Daniel Boone

   by Stephen Vincent Bené

 

When Daniel Boone goes by, at night, 
The phantom deer arise 
And all lost, wild America 
Is burning in their eyes. 

Copyright 1933.

Quote of the Day

Some things are not forgivable. Deliberate cruelty is not forgivable. It is the most unforgivable thing in my opinion, and the one thing of which I have never, ever been guilty.

 - Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire.

On His Seventy-fifth Birthday

   by Walter Savage Landor

I strove with none; for none was worth my strife,
    Nature I loved, and next to Nature, Art;
I warmed both hands before the fire of life,
    It sinks, and I am ready to depart.

Beautiful

Guido Daniele

If I Had Just One Wish to Make for Mother's Day . . .

I would make this wish for my daughter and granddaughters, (and sons and grandsons) and yours as well.

May you be safe in your homes and on our streets, secure and in sole control of your own bodies, and able to trust those who have been granted authority over you. 

May your concerns and difficulties be dealt with respectfully, promptly, and satisfactorily by those who have the power to do so. 

May your lives be full and happy and free from those who would trade them for their own ends.

May you stand tall, with your heads held high.

And most importantly . . .

May you always know that You are loved.

Alright. So maybe it is more than one wish. Cut me some slack - it's Mother's Day!

Visiting Pai-an Pavilion

   by Hsieh Ling-yun

translated by Sam Hamill

Beside this dike, I shake off the world's dust, 
enjoying walks alone near my brushwood house. 

A small stream gurgles down a rocky gorge. 
Mountains rise beyond the trees, 

kingfisher blue, almost beyond description, 
but reminding me of the fisherman's simple life. 

From a grassy bank, I listen 
as springtime fills my heart. 

Finches call and answer in the oaks. 
Deer cry out, then return to munching weeds. 

I remember men who knew a hundred sorrows, 
and the gratitude they felt for gifts. 

Joy and sorrow pass, each by each, 
failure at one moment, happy success the next. 

But not for me. I have chosen freedom 
from the world's cares. I chose simplicity.

from: Crossing the Yellow River: Three Hundred Poems from the Chinese. Translation copyright 2000. 

Ayup

You know you liked it.

Chris Evans (Captain America), Chris Hemsworth (Thor), Robert Downey Jr. (Iron Man), and Mark Ruffalo (The Hulk).

BOOK REVIEWS. Sort of.

The Beekeeper’s Apprentice - Laurie King    

For some reason, as I read this, Sherlock Holmes was Johnny Depp in my mind.

Laurie King captures the flavor of Conan Doyle's England without being held hostage on the paths he blazed. Holmes is the supporting actor in this series (yes this is the first of a series) and he has mellowed ever so slightly with age. She pokes fun at and challenges some of the original material as only a true fan could. 

All this might rankle some Holmes purists, but I enjoyed it and am now on to the next in the series, A Monstrous Regiment of Women.