J'ACCUSE By Polly Guerin

Lovers' Quarrel by French Painter Henri Gervex 1887

Once Upon a Time a man was enraged
When he read love poems on the page

This arrogant self-seeking husband
Beside himself with rage and thunder

Confronted his wife with indignant rage
Read tender intimate sentiments saved

Exposing heartfelt emotions in detail
With poignant memories never failed


So tender were the loving words chosen
He was at once angry his emotion frozen

Ignited his heart, he remembered the loss
But then again, what care, he was the boss

Convinced his wife so severely deceived him
He demanded to know the possible reason

And confronted his wife with rude demands
So sudden, so cruel, she did not understand

The confrontation was heated and very sad
But she was steadfast and seemingly glad

"My poems about YOU, when we first met
Somehow the years flew by, did you forget?

A gentle, caring lover you inspired my heart
Those wonderful early years from the start."

The husband admonished fell into his chair
Realizing his folly had fueled his despair.







Of poignant memories 

      No airline ticket required!!! Imagine yourself on the wings of a bird and realizing what it would be like to soar through the sky an see the world with a bird's-eye view on long distance journeys, navigating across continents and scaling the heights of the wonders of the world. 
     That, my dear, would be the journey of a lifetime and you can vicariously take the journey in view it in a breathtaking travel log recorded for the first time in a stunning film called, EARTHFLIGHT, which opens at the American Museum of Natural History on September 25, 2017.

In this amazing film which will screen in 3D and 2D, it shows what it would be like to fly like a bird over the world's spectacular monuments, cathedrals, legendary castles, and scan nations below.  Filmed in eleven countries, on four continents, the film took four years to make. To make your EARTHFLIGHT journey even more entertaining, it is narrated by Academy Award-winning actress, Cate Blanchette. The film is a totally immersive experience that will take you on an incredible flights across the world on the wings of birds. (Photo credit right: Photo by Christian Moullec (c) John Downer Productions).
     AERIAL TECHNIQUES: It took courage to make the film, skill beyond the norm and revolutionary aerial techniques and state-of-the-art 3D cameras to deliver the reality of flight as viewers join a variety of different avian species on their seasonal journeys.  A significant challenge for the production company was operating 3D cameras in the air on microlights, paragliders, and octocopters to fly alongside birds. The camera was stripped down to the bare minimum to not overload the mircrolight, and the 3D rig was redesigned to be compact and light, and still resist the flex from 
G-force and wind speeds.   

 DISCOVER: In this intimate journey of awesome bird travel the audience will discover the fascinating science of flight: how in the synergistic life of birds with their innate compatible skill are able to maneuver simultaneously in flocks in a million  strong, manage long-distance journeys, navigate across whole continents, and collaborate with other animals to find food.
     SCREENINGS: Plenty of Screenings though March 8, 2018. EARTHFLIGHT will be shown daily in the Museum's Samuel J. and Ethel LeFrak Theater, in 2D at 11:30 am and 4:30 pm, and in 3D at 10:30 am and 12:30, 1:30, 2:30 and 3:30 pm. Check first, times are subject to change.  To purchase tickets in advance, call 212.760.5200 or visit www.amnh.org.  General admission, Plus One, includes general admission plus one special exhibition, giant-screen 2D or 3D film, or Space show $28 (adults), $22.50 (students/seniors) and $16.50 (children ages 2-12).
For additional information, call 212.769.5100. Pay-what-you-wish admission is only available at ticket counters, where the amount you pay is up to you. The Museum is open daily, 10 am-5:45 pm. 
    Ta Ta Darlings!!! I'm taking flight with the birds as soon as the show opens, can't wait should be a journey of a lifetime. Fan mail welcome at pollytalknyc@gmail.com. Visit Polly's Blog links on www.pollytalk.com on fashion, visionary men, remarkable women and poetry.

OCEAN LINERS, FLOATING PALACES at the Peabody Essex Musuem: Review by Polly Guerin

Ocean Liners: Glamour, Speed, and Style at PEM

Let's take a vicarious trip on the floating palaces of yesteryear when glamour and Art Deco elegance graced the salons of the Campagnie Generale Transatlantic, commonly known as The French Line and the interiors of other world ship competitors. It was the Golden Age of the great Atlantic express in the late nineteenth and the twentieth century connecting the old wold with the new.
      They were splendid glittering ships in a race in time and a race by shipping lines to design the most luxurious interiors to attract wealthy patrons who were accustomed to luxurious hotels that emulated aristocratic homes  The prerequisite for these luxuries interiors was the fact that one had to accompany the trip with a trunk load of attire, including evening gowns to make the Grand Descent on the spectacular main dining room staircase where women would descend whilst emulating movie star elegance and diners already seated could view who was who aboard the ship.
      Your nostalgic ship experience, freeze framed in time, welcomes you at OCEAN LINERS: GLAMOUR, SPEED, AND STYLE, an exhibition organized by PEM, the Peabody Essex Museum in Essex, Massachusetts and London's Victoria and Albert Museum on view at the Peabody through October 9, 2017. www.pem.org.
       The exhibit explores the world shipping liners---their fabulous interiors, the artists' who created art treasures, and the amenities that the late maritime raconteur and author, John Maxtone Graham, Mr. Ocean liner himself, declared in his book was, "The Only Way to Cross!"  

The Dining Room,  from REX, firs class 1932

       The S.S. Ile de France, for example, was The French Line's floating palace of modernity. It showcased the height of Art Deco interiors, and featured a "street of shops" aptly named "The Rue de la Paix of the Atlantique."  The ship featured a sixty car garage, a gym and tennis court and other amenities of haute luxury that made ocean liner travel the only way to go.
     This exclusivity of bygone elegance stands as a testament to time when passengers traveled first class in an atmosphere when the most esteemed craftsmen and artists of the era produced works of splendor, never to be seen again. French artists, sculptors and architects included Rene Lalique, Edgar Brandt, Henri Navarre and Jules Leleu to name a few---all had participated and showcased their works in the l925 International Exhibition of Modern Decorative and Industrial Arts in Paris, which gave the world the term "Art Deco," and inspired the ship's contemporary style. It evoked the craftsmen and artists' Art Deco concept of beauty that swayed the refined taste of the world.    

First Class Salon on The Normandie

  The quintessential of the Art Deco designed liners was The French Liner's NORMANDIE with its opulent display of artistic genius.  The interiors glittered with gilded-glass panels, The History of Navigation cycle,  designed by Jean Dupas, once exhibited at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and most recently auctioned off to a wealthy tycoon. The legend of the Normandy still is revered with artifacts currently on display on the, 2,500 passenger cruise ship, Celebrity Summit. On the third deck find a display that includes nostalgic photographs of shipboard scenes and famous passengers such as Greta Garbo and the fashion designer, Colette, a showcase of the  the first class dining room dinner setting and a video tour with John Maxtone Graham commentary. 
      In its day, traveling first class with its physical allure, was a dream-like magical experience, it transported style and elegance, it evoked music of the era and the setting of romantic encounters.  The luxury of these memories are unlikely to ever be repeated again, but you can vicariously experience their grandeur at the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, MA where you will transported to that bygone maritime era of unrivaled splendor.
      Ta Ta Darlings!!! I'm evoking memories of my tour of the Normandie, so little did I realize then how remarkable it was.  Fan mail welcome at pollytalknyc@gmail.com. Visit Polly's Blogs at www.pollytalk.com, click on the links in the left-hand column on fashion, visionary men, remarkable women and poetry.  

ROAD TO FREEDOM DAY at Dobbs, Ferry Review By Polly Guerin

The Patriotic Enacters on the Road to Freedom Day 

"HEAD QUARTERS, DOBBS FERRY" General George Washington wrote most of his correspondence from "Head Quarters, Dobbs Ferry" the major epicenter of his command over the American and French troops during the American Revolution.
     It is no wonder, therefore, that Dobbs Ferry citizens revere the historical significance of their town with the Annual ROAD TO FREEDOM DAY, which takes place marching in tandem with authentic uniform enactment in the lead, followed by the adults and children who wind their way to Mead House, the site of the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society, which continues the festivities with military demonstrations, other entertainments and hospitality.  Such display of patriotic pride reminds us to remember that the call for liberty and justice for all was at the core of the American Revolution so valiantly won whilst driving the British out of the country. 
    Anytime is a good time to visit historic Dobbs Ferry but August is especially important, when Dobbs Ferry commemorates the march of General George Washington's Continental Army troops and the French forces under the command of Comte de Rochambeau.  Let us not forget that it is said by American Revolutionary historians that without the support of the France alliance, America would have lost its war of independence. 
     

Adults and Children on the Road to Freedom 

The route taken by Washington and Rochambeau eventually follows the route of the Continental army on August 19, 1781 when it began a march of more than 400 miles to Virginia and the decisive American and French victory at Yorktown over British and Hessian troops under Lord Cornwallis (October 19, 1781) that ended the American Revolution.  Participating citizens and guests in August vicariously follow that route through the town of Dobbs Ferry led by fife and drums and the Ebenezer Stevens Artificers. Artificers were skilled craftsman, responsible for the repair and maintenance of artillery including cannons and muskets. In the summer of 1781 they were encamped at Dobbs Ferry and later marched to Yorktown with the army and resumed their work as cannons and muskets were in constant need of repair and maintenance. 
     

A Cemetery Tribute to the Revolutionary War Patriots

After the opening ceremonies at Gould Park, including a discussion and display of the Revolutionary flags, the marchers made their way to the Little White Church Cemetery to honor the American Revolution's patriots with Arificers and fife and drum ceremony.
    Alas after such victorious activities honoring this great day in history everyone goes to Mead House, the site of the Dobbs Ferry Historical Society, 12 Elm Street, where musical programs include musical selections from the era, as well as a display of historical artifacts and maps. The annual event is Free and open to the public, so mark your August calendar for next year's event. Refreshments welcomed the marchers and visitors with delicious homemade baked goods, cool beverages on the lawn and make your own ice cream Sunday in the Gallery.  For additional information download http://www.DOBBSFERRYHISTORY.org. 
Email:  DFHISTORY@1CLOUD.COM or call 914. 674. 1007.
      Ta Ta Darlings!!! Dobb's Ferry is a great summer Day Trip via Metro North Harlem line at Grand Central, a mere 40 minute ride on the iron horse speeding like the wind along the mighty Hudson and plucking you down on the shimmering shore of Dobbs Ferry for The Road to Freedom. Just wear comfortable shoes for the march. Fans mail welcome, I appreciate your comments, please contact pollytalknyc@gmail.com. Visit Polly's other Blogs on women determined to succeed, visionary men, fashion and poetry from the heart. Access the links on www.pollytalk.com.