"Let all your things be done in Love." (1 Corinthians 16:14)
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Introduction:

My photo
Current: Danbury, CT, United States
Welcome! A few years ago, I discovered an application that artists employ in their works to bring cultural awareness to their audiences. Having discerned this semiotic theory that applies to literature, music, art, film, and the media, I have devoted the blog,Theory of Iconic Realism to explore this theory. The link to the publisher of my book is below. If you or your university would like a copy of this book for your library or if you would like to review it for a scholarly journal, please contact the Edwin Mellen Press at the link listed below. Looking forward to hearing from you!

Announcements

I will present or have presented research on Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) or my semiotic theory of iconic realism at the following location(s):

2023-2025: I will be researching and writing my third book on iconic realism.

April 2022: American Conference for Irish Studies, virtual event: (This paper did not discuss Sydney Owenson.) "It’s in the Air: James Joyce’s Demonstration of Cognitive Dissonance through Iconic Realism in His Novel, Ulysses"

October, 2021: Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT: "Sydney Owenson’s use of sociolinguistics and iconic realism to defend marginalized communities in 19th century Ireland"

March, 2021: Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, North Carolina: "Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan): A Nineteenth Century Advocate for Positive Change through Creative Vision"

October, 2019: Elms College, Chicopee, Massachusetts: "A Declaration of Independence: Dissolving Sociolinguistic Borders in the Literature of Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan)"

06 October, 2025

Memory Sustained


I took the photograph whilst driving south of Dublin, lost and 'blind' to the correct pathway to a professional conference at I.A.D.T. in Dun Laoghaire, Ireland. Thanks to a few kind gentlemen at Dunphey's Pub and their fine directions with a hand-drawn map, I was able to make it to the afternoon panel presentations. Having learned my lesson, the following day, I took the bus and presented my own paper on time. 

(I captured this church in the sunlight near Dun Laoghaire, Ireland.)

Memory Sustained 

A blinding moves her
to close the blind,
now shielded
from the brilliance

Outside-
The hour of dusk
palpitates
with a creative verve
releasing the gold

Within-
Shards of light
simply cannot blind,
for Memory sustains 
the weakest eye.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me recite this vers, please click HERE.

05 October, 2025

To Flâneur

A group of trees with fallen leaves of various Autumnal hues

To Flâneur

Today, I longed to flâneur
through the fallen leaves, 
wandering, 
wondering 
about the way each leaf sprouted
from the great tree branches
just months ago,
small, green buds, 
excited
to live their lives along
the trees' limbs, 
providing 
shade on a hot summer day, 
food for the ravenous caterpillars,
waving in soft breezes
that brought peace of mind
to this worried soul.
Now, these same leaves
contain the vivid colors of gold, russet and red,
some, newly fallen, 
gently kiss the top of my head,
while others crunch 
beneath my feet. 
That's what it means to flâneur
among fallen leaves, 
embracing 
the glory of Autumn. 

© Jeanne I. Lakatos


04 October, 2025

Wild Roses

 

Wild Roses, full bloom in my garden

From my operetta, Luminescence: 

How can this Rose grow steadily on the vine
and not see the goodness of her Diviner’s gift?
The holy offerings of kindness, 
joy and cerebral inspiration
have led to this moment of jubilant glory.
I erupt with vitality, basking in this moment
of perfect harmony with the one who bestows 
wisdom deep in my spirit.
Humbled by the magnitude of this influence,
I breathe in the goodness.
Evensong radiates compassion on my heart.


© Jeanne Iris Lakatos


03 October, 2025

Singing the "Blues"

Every year, when my Siberian irises bloom, thoughts of my Dad return to me. Below is a poem about the irises that he brought to me many years ago. He commented, "They're your flower, Jeanne Iris. The blue matches the blue in your eyes and they bear your name." This was a significant statement, for my genetic 'flaw' of blue eyes had always made me feel like an outsider, for everyone else in my family had brown eyes. 


Blue Irises
My Dad brought me some irises
one day
I planted them,
and when 'moving day' arrived,
those bulbs were dug up
brought along for the ride.
Now, in late May, they appear
bearing memories of his smiles 
more vividly than the previous year
keeping his beautiful memory alive.
As I strive to achieve daily goals,
his voice rings clearly in my ear:
"You can be anything you want to be, my dear...
if you just persevere."  

***************************************************************
The poem below describes the first thing I experience in the morning. One of my favorite times of a day is that moment when I first awaken, sometimes still dreaming, and I look out my window to a lovely little forest, night animals still calling to their mates, no human sound outdoors at all. It's just before dawn, and just after that 'darkest hour,' and for only a few minutes, everything is blue. 



Just Before Dawn (The Blue)
Eyes open slowly.
Still, I walk along that lovely beach
and glance up to see a small village.

That same, intriguing dream,
now, it fades away
with the early morning mist.
 I feel a gentle, cool breeze
waft across my face
and turn my head
toward the choir of crickets,
still calling to their mates.

An owl wings its way
midst entangled branches,
eerily hooting through the blue.
My gaze reaches the maple tree
standing tall in this tableau
all blue, shades of blue, no other color
but blue... everywhere!
Leaves, tree trunks, even the lone deer,
all blue.

It's no longer evening, not yet dawn.
Sky and sea are one magic hue.
The song of one bird greets me:
a prayer for the new day
in this tranquil moment of
blue.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me read these poems, please click HERE.

02 October, 2025

Hope

My focus here is an individual, trying to catch a break, the proverbial 'brass ring on the carousel of life', feeling the dizziness and fatigue of the ride (or running in circles...multiple meanings there, too), parched for answers and passionate with hope.





Hope

Tears amid the cheers
reaching for the brass, 
spinning,
thirsting for the flow
only to turn away parched,
tongue swelling in dry air 
hot 
with the fever of hope. 

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me recite this verse, please click HERE.

01 October, 2025

Upon listening to "Fantasia on a theme by Thomas Tallis" by Ralph Vaughn-Williams

 

I took this photo of the moon in a cloudy sky, framed by the shadows of maple trees. 
The clouds seemed to form a landscape of their own. 

Click HERE to listen to the lovely, musical piece, "Fantasia on a Theme by Thomas Tallis," performed in the Gloucester Cathedral, where Ralph Vaughn-Williams first performed it in 1910. 


I wrote the verse below upon listening to the above piece,
 composed by Ralph Vaughan-Williams.


Fantasia

Yearning for serenity,
an unsettled mind
drifts gracefully, 
flowing in paralysis,
a paradox offering
of a spiritual triad:
sweet malady
sweeter melody
sweetest memory.

A core surge 
caresses
in Divine rhythm.
Echoes...
from arched bones,
guarding this heart
in solemn surrender 
to stillness,
fill the repose  
with sweet assurance.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos


(To hear my reading of this poem, click HERE.)

30 September, 2025

Mercy Otis Warren, Muse of the American Revolution, 1776

Painting of Mercy Otis Warren

Mercy Otis Warren, given the title by some historians of Muse of the American Revolution, is often neglected in the U.S. historical memory. However, her motivation for contributing numerous literary works on the subject of independence demonstrates virtues found in the common individual while pointing out the discrepancies in a non-representational government. In her 1773 play, The Adulateur, Warren describes the issue of individual rights through the speech of her main character, Brutus:

 

The change how drear! The sullen ghost of bondage
Stalks full in view—already with her pinions,
She shades the affrighted land—the insulting soldiers
Tread down our choicest rights; while hoodwinked justice
Drops her scales, and totters from her basis.
Thus torn with nameless wounds, my bleeding country
Demands a tear – that tear I’ll freely give her. [1]


Using the rebellious poetic format of blank verse, Warren creates an image of the capture of justice, illustrating the conception that human beings might be inherently good, but their thirst for power could cause a diminishing of spiritual truth, thus leading to contrived allegiances to governments and other forms of false leadership. 

 

We thank such brave intelligent writers as Mercy Otis Warren for their insights regarding historical perspectives of justice. 

[1] Mercy Otis Warren, The Adulateur, Act I, Scene I, Boston: New Printing Office, 1773.


29 September, 2025

Finding the Way

                 
The lovely pathway that I walked in Castleknock, Ireland 
from my hotel to the bus stop to catch the bus to Dublin.

Finding the Way

As we walk along life's path, 
eventually, we acknowledge
 that creative ground which supports our steps. 
Longing to find the way, 
we clear the path of debris, 
 as we accommodate His Divine footsteps
 that gently lead us forward.
 Fortitude emerges with the recognition
 that we have the power to
 adjust, adapt, attempt, achieve, affect.  
We move toward the goal. 
We make a difference.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me recite this verse, just click HERE.

28 September, 2025

Bubbles

http://www.software-dungeon.co.uk/images/594_amazing-bubbles-3d-screensaver-640-1.jpg

         
         Level bubble from Duck-Duck-Go images


Bubbles

A bubble floats across warm seas,
or saunters back and forth 
in the boundaries of a level,
in sync with those other bubbles
recently settled.
Through their assembly,
each translucent sphere 
contributes structured eccentricity, 
globular bodies of air 
traveling through a liquid,
transforming chaos 
into serene resolve.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

27 September, 2025

The Song - An Amhran

Below, I've posted a small poem that I wrote having taken a few Irish Gaeilge classes. I'm still not sure if the grammar is correct, but I think you'll get the idea anyway. I took the photograph just as I was leaving a conference at NUI Galway. I didn't know just how gorgeous the beach was until I was on my way out of town and passed this view heading out on my way to Sligo. 

         I took this photo of Galway Beach, Ireland.


The Song                                                       An Amhran

On the wind, the song sails              Ar na gaoth, an amhran ag sceoladh 
to another who will hear                  do an eile an té cloistrail
the sweet language that blesses.       an teanga binn ag beannú.
Gathering the creed of Love,           Ag bailigh an creid de Ghrá,
the song is forever,                           ta se an amhran go deo, 
sweet and praising.                           milis agus ag moladh.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos                          © Á Siobhán I. Glasaire

26 September, 2025

Love through Laughter




Love through Laughter

Love:
open-faced
 to the laughter
that unites 
dares with dreams
acceptance of perfection
accompanied by flaws
we amble
through doubts
and fill up on hope 
united
through the discovery
of Love 
through Laughter.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos



(To hear my reading of this poem on Pod-omatic, click HERE.)

25 September, 2025

One Midnight, Long Ago

 


I took this photo of the River Shannon in Limerick, Ireland.


One Midnight, Long Ago

Gentle, gossamer wisps of vapor
frame a celestial tableau
amid indigo heavens
illuminated by the faint and distant sparkle
of a beckoning, fiery glow.

The vibrant sky heralds
a world below with hope
that the heat from this angelic miracle
will fuel yearning souls
with the fervor for righteous aim.

In the bitter cold of midnight, 
ardent love and devotion
expressed from a Mother's heart 
to a Newborn's eye
fulfills the prophesy~ a King is born.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me recite this poem, please click HERE.

24 September, 2025

Inception of a Storm




 

 Inception of a Storm

A silver disc
floats high
in the azure palette.
When suddenly,
stretching its darkening appendix,
a rolling, feathery mass
covers the spherical gaze, 
and soon,
Blessed droplets
fill the soil
with Rich Nutrients
of the Diviner's Supper. 
Ah! What a Feast!
So loud ~ so silent ~
So swift ~ So enduring
So absolutely essential
to reach the Heavenly gold.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me recite this verse, please click HERE.

23 September, 2025

Answer Revealed

 


Answer Revealed

Her wings flutter sweetly

propelling her up, down, and through 

the verdant glen, searching for the one 

that will bring her anticipated felicity.

Her silence allows the observer 

 to focus on her brilliance, 

revealing the vivid colors

of this solitary creature of God: 

tenacious, full of patience and hope.

Suddenly, she discovers the one, 

bourgeoning with enlightenment: 

the answer to her Prayer, 

so she delicately tastes the Joy, 

thankful that her search 

led her to this moment 

in God's Time.


© Jeanne I. Lakatos




22 September, 2025

My Hands, a poem

 "And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us: and establish thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it." (Psalm 90:17)

Below is a poem with the theme of my use of hands, 
which some may think is archaic in this current era of technology:

Harp and me, one afternoon

My Hands

Turning 
weathered pages of a centuries old book,
my fingers touch a piece of history,
for this page was once turned by the fingertips
of a lady sitting by candlelight on a blue velvet chair,
her linen dress, flowing around covered ankles.
Strumming 
the strings of a vibrating harp, melodic echoes, soothe
the mind of my precious dog who lives to protect me
love me, comfort me. It's the least I can do for her.
Kneading 
dough that clings to each finger until I apply 
one more dash of flour to create 
the soft ball that will miraculously rise
to form into the sweet, aromatic sustenance of life: 
bread, feeding others with joy.
Threading 
a needle with just the right length and color 
of waxed cotton,
slowly I turn remnant pieces of cloth
into a quilted memory to comfort 
through the warmth of artistry and pragmatism.
Digging 
into rich, brown soil, I plant a seed
water, nurture, protect until one day it grows
into a savory food, the source of a satisfied smile.
Holding 
an extended hand, I feel the presence
of tender strength, our fingertips, touching,
Loving 
 brushing the tear from a dear one's eye
fond memory of the gentleness.
Praying
palm against palm, I sing a song of praise.
Humbly, I give thanks to Him,
Knowing 
His Love is undying, strengthening, 
guiding each step to fulfillment of 
His Purpose for me:
Living 
from heart to hand.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos


(To hear my reading of this poem on Pod-omatic, click HERE.)

21 September, 2025

Power of Love


East Lake, Danbury, Connecticut

Power of Love

This Power of Love
electrifies, magnifies, clarifies
the Divinity 
within our living, human souls. 
Always moving us forward
through the darkness, the sadness
the vacuity, 
and into a peaceful sharing
of the Light, the Joy, 
the Promise.

Thus, I am eternally grateful 
for this Power of Love
that echoes through our lives, 
purifying us in the next, 
as this Love from our hearts,
overflowing,
carries us gently 
into the Peace, the Hope, 
the Blessed Purpose
of our Journey together.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos 


20 September, 2025

Midnight Blaze

For this exercise, I chose two titles from a list and created a brief, yet potent poem. The poem titles below are from the Table of Contents of the Norton Anthology of Poetry, fourth edition. I simply closed my eyes, turned to two different pages, and pointed.
Your Words my friend (Canto 21 from Astrophil and Stella) by Sir Philip Sidney
Frost at Midnight by Samuel Coleridge


Love is a Cosmic Force 
painting by Alex Grey

 Midnight Blaze

Your words, my friend
burn through 
the reverie
until frost at midnight
mystically transforms
our truth
into a unique blaze,
melding two dreams
into one
phenomenal aim.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos



(To hear my reading of this poem on Pod-omatic, click HERE.)

19 September, 2025

Dusk

Below, I have written a poem based on a photograph, as an example of Ekphrasis.
My photograph is of the beautiful East Lake in Danbury, Connecticut, at sunset, just before dusk. This lake has a very similar appearance to Walden Pond in Massachusetts. I took this photograph when the lake was full. 
East Lake, Danbury, Connecticut.

Dusk
Indigo pond
reflects
a hopeful, graying sky
shades of peach and blue
intermingle 
with soft, fleecy clouds
framing the Peace and Love
that harken my heart 
dreaming
 of possibilities...
Dusk.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me recite this verse, please click HERE. 


18 September, 2025

Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan) and Self-Actualization


General concepts from my book: 

Sydney Owenson acknowledges the spiritual connection between humanity, nature, and God's law, a common theme occurring in Goethe’s works. In one of his conversations with Johann Peter Eckermann, he explains:
Freedom consists not in refusing to recognize anything above us, but in respecting something which is above us; for, by respecting it, we raise ourselves to it, and, by our very acknowledgment, prove that we bear within ourselves what is higher, and are worthy to be on a level with it. [1]
In response to Geothe then, Owenson incorporates the Romantic concept of God’s influence on humanity’s intellectual actions in conjunction with natural law while she introduces the reality of political and societal constraints through her characters' struggles with self-awareness. Through this conflict, Owenson personifies the dichotomous nature of glory in which her birth nation, Ireland, struggles with true autonomy and its native glór* to be heard.

*Glór is 'voice' in Irish Gaeilge.

____________________________________________________
[1] Johann Goethe, quoted in Conversations of Goethe with Johann Peter Eckermann, translated by John Oxennford, edited by J.K. Moorhead (New York: Da Capo Press, 1998), p. 157.

17 September, 2025

Upon Reading Philosophy Late at Night

I've been up late at night recently, researching and writing my third book. Below is something to ponder: 


Photo taken from my deck one night

Upon Reading Philosophy Late at Night

He galvanizes her
with cerebral massage.
Inhaling - exhaling,
his ancient, whispering breath
intellectually touches,
gently caresses, 
stirs.
Opening her mind
with dynamic contemplation,
she welcomes 
his perspective.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me recite this verse, please click HERE.

16 September, 2025

Sweet Dreams (Codladh sámh)




Sweet Dreams (Codladh sámh)

Softly the trees sway
breezes steadily pulsating
plummeting my senses 
DEEP DEEp DEep Deep deep
into a serene, sensory 
serenade of sleep
slowly sifting
through sands of 
discernment
into a sea of dreams
where fantasy releases
the genesis 
of truth

© Jeanne I. Lakatos


(My reading of this poem is on Pod-omatic at the bottom of this page.)

15 September, 2025

Winged Inspiration

Photos taken in my garden

Winged Inspiration

Today,
a bee flies wistfully,
nectar gathering for the hive,
Today,
a butterfly shares the space
of time and floral beauty,
collecting heavenly nourishment.
Today,
the lavender grows more alluring
in service
to its insect guests.
Today, 
the hummingbird sips  
sweet nectar from the loving, giving 
Rose of Sharon blossom. 
And as my eyes are permitted to view
this treasured scene
of serenity and industry,
I am compelled
to make a difference
before Tomorrow.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos

To hear me recite this, please click HERE.

14 September, 2025

The Shy One

The poem below deals with a childhood hurdle that eventually led me to grow in confidence: the family tag of 'the shy one.' 

a photo of pensive me, 2009

The Shy One

“Jeanne is the shy one,”
explained Mom 
when she introduced 
my siblings and me
to someone new
we happened to meet.
My tag was sewn,
identified and neat.

But I really wasn’t terribly shy
as indicated by Mother.
I simply loved to scrutinize
and exercise prudence
in dealing with others.

A curse back then.
But now I understand;
my pensive ‘flaws’
were precious gifts
of a Higher command.

Indeed, this shy one
has ardently grown,
for my interactions
delicately honed,
pensive and discreet,
have led me to complete
some pretty marvelous feats.

Thank you, Lord. 

Thanks Mom and Dad... 
May the Perpetual Light shine upon you.

© Jeanne I. Lakatos