Do not go gently into that good rain…
With great respect and profuse apologies to Dylan Thomas whose iconic poem Do not go gently into that night I have butchered to introduce today’s journal…
Do not go gentle into that good rain,
Old age should burn and rave at rainy days;
Rage, rage against the rain drops in the light.[1]
In my previous blog I complained somewhat about having to take a rain check on this weekend’s planned photographic activity. Instead a meeting over coffee seemed a good substitute. Of course the universe had other plans, the famous Norn sisters, (see Norns in Wikipedia), who are notorious for shaping the fate of mankind, decided that those of us who looked forward to coffee and friendly chatting would be influenced by other events. So like the old United States postal workers informal motto "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" , I went out alone into the rain and looked for photo opportunities.
Some drivers have a Jekyll and Hyde attitude toward wet weather. When rain pours from the heavens, from sedate and safety conscious drivers, respectful of others, they become speed fiends who believe the freeway has become a Grande Prix race track. So, after avoiding injury and maybe even death, I arrived in East Victoria Park. Victoria Park once an undesirable part of town, has in recent years become a vibrant destination for people who want to enjoy a day out for good food and coffee. Despite the inclement weather, Albany Highway, the main drag through Vic Park, was teeming with people and cars looking for parking. Mandatory mask wearing lent a mardi gras atmosphere to the scene. I went to the appointed coffee house where our meeting was to have taken place and enjoyed a solo long black coffee while I made loose plans about what I might shoot.
After coffee, I donned my favourite hat and masked up and ventured into the street. There were as I thought a select number of photo opportunities. Not too many though. I try hard to not take lots of photographs instead, I take my time to find something of interest. You will find those shots in my Gallery… A wet afternoon in Perth
[1] Adapted from The Poems of Dylan Thomas, published by New Directions. Copyright © 1952, 1953 Dylan Thomas. Copyright © 1937, 1945, 1955, 1962, 1966, 1967 the Trustees for the Copyrights of Dylan Thomas. Copyright © 1938, 1939, 1943, 1946, 1971 New Directions Publishing Corp.
Wall art in East Victoria Park… celebrating the wearing of masks…by Edgar (Saner) Flores 2014