Uninitiated Me

When Your Face Came Rising by Yevgeny Yevtushenko

When your face came rising
above my crumpled life,
the only thing I understood at first
was how meager were all my possessions.
But your face cast a peculiar glow
on forests, seas, and rivers,
initiating into the colors of the world
uninitiated me.
I'm so afraid, I'm so afraid,
the unexpected dawn might end
ending the discoveries, tears, and raptures,
but I refuse to fight this fear.
This fear-I understand-
is love itself. I cherish this fear,
not knowing how to cherish, 
I, careless guardian of my love.
This fear has ringed me tightly.
These moments are so brief, I know,
and for me the colors will disappear
when once your face has set.

When Doug and I were first dating, he made a point of showing me this poem. I assumed it was my face which cast a glow upon his crumpled life and, naturally, I fell in love with him. Now we've been married 33-plus years and I'm suddenly realizing it wasn't about me, except that he loved it and he wanted to share it with me and I guess that's just as good as having a glowing face. 

(In celebration of National Poetry Month, I am sharing a poem each day this month.)

Liberty and Justice

Children's Rhymes by Langston Hughes

By what sends
the white kids
I ain't sent:
I know I can't
be President.
What don't bug
them white kids
sure bugs me:
We know everybody
ain't free.

Lies written down
for white folks
ain't for us a-tall:
Liberty And Justice--
Huh!--For All? 

(In celebration of National Poetry Month, I am sharing a poem each day this month.)

All is well

Death is Nothing at All by Henry Scott Holland

Death is nothing at all.

I have only slipped away to the next room.
I am I and you are you.
Whatever we were to each other, 
That, we still are.

Call me by my old familiar name.
Speak to me in the easy way
which you always used.
Put no difference into your tone.
Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow.

Laugh as we always laughed
at the little jokes we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me. Pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word
that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effect.
Without the trace of a shadow on it.

Life means all that it ever meant.
It is the same that it ever was.
There is absolute unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind
because I am out of sight? 

I am but waiting for you.
For an interval.
Somewhere. Very near.
Just around the corner.

All is well. 

(In celebration of National Poetry Month, I am sharing a poem each day this month.)

Nearly There

This little sweetie has been patiently waiting for me. I added the buttons and a few more stitched. Now I need to figure out what to do about finishing. I'm thinking I'll mount this onto a piece of brown paper, like Kraft paper but a bit more refined. 

It seems I do like to let a piece linger before I declare it complete. I think it's part of the process of letting go. 

I don't actually know if this piece is meant to be vertical or horizontal. 

Because it is National Poetry Month, I plan to share a bit of poetry every day this month.

[I carry your heart with me(I carry it in] by e.e. cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear;and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

                                                      i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it’s you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

She beckons

She beckons ... pink lipstick never fails in its allure. 

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Click HERE to see Tiny Tim singing Tiptoe Through The Tulips, on Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In

Naughty Kittens

I've been a bit out of commission. I keep getting hit with the thing that's "going around" PLUS a kidney stone PLUS paperwork-stress related to hubby's imminent retirement. I actually feel like I did some meaningful catching up with it all today. Yay!

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A DIFFERENT SORT OF NAUGHTY KITTEN?

My father worked in Army Intelligence (yeah, yeah, I know ... ) and this gal graced the wall in his office. If you look closely, you will see she has a Band-Aid on her leg.