The Daffodils

The Daffodils

by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

that floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretched in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay;

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced, but they

Outdid the sparkling waves in glee;

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company;

I gazed - and gazed - but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought;

For oft, when on my couch, I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils. 

In elementary school, we were required to memorize English poetry and then recite it in front of the class using American Sign Language (ASL). I later learned that, at the time, this was thought an excellent way to teach the nuances of the English language to Deaf students. I'm not sure of the actual value of the exercise, but it did give us an appreciation of poetry.   

The Daffodils by William Wordsworth was one of the many poems I learned. It somehow has remained in my mind since. Perhaps it is the fact that the daffodil flower always heralds the arrival of Spring, and even as a young child I knew that warmer weather brought outdoor nudity back into play. 

Regardless of the reason, whenever I see daffodils, I automatically recall the above poem. And I want to get as naked as soon as possible! 

Peace! Get naked. Enjoy!

October's Bright Blue Weather

October's Bright Blue Weather

by Helen Hunt Jackson

O suns and skies and clouds of June,

and flowers of June together,

Ye cannot rival for one hour,

October's bright blue weather.

When loud the bumble-bee makes haste,

belated, thriftless, vagrant,

And golden-rod is dying fast,

and lanes with grapes are fragrant.

When gentians roll their fringes tight

to save them for the morning,

And chestnuts fall from satin burrs,

without a sound of warning;

When on the ground red apples lie

in piles like jewels shining,

And redder still on old stone walls

are leaves of woodbine twining;

When all the lovely wayside things

Their white-winged seeds are sowing,

And in the fields, still green and fair,

Late aftermaths are growing.

When springs run low, and on the brooks,

In idle golden freighting,

Bright leaves sink noiseless in the hush

of woods, for winter waiting;

When comrades seek country haunts,

by twos and threes together,

And counts like misers, hour by hour,

October's bright blue weather.

O suns and skies and clouds of June,

Count all your boasts together,

Love loveth best of all the year

October's bright blue weather.

The above poem is one of my favorites for expressing the colorful wonders of the autumn time of year. The vibrant foliage of the dying leaves against the background of a crisp blue sky is the envy of all visual artists. I always mourn the passing of summer but likewise admire the beauty of autumn. 

Author's Note: The second picture above is of my friend and fellow blogger, Adimu, and myself beside a river that flows through central Virginia. This image may not be used without written consent of both Adimu and myself. 

Peace! Get naked. Enjoy!

Bare With Pride

Spring Poem: The Daffodils

The Daffodils

by William Wordsworth

I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

the waves beside them danced; but they
Outdid the waves in sparkling glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed - and gazed - but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

In the photos above, unfortunately, I'm unable to dance with the daffodils. Aaron, my husband, took the pictures of me and the flowers in 2012. I didn't dance as I was afraid of damaging the blooms and we were in a public park near The Pentagon. Neither one of us were thrilled at the prospect of possibly facing a firing squad for mutilating public property! 

Peace! Get naked. Enjoy!

Bare With Pride

Who's Naked? Who's Nude?

#1

#2

#3

#4

The eternal question: who's naked and who's nude? Of the three gentlemen pictured clothes-free above, which do you believe are naked? (Please note: the man pictured in images #1 and #3 is the same). Which do you believe to be nude? If you honestly think there is no difference between being naked or being nude, please think again. Then read the poem by Robert Graves below. This poem was written just before Graves was killed by the Germans during the Great War (World War I). It was published posthumously in about 1920. The distinction between naked and nude has been asked for at least the past 100 years. Graves' work affords us a glimpse into his thoughts on the difference between being naked and being nude.

The Naked And The Nude

by Robert Graves

For me, the naked and the nude

(by lexicographers construed 

as synonyms that should express

the same deficiency of dress

or shelter) stand as wide apart

as love from lies, or truth from art.

Lovers without reproach will gaze

On bodies naked and ablaze;

The Hippocratic eye will see

In nakedness, anatomy;

And naked shines the Goddess when

She mounts her lion among men.

The nude are bold, the nude are sly

To hold each treasonable eye.

While draping by a showman's trick

Their dishabille in rhetoric,

They grin a mock-religious grin

Of scorn at those of naked skin.

The naked, therefore, who compete

Against the nude may know defeat;

Yet when they both together tread

The briary pastures of the dead,

By Gorgons with long whips pursued,

How naked go the sometime nude!

*****

In the poem, Graves obviously thinks of nude as being nobler, higher and by far better than being naked. It's as though he sees naked as the same as being vulnerable or a sign of weakness and nude as being desirable and gallant. In respect to the above images of three different clothes-free men, #1 and #3 are both nude. The dudes in #2 and #4 are naked. The man in the duplicated pictures in unconcerned about being clothes-free. The two dudes in the other photos are clearly apprehensive and are trying to conceal their nakedness (at least, their penises). 

The fact that he composed a poem on the theme of nude versus naked leads me to believe that Graves, himself, probably appreciated life being clothes-free whenever possible. 

~~~~~

Using the above poem as the point of reference, review your decisions on who's naked and who's nude in photographs 1 - 4 (above). Did any of your determinations change after reading the poem? 

I have no way of knowing whether the author of the poem above, Robert Graves, was a practicing naturist/nudist during his lifetime. In the several biographical sketches that I've read, that piece of information is blatantly missing. Also absent is any reference as to whether he was same gender loving or not. 

~~~~~

Author's Note:

For the purposes of this post for Guys Without Boxers: Bare With Pride, the following definitions are applicable:

Naked: adjective- having no clothes on the body

Nude: adjective- having no clothing; permitting or featuring full exposure of the body

Nudism: noun- the belief in or practice of going nude, especially in secluded, sexually mixed groups for reasons of health or preference

Nudi-: prefix- naked, bare

Bare: adjective- lacking the usual or appropriate covering or clothing, naked; exposed to view, undisguised

~~~~~

Introduction: 

As a blogger who considers himself a member of both the same gender loving and naturist/nudist communities, I use all the terms listed above interchangeably and think of them as synonymous (meaning the same). In addition, I frequently employ the words terms bare, clothes-free, unclothed and nudity (and others) to refer to a person who is undressed or not wearing any garment to conceal his body. This is entirely my choice and not any official mandate by a recognized naturist/nudist authority (if such even exists). Similar to the practice of Mr. Robert Graves in his poem, The Naked And The Nude (above), I tend to believe the adjective, nude, denotes a person who is reasonably proud of his/her nudity (nakedness).     

I tend to think of the above man as naked. He's completely exposed to view except that he's covering his genitalia. Whether he's just naturally shy or somewhat ashamed over his nudity, I have no way of knowing. I'm inclined to consider him shy as he maintains direct eye-contact with the camera (photographer) and in no way appears embarrassed by his absence of any covering save his socks.  

Another possibility for his discretion may be his insecurity over the size of his penis. Some men are uncomfortable fearing the dimensions of their masculinity are judged solely on the physical proportions of their penis (cock, dick, junk, etc.). Of course, most of us, as gay men, understand that the two are in no way related. I'm inclined to disregard this as the reason for his modesty because his facial expression is one of confidence as opposed to apprehension.  

In the picture featured above, I interpret this nude dude as being just that: nude. His pose and demeanor exude nothing safe assurance and total confidence surrounding his bareness or his nudity. He's comfortable and apparently has no concern being viewed with his entire body exposed for all to see. He seems accepting of his body as it is and makes no effort to disguise any feature. 

His facial expression displays an air of friendliness, playfulness and relaxation. He appears to be unaware of the fact that although he's being photographed, total strangers will be viewing his bare and exposed body. It looks as if he has no care in his life; being nude is no different than wearing clothes. Evidently, there is no body shame associated with his being nude!  

Continuing with the above reasoning, the nude dude in the photograph above has no body-shame or any modesty (shyness). If anything, his finger-wagging may only indicate the fact that he's camera-shy (doesn't like having his picture taken). After all, he's making no effort to conceal or hide his genitals. Instead, he's smiling happily to the photographer. He's proudly nude and it isn't an issue. 

Another interpretation on the scene above is that the subject, upon seeing the photographer taking his picture, may have raised his index finger in a friendly salute. Either way, he senses nothing wrong with being captured on film without clothes. 

Ultimately, at the end of the day, it matters little to most naturists/nudists whether others think of us as naked or nude. For the majority of us, what's important is that we are able to enjoy ourselves, in the company of our family and friends, without the hassles of wearing clothes. We prefer the freedom of being us in our own skin. How others identify us is as immaterial as a shirt. 

Our nudity, be it perceived as us being naked, nude, bare, clothes-free or whatever, makes us all transparent. This transparency enables all others, regardless of their state of being dressed (clothed, textile) or undressed (without clothing), to see our physical essence (body) as it really is, unhampered by the superficial affectations of garments. This affords us, the naturist/nudist, the virtue of living life honestly and openly. We don't need the artificial material trappings of fashion, accessories, or adornment to present ourselves as someone or something that we're not. We leave such pretensions  to others. We live proudly as the men we truly are.     

Labels are used by society to describe us and our place within the many cultures and communities that constitute the larger society-as-a-whole. We, as individuals, use these labels to self-identify and to forge relationships with others within society's framework of numerous cultures and communities. We similarly employ labels when attempting to describe someone to persons unfamiliar with him. 

Labels become derogatory and offensive when they are used to discriminate. marginalize or stereotype someone or a group of similar men. For this reason, many, understandably, reject and resent being classified or identified by labels.  

However you may describe or identify yourself when completely undressed, it's most important for us all to be the man that we truly are. We are all the man inside our skin, not the clothing that conceals us!

Peace! Get naked. Enjoy!

Bare With Pride

Holiday Greetings: A Rhyme

The following is a rhyme expressing my winter holiday wishes to all of you who are reading here. Please forgive my amateurish attempt at poetry. I'm not a master of that skill, yet. The photos above and below are of yours truly and were made in December, 2010. 

PROUDLY BARE BESIDE A PINE TREE

by Roger Poladopoulos

I don't want to be thought rude or unfriendly,

in failing to give all of you wishes a-plenty,

foe a safe and happy holiday.

During this season of hope and goodwill,

I trust that all your festivities fulfil,

the very best of your dreams.

To all of you, each and everyone here,

Throughout this time of holiday cheer,

may you be both nude and happy.

As you gaze at night at the stars above,

in the comforting arms of the man who you love,

may you find strength and peace.

And may all of your new year be blissfully bare,

free from woes and all reasons to despair,

and full of dances of naked joy!

~

Peace! Get naked. Enjoy!

Bare With Pride

Armistice Day/ Remembrance Day/Veteran's Day

On November 11, 1918, at 11:00 a.m., the cessation of hostilities between the Allies and the Central Powers in World War I (at the time known as the "Great War") occurred. This event is hailed as the official end of that horrendous conflict. An armistice had been signed by all the belligerents that obliged the fighting to cease at that specific time. The carnage was, at last, after four long years, over.

It would be almost two years before the Treaty of Versailles was signed that officially recognized the Allied victory over the Central Powers. However, for the most part, the "war to end all wars" was finally finished. Those who had survived the gruesome battles could at last return home. 

In the USA, the commemoration of this ending of fighting is observed as Veteran's Day. This is the time to salute all men and women, gay, bisexual or otherwise, who have served in both wartime and in peacetime in all branches of the American military. Those killed in action are remembered on Memorial Day, the final Monday of May, annually. 

Since 2011, all who have served in the U.S. armed forces, regardless of their sexual orientation, have been included in Veteran's Day parades and services. The U.S. Congress repealed the ban on GLBT people openly serving in the military in December, 2010. President Barack Obama signed the act into law a day later. 

Throughout the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth, this date is known as Remembrance Day. On this day, all of those who sacrificed their lives in defense of their respective Commonwealth country are honored and remembered for their heroic service. 

In the photograph above, H.M. Queen Elizabeth II, places a commemorative wreath of poppies at The Cenotaph honoring British and Commonwealth war dead. In the image below, H.R.H. Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, salutes during the memorial service. 

The rest of the world observes this date as Armistice Day. It is celebrated for what it is, the day the fighting of the First World War ended. 

Throughout the Commonwealth and much of the world, The Red Poppy symbolizes the sacrifice of those who died while in service of their country. This flower represents the fighting in the trenches that was the norm for most of World War I. It was immortalized in the poem(below) written by John McCrae (1872-1918) shortly before his death prior to the signing of the 1918 Armistice.

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae

In Flanders field the poppies blow

between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunsets glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Guys Without Boxers: Bare With Pride salutes all veterans who have served their countries in peacetime as well as times of conflict. For all those heroic men and women who paid with their lives, we are all eternally grateful for your courage and valor. 

Peace! Get naked. Enjoy!

Bare With Pride