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Category Archives: Poetry
Lovely, dark and deep
Actually, the woods my daughters and I walked through yesterday were anything but dark. The sun was so bright I could hardly even see this robin in the trees above, much less determine what kind of bird it was. When we reached this point in the trail, my youngest exclaimed, “I want to go into … Continue reading
Poetry Friday: Land of Counterpane
My youngest is sick today. This means missing our last homeschool co-op of the year, a birthday party this afternoon, and possibly Presentation Day tomorrow. She has a knack for falling ill on special occasions, but the familiarity of this scenario doesn’t make it any easier. In her honor, I’m posting the classic children’s sick … Continue reading
Poetry Friday: Finishing Well
One never knows, but I’ve been thinking lately that I’m probably about halfway through my life. Maybe a little over. What do I have to show for it? I look back over my story so far and see an odd jumble of ingredients that don’t seem to have resolved themselves yet into a definite direction. … Continue reading
Healing and Hiding
This morning, I read a story that’s always intrigued me: the woman with the hemorrhage who came through the pressing crowds and touched Jesus’ robes. I’m using a harmony of the gospels these days, but the account in Mark 5 serves for a reference. What I noticed today was the way that Jesus asked who … Continue reading
The Mouse of Amherst
Some time ago, another blogger mentioned The Mouse of Amherst in a Poetry Friday post. I ordered it immediately, but not until yesterday did the right time come for Elizabeth Spires’ 61-page imaginative introduction to Emily Dickinson, accented by Claire Nivola’s delicate drawings. The ultimate proof came at the end, when my 8-year-old exclaimed, “Let’s … Continue reading
Go inside and savor
My youngest has hatched a plan to buy the “red library” (one of our three local branches) for us to live in one day. Here’s our future home: Since we always call it “the red library,” I don’t think she’s ever even heard its full “official” name: “Your Home Public Library.” It should provide us … Continue reading
Posted in Children's Books, On Reading, Poetry
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Diary of an Old Soul
I’ve been revisiting George MacDonald lately. I knew him first as the one whose Phantastes C.S. Lewis credited with “baptizing his imagination.” Then I explored some of his children’s books, and more recently a Gothic romance. Slowly I’ve been accumulating impressions and experiences of this writer. I didn’t realize that he was also a well-respected … Continue reading
Green shade for green thoughts
Madeleine L’Engle quoted an Andrew Marvell poem when she was describing her “circle of quiet,” a spot beside a stream where she let the stress and irritation evaporate into “a green thought in a green shade.” I think most of us have places like that. My best ones are around my parents’ home, where I … Continue reading
About Ezekiel
I’ve progressed into Ezekiel in my Bible-reading. These prophetic books frustrate any attempt by my analytical or “literary” mind to file them neatly away, but there are passages of great beauty and power. This morning I reached chapter 10, and found it very moving. It culminates with Ezekiel seeing the same complex and awesome vision … Continue reading
Poetry potpourri
Anyone else hear this story on NPR this morning? It discusses the state of poets and poetry in a suffering economy, and includes a link to its Planet Money blog, where readers have contributed original recession haiku. It’s worth a visit! In addition, I discovered through Mr. Wendell Berry of Kentucky that Mr. Berry has … Continue reading
