Happy Valentine's Day!!

 Photography by Juan Tituaña

Tonight while the wind howls (in Maryland, at least), I'd like to wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day...in Mexico's Yucatan where it is 78 degrees in Merida...and promises to be warmer tomorrow.

Juan Tituana also sends us a Mayan love poem he came across from his Maya guide while visit​ing ​Chichen Itza.

Z'UTZ' A CHI
TU CAAP COOL HOK CHE

Besar Tus Labios 

Cerca de la Valla de Carriles
(Spanish translation by Juan F. Tituaña)

Tz'aex a hatz'uutz nokeex;
tz'ooc u kuchul kin h'cimac olil;Ponte tus hermosas ropas;
El dia de felicidad ha llegado;

xeech u tzou tzotzel a pol;
tz'a u lemceech ciichcelmil a nokPeinate los enredes de tu cabello,
Pon tus vestidos más atractivos

tz'a hatz'utz xanaab;
ch'uuycinzah a nuucuuch tuup tu tupil a xicin;y tu esplendido cuero;
Cuelga tus bellos colgantes de tus orejas;

tz'a malob oochh';
tz'a u keexiloob a x ciichpan caal;Ponte un buen cinturón
y una cadena de guirnalda

en tu formado cuello

tz'a, uu baakaal

hop men hop tu nak a kab.

Ponte tus bobinas brillantes

Sobre tus regordetas de tus brazos

T kailbeilt caa i laac ciichpameech

hebiix [maix] maace uay tu t cahil,

Se te mirara gloriosa,
Porque nada es más hermoso aqui en este pueblo

H' Tz'iitbalchee' cah.

la sede de Dzitbalche.

In yacumaech X Cichpan Colelbiil.
Lai beiltic in kaat ca ilabe’ech
h'aach zempeech ki’chpamech,

Te quiero, Dama Hermosa.

Quiero que te miren,

Porque en la verdad eres bella,

tumen cu yan ca chiicpaaceech ti x buutz' ek,
tu men ca u tz'iboolteech tac lail
u yetel u x lol nicte kaax.Te comparo a una cometa
Porque ellos te desean a la luna y en las flores del

​ campo

​​

​​Chen zacan zacan a nok, h'x zuhuy,

xen a tz'a u cimac olil a chee
tz'a utz ta puczikalBlanco y puro es tu ropa, dama.
Vete y da felicidad con tu risa,
Pon bondad en tu corazón

tumen helae
u zutucil cimac olilPorque hoy dia
es el momento de felicidad,

tu lacal uinic
lail cu tz'ailc u yutzil ti teech.

Toda la gente pondra su bondad en tí.

Photography by Juan Tituaña

TO KISS YOUR LIPS
BESIDE THE FENCE RAILS

Put on your beautiful clothes;

A happy day has arrived;

comb the tangles from your hair;

put on your most attractive clothes

and your splendid leather;

hang great pendants from the lobes of
your ears;

put on a good belt;

put on string garlands

around your shapely throat;

put shining coils
on your plump upper arms.

Glorious you will be seen,
for none is more beautiful here
in this town,

the seat of Dzitbalche.

I love you, beautiful lady.

I want you to be seen;

In truth you are very alluring,

I compare you to the smoking star

because they desire you up to the moon

and in the flowers of the fields.

Pure and white are your clothes, maiden.

Go give happiness with your laugh,

put goodness in your heart, because today
is the moment of happiness; all people
put their goodness in you.

Enjoy some more pictures from the Yucatan.  Imagine how warm the water is.

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Jerry A. Scuderi has also sent us some poems about love for Valentine's Day.

             Still in Wait

 Here’s boy friend sad ; she’s gone away .

Promote her way or gone astray ?

She’s picked up a friend in the study lounge .

Are you going for good or will you come back to stay ?

 Oh Golden Hair , Angelic Face ,

you’re primped and luring in satin and lace .

Have you suitor found ; left me to flounder ?

Fly away, Dear thing , with my heart that found her ?

 My life’s worth living ; I’ve joys of mine .

I’ve riches here ;  though I’ve turmoil of mind .

How will she do  without me there ?

You trouble me so , my Goodness Fair .

 My concerns amass , you’ve life without me .

Choose your path , my seeking Flight Bee .

Here I rest  with anxious soul .

Come back or wander ; your choice be told .

                                                   Jerry A. Scuderi   April 2, 2015

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Photography by Juan Tituaña

                              OH,  PROMISE                                         

Will you promise me forever;  give me love in many ways?
Will you cherish me forever;  give life to all my days?

Will you hold me, and clothe me, nourish me, and scold me;
never leave and always smile?
Will you promise me forever; be with me through every mile?

I feel your breath,  turn off the light,  under covers,  pass the night.
Will you promise me forever, and be there at every fright?

Will you be here when I need you, Love;  through sorrow, pain, and woe?
Will you be here when I want you, Love;  through every picture show?

I promise you, My Everything; ‘til dying breath, I do.
You’re my man, Oh Everything;  through rain and storm and flue.

Through ups and downs, through bright and darks ; through my oh trembling voice.
Oh, care for me; oh, don’t be strayed.  Is that your final choice?

  Am I your man, please tell me so?  I listen, talk, and care.
Am I your man, for all our days;  say so, are we a pair?

Need me, live for me,  is this all true?
Walk away; you’re free to go.  I’ll be so blue.

I give you my devotion, forsaking all, and cling to you.
Come love and life, and bumpy-ness;  I need your laugh and coo.

I’ll bring my bones, my heart and soul; I strive for what is right.
I walk through the darkness, checking windows in the night.

I’ll be with you through dying breath;  through trials of fire and flame.
Through times of so much happiness;  through times of endless shame.

When I turn my back, will you be nestled behind me?
When I turn around, will you always be there?                                                 
Our trust can last a lifetime; count on me to always care.                         
                                                                                                 

We’ll work it out or live with it;  count not a shout or scream.
For you are me, why hurt myself?  Together we’re a team.

 Here’s wrinkled skin,  my eyes don’t see;  my love for you, still strong.
We‘ve shared our life together;  life’s best’s still on my arm.

You made me mad so many times. I’d feared for our tomorrows.
I’d close my eyes and trust in you; we’d bump and bounce through sorrows.

I’ll go first; I’ll wait for you.  Memories are such friends.
My thoughts of you have never ceased;  here’s life without an end.

No need to keep your hat nor coat; your face is still around.
I see you in our children’s eyes; see laughter still abounds.

                                                                                Jerry A. Scuderi   October 3, 2009

                                                                             

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Photography by Juan Tituaña

A Life Time Gone

 Will you be there for me   when I come home ;

smiling, bright eyed ,   hair parted with comb ?

Will you welcome me   at heaven’s door ;

kiss me, lift me   above a golden floor ?

 Will you look into these eyes   weary of weep ?

My mind never left you ,   not even in sleep .

 Will you display for mom   how you have grown ;

tall, and broad chested ;   and parade her home ?

 We left you too soon   in temperature hot .

Your womb could nourish   and care for nought .

 We were forced to leave   our stress racked home ;

paradise required us   after six months grown .

 No longer to grow ,   then see your face ;

feel your affection ,   your arm’s embrace .

Thoughts of you   have never left our minds .

Your wonder ,  your joy ,   we left behind .

 Elation will carry   your wounded heart ;

we’ll be at your side   as eternity starts .

                                                                  Jerry A. Scuderi   10-23-13

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Love’s  Dusk

Will you love me when my teeth come out

to greet the evening stars ?

Will you comfort me at day's last light .

Steady me on bathroom bars ?

Will you feed me devoutly

regiments of pills ?

Hold my hand when life seems lost ;

smile , dispute my ills ?

Will you walk with me and talk with me ;

as I struggle to stand at all ?

Toddle , sway , tremulously .

I fear a fall .

Will you love me , care for me ;

as I'm dressed , my hair combed ?

Listen around our kitchen sink ?

See, my consciousness is loaned .

Will you led me and sit with me

as I know no friends about ?

Looking blank ; memories gone ;

lost in doubt ?

Take my hand ; squeeze it tight .

Give guidance my life .

Seek my breath in the darkness .

Love is not without it’s price .

                                                         Jerry A. Scuderi September 22, 2015

   Surf Maiden

Where are heading Crimson Gold ,

tossing your head with a mop of curls ?

You’ve captured my mind , my breath , my soul ,

My longingness , my lady , my girl .

I found you Blossom among the stars

on a moon lite night of fun .

Accompanying friends , wandering bars ;

A glow to all ; intimate to none .

Smooth arrowbesk woman of chatter ,

Flow of grace , style , and lavender .

Search . Seek . Know not what matters .

Tuned out to passes , jerks , and scavengers .

Where are you going Duchess of sands .

You’ve taken my soul , my whit , my mind .

Notice not  the awe  of longing fans ,

my liveliness , my lady , my love .

Saunter , stride , o’er envious lands .

Turning heads , considering surf .

Goddess unknowing ; designed for man .

Romp and tease , child of murf .

Throw your sandals , Energy Bound .

Garments lost ; tossed in towels .

I envy the swells splashed in sounds .

Diva of hoots and howls .

Will you come with me to castle far ?

Bring your elegance of no par .

You’ve taken my life , my breath , my soul ,

My Loveliness ,   My Lady ,   My Love .

                                                                   Jerry A. Scuderi  February 14, 2016

           

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Photography by Juan Tituaña

Juan adds this note:

This last photo at a nearby beach away from the Tulum ruins I hiked is one of my favorites. I used a filter to emphasize and capture the Mexican sunset.  I waited about an hour

​in the same position ​

for the best light and image possible.  The sun already set and the moon remarkably stood out.  It was hard to believe that this was the same moon the Maya poet saw as he was writing his love poem, comparing how the maiden and her beauty was even desired by the moon itself.

I compare you to the smoking star

because they desire you up to the moon

and in the flowers of the fields.

Photography by Juan Tituaña

I'll finish with some Valentine's Day music. Let's start with Grant Green's version of "Besame Mucho": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhqzGU18VME

Percy Heath's "A Love Song" fits in well with some of Jerry's poems about the later stages of love: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ha6DO46EtPU

I think I overdo the piano jazz thing too much, so here is Charlie Parker's "I Remember You":  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdIJ2mRvTGs

I don't know if I've posted much by Lester Young, so here is his "Embraceable You" with Charlie Parker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9cZF2dOZPM

Let's finish with Ella's "Let's Fall in Love": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhdQTug7-cc

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!