This one’s interesting- and none of these photographs has been photoshopped. 
Underwater anemone
Sand castle
White flowers, white background
Muddy geyser known as “Fountain Paint Pots” at Yellowstone National Park, WY
First Church of the Christ, Boston
Linking to :http://jennifernicholewells.com/2015/03/31/one-word-photo-challenge-shamrock/
Sculpture of three schoolboys, Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
Shamrock balloons (for St. Patrick’s day celebrations)
This poem is inspired by the following article, which explains why one should spend money on experiences, not things:
One day both you and I
We go to the store and buy
The same expensive object
We both individually subject
Ourselves to momentary pleasure
Of possession of a treasure
The novelty wears off soon enough
Our mood then experiences a trough
The cycle repeats endlessly
We go on buying mindlessly.
**
One fine day when the sky is blue
We venture out, both me and you
We hike the hills, we pause and stare
We swim in the streams without a care
With some money, we rent a boat
In the quiet river, blissfully we float
At the local cafe we eat a meal
Sharing stories, mirth and common zeal
Spent, we go back home and rest
Spending the day this way is the best
Months later we would probably remember
That gorgeous day from sunny September..
**
Now tell me, if we were together
Which one of these activities would you prefer?
Money we can spend in more ways than one
On buying objects or on experiences awesome
Both will give us a high for a while
But a great experience will always make us smile
Even the most prized material possession
Derives its value from emotional association!
Tears of frustration
Tears of helplessness
As a sign of prostration
Before the callousness
Of those wielding power
Unchecked and untamed
As they choose to shower
Atrocities, unashamed
Protests silenced
Voices suppressed
Display of shocking violence
Against the oppressed
Why is this world
So deeply divided
How did hatred unfurl
How was this fire ignited?
There are a million
Excuses for violence
Any rational explanation
Demanded, draws silence
Those in possession
Of absolute power
Hungry for domination
Make the weak cower
Was this how mankind
Was supposed to live?
Were we not supposed to be kind
To each other, and selflessly give?
I see the world around me
And feel pangs of regret
We are losing the opportunity
To make each life the best
We all exist in collaboration
By fighting each other we cannot win
No one succeeds in isolation
We need to stop violence against our kin!
Fake cow with udders that can be milked- at a milk farm in Manheim, PA
Peacock kite- wonder how it flies- at Seaport Village, San Diego, CA
This contraption is made out of “bathroom fittings”- can anyone decipher what it means?- At the Museum of Art and Design, New York City
This one is easy, as long as I look outside the US..Here are some old buildings from India, Italy and Turkey.
Amber Fort, Jaipur, India (built in 1592)
The Colosseum, Rome, Italy (built in AD 80)
The Sultanahmet Mosque, Istanbul, Turkey (built in 1609)
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur, India, built in 1799
Doge’s Palace, Venice, Italy (completed and opened in 1424)
In response to “The Daily Post”:
https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_prompt/food-for-the-soul-and-the-stomach/
Olfactory memories strong
Etched in my mind forever
The hearth to which they belong
The kitchen I can forget never
The spices ground by hand
The freshly picked herbs fragrant
Could flavor any food bland
Could bring back home a vagrant..
The kitchen ruled by my mother
Where magic she used to create
Food that could douse my hunger
My soul it could satiate
Here I am, far, far away
From my land, my home, my mother
Memories of that food I have every day
Food for the soul like no other.
In response to: https://dailypost.wordpress.com/dp_photo_challenge/ephemeral/
Life is a dream ephemeral
Gone in the blink of an eye
It is the truth eternal
Everything is born to die
Cherry Blossoms
Rainbow- the epitome of something ephemeral
The Old Faithful geyser at Yellowstone National Park, which erupts for a brief duration
Blooming flowers
In the lap of nature
In the scenic outdoors
All the outstanding features
Of the landscape I explore
St. Mary’s Lake, Glacier National Park, Montana
At the Bridal Veil Falls, Yosemite National Park, California
Lake Tahoe, California
Somewhere in Maine
On one of the cays of the Caribbean, The Bahamas
Embarcadero Marina, San Diego, California
Frustration at its peak
Solutions, evasive, I seek
Helpless here I feel
Find myself losing zeal
Climbing a wall insurmountable
Facing obstacles indescribable
I question myself if it is worthwhile
To keep on fighting till the end of the mile
Or just reconcile with my situation
And spare myself the pain of desperation…
**
This is a conundrum with no solution
I agonize over it like an obsession
Myself I should change, I guess that is true
Maybe my circumstances will change too..
View of the Caribbean from a cruise ship
Palm tree-lined streets of Southern California
Path through the Balboa Park, San Diego
Staircase at the Hotel del Coronado, Coronado Island, San Diego, CA
Along the banks of Folsom Lake, Folsom, CA
Passion...unbridled 