-7474-1
CHAPTER 1
My Friend
(A Sonnet)
With wings outstretched and figure so aligned,
A beauty throughout does he radiate.
The sight of his encounter we relate,
If we should care delight in piece of mind.
Predominately white in hue, you'll find
Subdued suggestions do manipulate;
Some grays and blacks however integrate.
A delicate alliance pure and kind.
To alter his direction, his entire
Anatomy assumes a show of grace.
An exhibition never to be dull.
Fatigued tonight, my friend, he must retire;
Descending darkness fills his soaring space.
I say, bon nuit, good night, monsieur sea gull.
Philip E. Galluccio
(circa 1975)
Birds of a Feather
Walking briskly in the silence of
twenty-two degrees,
protective layers on fingers and toes
so none will freeze.
And yet, there stands " Mr. Blue," of the
great heron species,
in the icy stream staring down a meal
with patient ease.
Having nourished myself prior to this
vigorous romp,
I sent earnest wishes that his desired
meal be prompt.
Owing to his focus, I stopped the impact
of my stomp,
and mused at the stalwartness of my
feathered friend's pomp.
19 Jan 2012
Rooted in the stream against a gentle flow,
his piercing eyes seeking what passes below.
With consistent stealth his beak begins stabbing,
at any squirming meal worthy of grabbing.
Try spearing for fish when there isn't a slew –
palate's wanting for our heron, "Mr. Blue."
Swooping just overhead of our fishing friend,
alighting close by on a broken branch end,
there now begins a keen and determined stare –
fair warning furry creatures below – Beware!
As with fishing, the results turn out the same;
soon departs the Red-tailed hawk for lack of game.
25 Jan 2012
Burning Image
To my left, this
day's early
winter sun's
rays are
reaching through the shadowed
trees between us in
their first attempt to
blaze a sense of
warmth into me. To my right,
the barks of the trees are
glowing brilliantly, offering the
impression of a
forest fire without
flames. Both sides of me are in
total, spiritual
illumination.
22 Jan 2012
Footsteps without echoes are
traipsing eagerly eastward,
with confidence,
enlightened by the subdued
illumination peeking through
the trees ahead. This heartening
invitation brought to mind an
enticing welcome offered in a
warm campfire.
8 Feb 2012
Misty Appearance
Wafting through the haze of
time,
memories resettle
back in mind of huddling
in the "warming
hut" beside the
frozen pond,
cradling a warm
drink with chilly hands. Prior to
taking this retreat,
many pairs of
skates were artfully
sketching swirling designs; icy
creations on the porcelain-like surface.
Before, when it was
only puffs of cold
vapor that
clouded our
vision, now the
passage of time
may try to
fade these wintry
remembrances.
2 Feb 2012
Dreamer's Paradise
Oh, how easily
drawn, my
imagination, to absorb the snowy
fantasy portrayed by last night's
light, clingy
decoration. Every
floral branch of this
winter forest accented in stunning
detail – an exquisite lace-like
pattern. Shining through this weave
from behind, the slightly waning full
moon projects a
mesmeric translucent
luster, like that of a
fresh water pearl. Arriving soon after at a
clearing, the
radiant gem, suspended in the
dawn sky,
is the sole punctuation in a
mercurial heaven, tinged with the hues of a
blue satin sheen.
The fantastic final
exclamation to this imagery
shone forth from the slanting
sun's first reflected beam of
light,
shimmering atop the pond as a golden
feather!
9 Feb 2012
Cardinal Profile
Emblazoned in scarlet
attire and
perched, as if floating, in open view
on a seemingly invisible
branch, the male
cardinal twittered his
melodious mating
calls. Coupled with the
energizing early
sunshine, pronouncing his
profile, this spirited
harmony of sound and light
captivated my attention, as it
hopefully will that of
his intended
love.
19 Feb 2012
Cardinal Portrait
Bright red, alone on his
perch,
heartening with song
profound.
Standing proud, right now
in search,
until his choice love is
found.
Not only by chirps alone,
will she turn her attention;
as well, scarlet feathers
shone –
admire how the spell is spun.
19 Feb 2012
Success
Both sweet medley and ardent
attire,
have been useful in the role of
squire.
How well he used this combination;
the result ... it gained her affection.
22 Feb 1012
Clamorous Canopy
What started, from
a distance, as a homogenous
clamor, soon crescendoed into a raucous
outcry from directly
overhead. Sprinkled
throughout several treetops was
the morning social
gathering of a flock of
starlings, projecting their resounding
gossip.
Combine all their
vocalism and quite suddenly it's
like you're center
stage, surrounded by the rousing
cheers of adoring
fans or, being in the
audience yourself, patiently
listening to the orchestra warming up.
To be clear, it's
nature's exuberant
promotion of a new day!
21 Feb 2012
Breakfast Dessert
Chilled just right
at thirty-two degrees, a
proper
temperature for delicate
desserts, the icing on the earth's surface
appeared to be one of those
delightful temptations.
This morning's
lemon chiffon
colored sunlight tinged the ground
frosting into that
tasty
pie.
Nature is
always serving sensuous, delicious
treats.
27 Feb 2012
Candy Coating
Flowing down the stockade of
awakening tree trunks,
from the
glaze on their top foliage –
spread there by the early morning sun – came
the appearance of a
delectable light, creamy caramel
treat.
6 April 2012
(Good Friday)
Pewter Perfect
The effortless
leap
launches the blue
heron from the secluded tree branch,
heading him westward
over the
water.
Manifested from wing tip to wing tip
and beak point to toe point,
the elegance of
flight is described
wholly, as the
symmetrical sweep of his
wings dominate and
caress the air.
Circling around the pond, then back
towards me and the rising
sun, the heron is
soaring at treetop level. When
directly
overhead, in the
sunlight, the metallic
quality of pewter in his feathers
emphasizes the perfect
detail of his plumage, which then
heightens the patina of my
emotions.
28 Feb 2012
Windowsill Solo
Being distracted by this incessant
chatter,
I viewed through the glass to see
what's the matter.
Sitting on the windowsill, much to
my surprise,
a European starling, with bright
yellow eyes.
Before taking this cautious
inquisitive glance,
the multiple sounds drew images
of a crowd.
Crouched close out of the rain, this
fellow took a stance,
putting on a concert for which he
can be proud.
All sounding much like five
conversations in one:
guttural hums, hyper-chirping and
beak clicking,
mingled with whistling and agitated
squawking;
so fluent this bird, after all was said
and done.
For making the best of a wet
situation,
I offer my most hearty congratulation.
Despite the weather, he seemed to
be having fun –
tooting many "horns" in this
symphony of one.
23 April 2012
Listen ... Look ... Behold
Bolstering my spirits, laudatory bird
calls awaken the day to a
rousing start, along with
various luminous
apparitions, whetting both acute senses into
relishing the existing
treasure of sounds and sights in the
woods. The concert's
introduction opens with the pleasing
trill of the Red-bellied woodpecker. Rat-a-tat-tat
accents join him, coming
from his "cousin", the Downy
woodpecker, seeking a well pitched prize
from within the bark.
The sorrowful "coo" of the mourning
dove offers an additional pensive
welcome into this enticing realm of
wonders.
The enchantment continues with the
celebratory cardinals' virtuosos of
language and fine feathered
fashion; in any season a flash of meteoric
brilliance. Unseen, a Carolina wren joins the
morning rejoicing, chirping his tri-umphant
thrill, noticeable
by the triple, perfect
pitch, punctuations.
Rounding out, but not concluding
this vital
festivity, is the robins' merriment of
song and fluttery
dances between the land and trees, always
emphasized with a
proud display of their rotund, orange
chests. When on
the ground, their
keen
hearing follows the scrunching sound of earthworms,
hoping to pluck out a juicy
entrée.
Adding to
this cornucopia of
sensory delights, yet another excitable
surprise crossed my path.
A bushy-tailed red
fox, in a silent fleet-footed tear,
retreats from her latest
hunt around the duck pond.
Most amazing of
all, when you stop to
think about it, is that each of
these natural
dwellers
experience
the very
same perceptions that are always
fascinating me throughout this
wonderland.
21 Feb 2012
Contemplative Moments
The brisk
air, with a wind
chill of 24 degrees, did little
to deter me from
gathering
images of crystal clarity
as they were revealed by the
illustrious sun. Some
highlights from the collection,
all attributed to serendipitous timing,
have noteworthy
significance for only existing
in a
moment. First, admiring the
conspicuous Ms.
Cardinal, glorious while briefly
displaying her magenta and dun
outfit; equally as
stunning as her crimson suitor. The
earth itself became
appareled with crisp stripes of elongated
shadows, delineating anew the
stalwart girth of each tree. One
tree, in particular,
gilded by our lustrous sun, became an
elaborate, gold stitch
embroidery, spread against
a robin's egg blue sky. Further afoot,
mindful of my step, there appears a
gem of Irish-green moss,
nestled and protected
in the crevice of some tree
roots. Soon after, the sight of
another
tree, itself
garnished with a single strand of
ivy creeping up its east face,
reflecting a unique hue of polished
jade. With
such marvels as these, what
good
fortune to continually be able to
contemplate this wide range of
spectacles.
6 Mar 2012
And the Winner is ...
If there were to be
a popularity
contest for bird calls, my
vote is already
cast.
This choice comes from an
ensemble of noteworthy
contestants, who all
deserve their due
recognition. With congested honking,
geese raise
their volume of
obstinacy against any compliance
to traffic
control; though some pairing was
noticed for possible parenthood. The
cheeping (beeping), cheeping
(beeping) of the
swerving flights of meandering
robins, en masse,
portends the same
disregard for flight control,
before they settle cheerily within
the trees to
chitter in a
songfest. A
blue jay's strident
complaints often
contrast with the
crow's determined, self-respecting
drawl, which subtly
relates to his elevated
intelligence. Typically
conversing, chirping from a
luxuriant repertoire,
cardinals regularly
accent the atmosphere; think
British with their "pip-pip"
selection. They may all be
notable, but the
charming, persistent
Red-bellied woodpecker's
warbling readily
becomes, decidedly, most
heartwarming.
9 Mar 2012
Woodland Chorus (P.S.)
This short list may be the first
stringers,
yet they still trust their back-up
singers.
nuthatches, titmice, sparrows
and wrens,
all knit together the woods'
winged friends.
Woe, had there been a wood
thrush to woo,
or the sway of a gentle dove's
"coo",
might the woodpecker have
lost its place?
I think not, if only to save face.
10 Mar 2012
Revelling in Reveille
From my avian
friends, who remain
faithful to the circadian
routine, many different
reveille
alarms
alert us to their
willingness to pursue life with gusto.
Inspired by the quickening dawn,
nature sets the world
astir. As the sky is bluing,
trees stretch their branches, depicting an
essential morning ritual to get the
sap running. Upon these vital
limbs, shaking off their own drowsiness,
the early
birds take a quick
respite, to get their bearings,
then fly off to seek either
nourishment
or, lacking this appetite, encourage
romance.
Rewarding thrills happen with the
experience from watching the
hammering
enthusiasm of a downy woodpecker; his
eager attempt
to pluck some
breakfast. The impacts, through
sheer perseverance, should
result in the extraction of
this important first
meal. The sound of his
efforts gives convincing
evidence to the expression,
"Opportunity comes
knocking."
Starting right in
my sight at ground
level, one male
cardinal shot up like a
streaking firecracker and
completed this ascension at a
visible height in a bursting
display of
RED – an excellent approach to
attracting your
heart's desire; a single exhibition sure to
waken anyone's
senses. Nearby, a
multitude of other cardinals, in the
same frame of mind, were
whistling with true affection their "courting"
calls, which could be
interpreted as, "Heeeere,
heeeere, come/come/come/
come," (or, "... me/me/me/me"). Seems vanity
serves well in this
instance.
These few
revelations, always a
joy to witness on
any given
morning, add to the many, invigorating
wake-up calls to revel in nature's
resolve.
11 Mar 2012
Preface: Perhaps from being a little punch-drunk, this plethora of promising possibilities to pronounce so many "P" words contrives a pilferage of that portion of the dictionary.
Perfect Pitch
Such a profuse
philharmonic performance by my
prolific, fine plumed
pals, perfecting their
pitch that
permeated the periphery of my
planetary space; full of potent
potential to proliferate
prodigies similarly pulsing to
perpetuate the preference of this pleasing
practice.
14 Mar 2012
Punctual Pastime
Percolating since the previous day, I
proposed the majority of these
"P's", from this
proclivity of mine to
produce a prodigious amount of
preposterous
phrases, during my
pleasurable pedaling this morning. (Again, the
partial result of
philandering with a proposed
proposition.)
15 Mar 2012
P. S. A pathetic case of peevishness, though petty, may result from partaking in these poems.
P. P. S. Phew – I'm played out!
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Flights of Oratory by Philip E. Galluccio. Copyright © 2013 Philip E. Galluccio. Excerpted by permission of AuthorHouse.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
My Friend (A Sonnet).................... 4
Birds of a Feather.................... 5
The Colors of Hunger.................... 5
Burning Image.................... 6
A Beckoning Glow.................... 6
Misty Appearance.................... 7
Dreamer's Paradise.................... 8
Cardinal Profile.................... 9
Cardinal Portrait.................... 9
Success.................... 9
Clamorous Canopy.................... 10
Breakfast Dessert.................... 11
Candy Coating.................... 11
Pewter Perfect.................... 12
Windowsill Solo.................... 13
Listen ... Look ... Behold.................... 14
Contemplative Moments.................... 16
And the Winner is.................... 17
Woodland Chorus (P.S.).................... 17
Revelling in Reveille.................... 18
Perfect Pitch.................... 20
Punctual Pastime.................... 20
All Seems Quiet.................... 21
Stepping into Spring.................... 23
Low Level Sunshine.................... 24
Fugue in "Fog" Major.................... 25
Bombastic Bamboo.................... 25
Trail of Smells.................... 26
Easter Robin.................... 27
A Girl and Her Dog.................... 28
Rabbit in Relief.................... 30
SENTINEL.................... 31
The Mane of a Lion.................... 33
Phonetic Fog.................... 34
Simultaneous Specter.................... 34
Before Dawn's Light.................... 35
DELIGHTFUL SUN.................... 36
Compatible Motion.................... 36
Gratuitous Mother Nature! (Times Three).................... 37
Social Media.................... 38
"Now You See Me,".................... 39
Unruffled (The Plight of Bernice).................... 40
Courting Colors.................... 41
The Crack(s) of Dawn.................... 42
Winter "SEASCAPE".................... 42
My Gifts Today.................... 43
ENCHANTMENT.................... 44
Snow White Spread.................... 44
Frisky Foxes.................... 45
Brave Heart.................... 46
Day's First Treat.................... 46
Season's Full of Heart And Thus the Rose.................... 47
"Who's That Knockin' at".................... 48
Sound Sage, that Sailor.................... 49
Mountain Gem.................... 50
WITH THESE ROOTS.................... 52
Perfect Shape and Sight.................... 54
Begin Anew.................... 55
Blue Delight.................... 56
BLUE JAY-BOREE.................... 56
Reputation in RED.................... 57
CELEBRATE!.................... 57
Neighborly Pecking Order.................... 58
Fire Brigade.................... 59
CONTINUATION.................... 60