praise for the lie . . .
A few kind words for The Lie That Tells a Truth.
elizabeth bishop at 100
Elizabeth Bishop would have been 100 years old today. Born and buried in Worcester, Mass. Here's a piece about her poetry in the WSJ. And here's her poem, "In the Waiting Room." If you happen to be in Worcester today you can get to a graveside service at 4: 30. (thanks to Dave in Worcester)
birthday books
What I was reading on my birthday.
alice munro
New story by Alice Munro in The New Yorker. You'll need a subscription to read it.
the time is now
Poets & Writers recommends to Is Life Like This? And here's another mention in Writing While the Rice Boils.
holden caulfield
Vanity Fair has a story on J. D. Salinger in this issue. The book J. D. Salinger: a Life goes on sale tomorrow. (thanks to Dave in Worcester)
crosshairs
"We're on Sarah Palin's targeted list. But the thing is that the way that she has it depicted has the crosshairs of the gun site over our district, and when people do that they've got to realize that there are consequences to that action." --Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, March 25, 2010
monkey business
Our monkeys paid a visit today. Here's one eating a lemon he stole from our tree. He's back staring at the tree now. They spent twenty minutes up in the tabebuia tree. His pal just grabbed another lemon.
high blood pleasure
Hot selling high blood pleasure shoes
1.High blood pressure shoes
2.New shoes all over the world
3.Lower the level of blood...
Special size: If you have abnormal feet, we can made the shoes for you
When the suger in blood more than suger of kidney people urine with suger. More suger exhaust and bring a lot of water of body so cause diabetic more urine. Because of urine lose more water of body,blood concentrate and cause thirsty. So diabetic drinking too much. Because of the hinder of suger oxidize, people more lighten weight.
(thanks to Joe in Cheese)
goodbye, dear friend
The Miami Herald has a remembrance of our friend Jeffrey. And here's a poem from his forthcoming book.
THE DULL, DULL BEATING OF YOUR HEART HEART HEART
The snake that binds your feet together
Is not the one you were born with.
It is, rather, the extended tragedy of
Living forever on a flat world.
The rapture of enlightened ecstasy
Knocks on your door like a country without mothers
The electric trains under the blanket
Give you away at night.
If I could find you in the long lost dream
Of silent storms and nightmare fragments
The executioner’s smile would extend and groan
But it is long overdue.
1-1-11
New Year's Day--
everything is in blossom!
I feel about average.
--Kobayashi Issa
auld lang syne
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
And auld lang syne!
Chorus:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
And surely ye'll be your pint stowp!
And surely I'll be mine!
And we'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.
Chorus
We twa hae run about the braes,
And pou'd the gowans fine;
But we've wander'd mony a weary fit,
Sin' auld lang syne.
Chorus
We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But seas between us braid hae roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.
Chorus
And there's a hand, my trusty fere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie waught,
For auld lang syne.
--Robert Burnsring out, wild bells
Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky, The flying cloud, the frosty light: The year is dying in the night; Ring out, wild bells, and let him die. Ring out the old, ring in the new, Ring, happy bells, across the snow: The year is going, let him go; Ring out the false, ring in the true. Ring out the grief that saps the mind For those that here we see no more; Ring out the feud of rich and poor, Ring in redress to all mankind. Ring out a slowly dying cause, And ancient forms of party strife; Ring in the nobler modes of life, With sweeter manners, purer laws. Ring out the want, the care, the sin, The faithless coldness of the times; Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes But ring the fuller minstrel in. Ring out false pride in place and blood, The civic slander and the spite; Ring in the love of truth and right, Ring in the common love of good. Ring out old shapes of foul disease; Ring out the narrowing lust of gold; Ring out the thousand wars of old, Ring in the thousand years of peace. Ring in the valiant man and free, The larger heart, the kindlier hand; Ring out the darkness of the land, Ring in the Christ that is to be.
--Alfred, Lord Tennyson
(from In Memoriam)
frutescent
The OED has a Save the Words site where you can adopt a word, use it, and save it from extinction. Sounds like a New Year's resolution project to me. I chose frutescent for this week's word: "becoming shrubby"; "having the appearance or habit of a shrub." It's time to trim the frutescent wisteria.
the old year
The Old Year's gone away
To nothingness and night:
We cannot find him all the day
Nor hear him in the night:
He left no footstep, mark or place
In either shade or sun:
The last year he'd a neighbour's face,
In this he's known by none.
All nothing everywhere:
Mists we on mornings see
Have more of substance when they're here
And more of form than he.
He was a friend by every fire,
In every cot and hall--
A guest to every heart's desire,
And now he's nought at all.
Old papers thrown away,
Old garments cast aside,
The talk of yesterday,
Are things identified;
But time once torn away
No voices can recall:
The eve of New Year's Day
Left the Old Year lost to all.
--John Clare
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e.t. dragon
Here's Mike, the man, and E.T. Dragon, the savannah monitor lizard, hanging around outside Mickey Byrne's Pub last night on Hollywood Boulevard. Mike says he has a houseful of lizards. He lets them have the run of the place. How do you sleep at night, Mike?
signs of life at the home depot
There was no room for the "r." Or the "ia." (I blurred the phone #.)