Tag Archives: Vilnius

I Watch Myself Dreaming

from “Light” by C. K. Williams Always in the dream I seemed conscious of myself having the dream even as I dreamed it. Even now, the dream moving towards light, the field of light flowing gently towards me, I watch myself dreaming, I watch myself dreaming and watching, I watch both watchers together. It almost seemsContinue reading “I Watch Myself Dreaming”

In Plurals

Tracy K. Smith is an outstanding American poet. Her most recent book, Life on Mars, won the 2012 Pulitzer Prize for poetry, so she’s no secret. Recently, I’ve been reading an earlier work, Duende (2007), and came across these lines from her poem “September”: Our eyes see in plurals: What we understand, and what will fail. They’reContinue reading “In Plurals”

Streets of Vilnius (IV): Firefighters Protest

This is the last of my four sets of street photos from Vilnius, taken in June 2012. (Here are parts one, two, and three.) Firefighters were marching down Gedimino Prospektas, one of the city’s main avenues, from the parliament to the cathedral, to protest severe budget cuts. These weren’t firefighters from the capital, but fromContinue reading “Streets of Vilnius (IV): Firefighters Protest”

Streets of Vilnius (II)

Part two of my Vilnius street photo series taken in June 2012. (Part one is here.) The accompanying poem is by Janina Degutyte, a wonderful 20th-century Lithuanian poet.  BREAD AND SALT Through a high gate Adorned with words and wreaths, Through a high gate I enter Like a guest A valley Vaulted by forests, Clouds, The flight of wild swans… AndContinue reading “Streets of Vilnius (II)”

Streets of Vilnius (I)

This is the first part of a series of photos from a recent trip to Vilnius, one of my favorite cities in Europe. With each visit, I see new layers of uncompleted change, which, to me, is best represented by its spirited youth against the backdrop of its medieval old town. It reminds me ofContinue reading “Streets of Vilnius (I)”