Billy Collins...
"Days"
Each one is a gift, no doubt,
mysteriously placed in your waking hand
or set upon your forehead
moments before you open your eyes.
Today begins cold and bright,
the ground heavy with snow
and the thick masonry of ice,
the sun glinting off the turrets of clouds.
Through the calm eye of the window
everything is in its place
but so precariously
this day might be resting somehow
on the one before it,
all the days of the past stacked high
like the impossible tower of dishes
entertainers used to build on stage.
No wonder you find yourself
perched on top of a tall ladder
hoping to add one more.
Just another Wednesday,
you whisper,
then holding your breath,
place this cup on yesterday's saucer
without the slightest clink.
Monday, April 30, 2012
#152: My Favorite Poem
As National Poetry Month draws to a close...
(Poem #36) the lesson of the moth
i was talking to a moth
the other evening
he was trying to break into
an electric light bulb
and fry himself on the wires
why do you fellows
pull this stunt i asked him
because it is the conventional
thing for moths or why
if that had been an uncovered
candle instead of an eletric
light bulb you would
now be a small unsightly cinder
have you no sense
plenty of it he answered
but at times we get tired
of using it
we get bored with the routine
and crave beauty
and excitement
fire is beautiful
and we know that if we get
too close it will kill us
but what does that matter
it is better to be happy
for a moment
and be burned up with beauty
than to live a long time
and be bored all the while
so we wad all our life up
into one little roll
and then we shoot the roll
that is what life is for
it is better to be a part of beauty
for one instant and then cease to
exist than to exist forever
and never be a part of beauty
our attitude toward life
is come easy go easy
we are like human beings
used to be before they became
too civilized to enjoy themselves
and before i could argue him
out of his philosophy
he went and immolated himself
on a patent cigar lighter
i do not agree with him
myself i would rather have
half the happiness and twice
the longevity
but at the same time i wish
there was something i wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself
archy
- Don Marquis
(Poem #36) the lesson of the moth
i was talking to a moth
the other evening
he was trying to break into
an electric light bulb
and fry himself on the wires
why do you fellows
pull this stunt i asked him
because it is the conventional
thing for moths or why
if that had been an uncovered
candle instead of an eletric
light bulb you would
now be a small unsightly cinder
have you no sense
plenty of it he answered
but at times we get tired
of using it
we get bored with the routine
and crave beauty
and excitement
fire is beautiful
and we know that if we get
too close it will kill us
but what does that matter
it is better to be happy
for a moment
and be burned up with beauty
than to live a long time
and be bored all the while
so we wad all our life up
into one little roll
and then we shoot the roll
that is what life is for
it is better to be a part of beauty
for one instant and then cease to
exist than to exist forever
and never be a part of beauty
our attitude toward life
is come easy go easy
we are like human beings
used to be before they became
too civilized to enjoy themselves
and before i could argue him
out of his philosophy
he went and immolated himself
on a patent cigar lighter
i do not agree with him
myself i would rather have
half the happiness and twice
the longevity
but at the same time i wish
there was something i wanted
as badly as he wanted to fry himself
archy
- Don Marquis
Sunday, April 29, 2012
#151: Muscle Memory
This past week my running was completely derailed by the untimely synchronicity of a vigilante spring cold and the exhaustion of state test proctoring. My weekday runs were replaced by weekday naps. While the naps were lovely in and of themselves, I worried about the lack of training with only two weeks to go until my next half marathon. But yesterday Erinn and I headed out together for a 7 miler, and I felt totally fine. One of the definite benefits of being a long distance runner for as long as I have been is muscle memory; my legs are accustomed to milage, and I can hit the road after a decently long time off and my body is none the wiser.
#150: My Nook
Don't get me wrong, an e-reader will never replace the experience of holding a physical book in my hands, I will always be a supporter and patron of bookstores, and one of the places I feel most at home is at a good library. But today I am feeling thankful for my Nook.
Kegan bought me my Nook for Christmas 2010. I was undecided whether or not I wanted to own one, for fear it would somehow make me less a supporter of my aforementioned reading preferences. Once I realized those were tenets I will faithfully abide by and always hold in reverence over the e-reader, I started to have a little love affair with my tablet. We downloaded a subscription to Newsweek on it; it's really affordable, is the only way I'd regularly read that publication, and is eco-friendly: win-win-win. An e-reader is great for travel. And today I experienced another reason I love the Nook: on-demand books. I finished the library-borrowed book I was reading and became in need of something to fill a few more hours of my afternoon: moments later I had a new book downloaded, and I never had to leave the couch.
As a child and teenager I did not have home access to modern technology. Growing up without it has made me, as an adult, quite appreciative of the many ways in which technology has become a constant fixture in my life. There are of course drawbacks to this, but they fall to the wayside when I can cozy up with a Nook book. My lazy, literate self celebrates!
Kegan bought me my Nook for Christmas 2010. I was undecided whether or not I wanted to own one, for fear it would somehow make me less a supporter of my aforementioned reading preferences. Once I realized those were tenets I will faithfully abide by and always hold in reverence over the e-reader, I started to have a little love affair with my tablet. We downloaded a subscription to Newsweek on it; it's really affordable, is the only way I'd regularly read that publication, and is eco-friendly: win-win-win. An e-reader is great for travel. And today I experienced another reason I love the Nook: on-demand books. I finished the library-borrowed book I was reading and became in need of something to fill a few more hours of my afternoon: moments later I had a new book downloaded, and I never had to leave the couch.
As a child and teenager I did not have home access to modern technology. Growing up without it has made me, as an adult, quite appreciative of the many ways in which technology has become a constant fixture in my life. There are of course drawbacks to this, but they fall to the wayside when I can cozy up with a Nook book. My lazy, literate self celebrates!
#149: Erin
Some of the most wonderful people, in my view, are those you can refer to as "old souls". My four-year-old niece Erin might be the person I know who best embodies that quality, and it is one of the multitude of reasons why I love her so much.
I babysat for Erin and her little sister Megan, my brother John's daughters, last night. While most of the fun came from our viewing of Lady and the Tramp, rounds of Candy Land and playing with their dollhouse, I was fully entertained by the wisdom that exudes in my niece. Erin and Kegan had a lively conversation about their favorite fruits (Erin's is watermelon, because it's especially enjoyable on a hot summer day. Her words). She also instructed him how to properly deal with his allergies (don't rub your eyes, that only makes it worse; just blink them rapidly) and presented me with nail clippers after I helped her brush her teeth. I was a bit taken back by that (little kids' nails are so short!) and clarified that she wanted me to cut her nails. "No, I think you should cut yours." And she's right...mine are due for a trim!
This is not a case so much of "kids say the darndest things", but an example of how my niece is an old soul. I remember holding her in the hospital when she was born, and turning to my brother and sister-in-law and saying, "She looks like she has a lot to say." Erin has proven that prescient insight to be true. Although she's actually reserved and initially shy, and in that sense totally reminds me of myself as a child, when she speaks, she commands you listen. Last night I laid with her as she and Megan were falling asleep. They share a trundle bed, with Megan on the top and Erin on the bottom. Megan's hand kept hanging off the side of the bed, and Erin could tell she was reaching out for her big sister. Erin, in her tiny, delicate voice, whispered, "I can hold your hand, Megan," and held her sister's hand as she drifted off to sleep. I smiled in the darkness, overwhelmed by the wisdom and warmth of my wonderful niece. She reminds me a lot of my mom. I see a lot of my mom in Erin, physically and spiritually. I've seen pictures of my mom from her childhood, and Erin looks a lot like her. But she also has my mom's spirit-- quiet, kind, gentle and smart. I am so thankful for Erin, and thankful for my brother John and sister-in-law Stacie who are nurturing the development of this dynamic little person. She may already have an old soul, but I love watching her grow up.
I babysat for Erin and her little sister Megan, my brother John's daughters, last night. While most of the fun came from our viewing of Lady and the Tramp, rounds of Candy Land and playing with their dollhouse, I was fully entertained by the wisdom that exudes in my niece. Erin and Kegan had a lively conversation about their favorite fruits (Erin's is watermelon, because it's especially enjoyable on a hot summer day. Her words). She also instructed him how to properly deal with his allergies (don't rub your eyes, that only makes it worse; just blink them rapidly) and presented me with nail clippers after I helped her brush her teeth. I was a bit taken back by that (little kids' nails are so short!) and clarified that she wanted me to cut her nails. "No, I think you should cut yours." And she's right...mine are due for a trim!
This is not a case so much of "kids say the darndest things", but an example of how my niece is an old soul. I remember holding her in the hospital when she was born, and turning to my brother and sister-in-law and saying, "She looks like she has a lot to say." Erin has proven that prescient insight to be true. Although she's actually reserved and initially shy, and in that sense totally reminds me of myself as a child, when she speaks, she commands you listen. Last night I laid with her as she and Megan were falling asleep. They share a trundle bed, with Megan on the top and Erin on the bottom. Megan's hand kept hanging off the side of the bed, and Erin could tell she was reaching out for her big sister. Erin, in her tiny, delicate voice, whispered, "I can hold your hand, Megan," and held her sister's hand as she drifted off to sleep. I smiled in the darkness, overwhelmed by the wisdom and warmth of my wonderful niece. She reminds me a lot of my mom. I see a lot of my mom in Erin, physically and spiritually. I've seen pictures of my mom from her childhood, and Erin looks a lot like her. But she also has my mom's spirit-- quiet, kind, gentle and smart. I am so thankful for Erin, and thankful for my brother John and sister-in-law Stacie who are nurturing the development of this dynamic little person. She may already have an old soul, but I love watching her grow up.
My favorite picture of my ever-classy niece
Thursday, April 26, 2012
#148: 30 Rock
30 Rock just aired its live show. I think I'll be laughing about it for days. A 'Zou Bisou Bisou' allusion? Incredible.
With an inordinate amount of television stations now in existence, it seems like so much of what airs is insipid, especially in regards to what qualifies as comedy these days. And then there's 30 Rock.
Aside from the fact that Tina Fey might be my favorite celebrity (yes, even more than Tori Spelling), there is so much to appreciate about 30 Rock. Liz Lemon is the 21st century Everywoman. The writing is hysterically smart, clearly valued and held to a high standard, and caters to a smart audience. The actors, as they proved tonight, are incredibly talented. And the best aspect, it never fails to make me laugh, hard and loud.
With an inordinate amount of television stations now in existence, it seems like so much of what airs is insipid, especially in regards to what qualifies as comedy these days. And then there's 30 Rock.
Aside from the fact that Tina Fey might be my favorite celebrity (yes, even more than Tori Spelling), there is so much to appreciate about 30 Rock. Liz Lemon is the 21st century Everywoman. The writing is hysterically smart, clearly valued and held to a high standard, and caters to a smart audience. The actors, as they proved tonight, are incredibly talented. And the best aspect, it never fails to make me laugh, hard and loud.
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
#147: Biggest Loser Nights
My sister and I make an effort to watch one of our favorite tv shows, The Biggest Loser, together. We've done this for the past two seasons of the show. Aside from enjoying the show itself, I am so appreciative that my sister and I get this time together. It can be a challenge to catch up amidst our busy work week, so it's wonderful to know that we're going to be able to see each other during it. I love having the time to talk to her and she's usually guaranteed to make me laugh at some point. I'm so thankful that we have the opportunity to do this regularly; it's become one of the highlights of my week.
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