Pandemic Poetry

Thanks for stoppin' by and checkin' out the Bsombin' blog! I wanted to share a poem I wrote last year. 

Since the start of the pandemic, I've talked to a lot of people about how they feel about the current state of the world and how they are dealing with it. It feels like most of us share a feeling of disbelief and are disappointment, when we talk about all the moments and opportunities that we have been robbed of by the pandemic. From high school graduations and weddings to job opportunities and closed down businesses, the pandemic changed everything for most of us and left us all with broken dreams.

I found most of the people who I spoke with saying things like, "...when this thing is over and we get back to normal." I feel like the world as we knew it has come to an end and we are currently in a new world. In other words, things aren't ever going to go back to the "normal" of yesterday. Which isn't entirely a bad thing, considering how messed up "normal" was. Still, change is seldom easy. Even more so when it's forced on us. Which, I feel, is why most people are hopeful that we will be able to go back to things being just the same way they were before COVID-19 turned the world on it's head. But I'm hopeful that we will progress and take this as an opportunity to learn and grow into a more conscious, cautious, and thoughtful world.

All these conversations got me to thinking a lot about "hopes" and "expectations". And what they can do to a person when life doesn't give us the future we had hoped for or expected. From my own experience, it can really fuck a person up! The hardest changes I've had forced on me weren't due to a global virus. For me, my divorce was probably the hardest time I had with failed hopes and expectations. But, the pandemic has had it's effects on me, I won't lie. The silver lining, though, is that with change comes new opportunities and a chance to start on a new path towards something greater than what we had been hoping for or expecting.

All this thinking and feeling inspired me to write the following poem. It's about losing all the things we had our hearts set on and dealing with the fact that those dreams won't come true. The title sums up how I felt after being forced to give up on some of my greatest hopes and expectations. And the poem is a mix of my own thoughts and feels along with those of the people who I spoke to regarding the pandemic. 

“Disillusioned”

Lost in a land that

Does not exist…

Tethered to the

Tireless memories of

Moments that

We never shared,

Pining what we

Did not have;

Missing what we

Failed to do;

Praying for a

Future that

Never was,

As we

Hold on to our

“If”s & “When”s,

Like dead

Flowers that

Never bloomed,

All because of what

We grew

Inside of our

Hearts and minds

Before knowing that

The worlds we knew

Were doomed

Left in their wake,

Looking for

What should have been,

Praying,

“Please, God, help,

For Heaven's Sake…”

Disillusioned

- Bsomb4

Leonardo Da Vinci Exhibition At The Ronald Reagan Library And Museum (09/06/2019) - Reagan's Rides

Before leaving, my aunt wanted to see the rest of the Ronald Reagan Library. So we took a quick tour and checked everything out. I didn't take pictures of the majority of the tour because I've already gone on it and took plenty of pictures. I posted some of the tour on here, incase any of you missed it and would like to check it out. I couldn't resist taking more pictures of all the presidential transportation, though. I just love cars and plans to much to pass up the opportunity.

That's it for the Ronald Reagan Library. I have a couple more museum tours to share. But I also have an abundance of lowrider images that I want to share. So, before we go to another museum, we might stop by one of last weekend's cruises and see some of the baddest lowrider in the world! Thanks for stoppin' by and checkin' out the Bsombin' blog. Check back soon! 

Leonardo Da Vinci Exhibition At The Ronald Reagan Library And Museum (09/06/2019) - Room 4

Thanks for stoppin' by and checkin' out the Bsombin' blog! So we finally made it to the last room of the Da Vinci exhibition. 

We had to go back upstairs to get from Room 3 to Room 4. Upstairs, we found a mixed bag of designs out of the Codex Atlanticus that had been built into models. Among them were a self propelling cart (probably the first design of an autonomous robot!), a "Magic Cube" puzzle box, and a geometric structure called the Mazzocchio. All the models were displayed with the pages of the Codex Atlanticus and illustrations explaining the designs. The room also had a few more flying machine models on display, hanging from the ceiling. 

In the center of the room was a small section were a few original pages from the Codex Atlanticus were displayed. It was pretty cool to see pages that Da Vinci actually wrote and drew on. Da Vinci was secretive about his work and usually wrote all his notes, plans, and observations backwards. He also used a special kind of shorthand that he invented himself. The only time he wrote normal was when he wanted people to read what he wrote.

Towards the exit of the room, there were a series of prints of Da Vinci's Last Supper that were created by Andy Warhol. It was a pleasant surprise for me, being a fan of Warhol. I had never seen these works and loved that it was the work of one great artist redone by another. Along with Warhol's tribute to Da Vinci was a bust of the Mona Lisa made by Italian artist Amedeo Ferrari.

That brings us to the end of the Da Vinci exhibition. In all honesty, these pictures don't do the exhibition justice. Seeing all the models and drawings in person was a unique and memorable experience. I highly recommend seeing it in person if you ever get the opportunity. 

Before we leave the Ronald Reagan Library, we'll make one more spot to walk through Air Force One & Marine One, in the next post.

Right now, it looks like we might be about a week away from museums and art galleries reopening, here in Los Angeles. So, hopefully, we will be able to go back to enjoying art exhibits and shows in person soon. But in the mean while, there will be plenty to see here. Check back soon, for a lot more art, here on Bsombin'!