[Categories: Photography, Photography 101 Forever
[Photos this week are hosted right here on WordPress. Somewhere… serene.]
[Right-clicking on a photo might open it in a separate tab or window.]
The Lens Artists Challenge is hosted this week by Amy.
The theme is WAITING.
“The waiting is the hardest part
Every day you get one more yard
You take it on faith, you take it to the heart
The waiting is the hardest part”
–Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, written by Tom Petty
One could wait an eternity, such as those buried in this Naw’lins (New Or-LEANS) cemetery, where all are buried above ground due to the very high water table:

New Orleans cemetery
“Time and Tide wait for no man”:
Origin:
The origin is uncertain, although it’s clear that the phrase is ancient and that it predates modern English. The earliest known record is from St. Marher, 1225:
“And te tide and te time þat tu iboren were, schal beon iblescet.”
A version in modern English – “the tide abides for, tarrieth for no man, stays no man, tide nor time tarrieth no man” evolved into the present day version.
Also, possibly: first appeared about 1395 in Chaucer’s Prologue to the Clerk’s Tale:
“119 Ay fleeth the tyme; it nyl no man abyde.
Ever flees the time; it will wait for no man.”
Doesn’t it have a nice ring to it?
“Ay fleeth the tyme; it nyl no man abyde.”
Kind of like Rabbie Burns:
“The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men
Gang aft agley,”
Even Burn’s first verse is sheer poetic music, to a Scot at least:
“Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim’rous beastie,
O, what a panic’s in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi’ bickerin brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an’ chase thee
Wi’ murd’ring pattle!”
–To A Mouse by Robert Burns
But I digress. Where were we? Oh yes, TIME…

Prague, Czechoslovakia.
…and TIDE:

Normandy coast, France. Part of WWII D-Day invasion.
Tick tock, tick tock:
“can you feel it
now that spring has sprung
that it’s time to live in the scattered sun
waiting for the sun
waiting for the sun
waiting for the sun
waiting for the sun”
–Jim Morrison, The Doors
This sunflower waited for the sun last summer:
“And I’ve been waiting in the weeds
Waiting for my time to come around again and
Hope is floating on the breeze
Carrying my soul high up above the ground and
I’ve been keepin’ to myself
Knowin’ that the seasons are slowly changing…”
–The Eagles, Writer(s): Henley Donald Hugh, Smith Steuart
Two eagles were high above the weeds next to a walking path I traversed recently. Here is one. Waiting… waiting…
I dislike waiting. Patience is not one of my virtues.
Enjoy.
Kudos to the tireless leaders of the weekly Lens-Artists challenge.
Very erudite this week John😊. Love how you tied the images with the lyrics/poems/quotes. Well done
Thanks Tina.
A very creative post, John. Great photos.
Thank you Miriam.
You’re welcome, John.
Waiting is beautifully expressed through your photos and poems. Photos were well selected and tied with the poems/quotes perfectly. Thank you so much, John!
Thank you Amy.
Wow!
You just showed yourself. And it is great! I know Tom Petty, and I know time and tide, nothin an no one. and I have seen that amazing clock in Prague. That photo of Naw’leans cemetery is simply awesome.
I think simply going with yourself alone is the best thing you could ever do.
Thank you for your kind and heartfelt message.
Very nice article and wonderful photos of the clock tower in Prague!
Thank you. I love Prague!
That’s a beautiful clock John!
Thanks Raj. Prague is a beautiful city, an architectural delight.
I can see it John, never been but seen lot of movies shot in Prague (Cold War) 🙂
wonderful post – and thanks for the history – esp the time and tide will wait for no man….
I would have thought Shakespeare on that one…. but 1225?
also – LOVE that Petty song
Shakespeare wrote nearly everything, didn’t he?! Tom Petty was a modern poet in his own way, too.
Yes to both….
And when I saw the theme was waiting – I did think of petty – so again – nice to see it here! And one of my favorite petty songs is “here comes my girl”
Yeah. Good one!
🎼❤️🤸🏼♂️
I enjoyed your waiting responses. That clock is a thing of beauty. And the above ground cemetery reminded me of the Recoleta cemetery in Buenos Aires. They are both cities of the dead .
Thanks Anne.
Great musical choices, John, as well as photographic ones, too! I especially love your sunflower shot. Tom Petty is one of my favorite artists.
Thank you Patti. I was helping in a friend’s garden on a sunny day and bingo, there was blue sky and sunflower. An iPhone photo, I believe.
A wonderfully rich post, John! Love the language of olden times and the verse. The clock is a masterpiece. Waiting.
Thank you. ‘Gang aft agley’ is an old favorite.
Had to look up that one!
I like that very first photo very much!
Thank you!
Very playful and clever, John. I’m with you on patience not being my strong suit. You’re patient enough to get some great photos though! And to leave you with something to ponder, since you gave us so much to ponder about here in your post and you were looking for an odd comment from someone quirky, right? Anyhow, from the “A Book About A Thousand Things (copyright 1946) ” – “How did ‘the Greeks had a word for it’ originate? – answer – The Greeks Had a Word for It is the title of a play written by the American author and playwright Zoe Akins and first produced on Broadway in 1929. The word referred to in the title is the Greek hetaera, signifying a courtesan, mistress or female paramour of the better clan according to ancient Greek standards. I hope you have a wonderful week!!
Wow. A-B-L! (Always Be Learning) 🙂
🙂
Those are amazing clock photos. And – that Tom Petty song came to mind for me too when I saw this challenge 🙂
Thank you. 🙂
You’re welcome!
Hi John, I am going to quote a great writer which commented on one of my posts:
“Outstanding photos and superb, thoughtful commentary” JOHNRH as quoted by Abrie Joubert.
I think we could have interesting conversations while you teach me to ski!
Time has not waited – the tide is out on this theme for me and I am giving it a skip
Ha ha. You are very kind. Enjoy the timeout.
What a fun post, John! Especially like the pictures of the clock.