"Year's End" by Ellen Bryant Voigt : The Poetry Foundation

Today is New Year's Eve. Read Year’s End by Ellen Bryant Voigt : The Poetry Foundation

The Helpless Doorknob: A Found Poem

THE HELPLESS DOORKNOB: A FOUND POEM

by Monty Gilmer

(From The Helpless Doorknob: A Shuffled Story,

a pack of twenty cards featuring the finely detailed,
enigmatic art and text of Edward Gorey.

Adolphus in this story is a large, black dog,

black as melancholy.)

Agatha finished

Knitting a scarf

For Augustus.

Amanda wrote

A note

To Augustus.

Angus lost

A shoe

Not far from

The folly.

Albert left

For Peru.

Arthur's outdoor garments turned up

In a guestroom closet.

Agatha taught Adolphus

To dance the one-step.

Andrew came across

A horrid secret in

Adela's diary.

Adela flung

Angela's baby

From an upstairs window.

Adela became disoriented

At Alaric's funeral.

Angus inherited

The grandfather clock from Aunt Ada.

Alfred returned

From Novaya Zemlya.

Angus concealed

A lemon behind a cushion.

Alethea vanished

From a picnic.

A mysterious urn

Appeared in the grounds.

Amanda found

Several unfolded napkins

On a back shelf.

Agatha pedalled

To the neighbouring village

For help.

Andrew received a postcard

From Amaryllis.

Ambrose took an overdose

Of sarsaparilla.

A disguised person came to one

Of the side doors.

Adela could not find her way

Out of the woods.

"1 January 1965" by Joseph Brodsky : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem by American poet and essayist Joseph Brodsky (1940-1996), who was born in Russia: 1 January 1965 by Joseph Brodsky : The Poetry Foundation

"Year's End" by Richard Wilbur : The Poetry Foundation

Read the poem Year’s End by Richard Wilbur : The Poetry Foundation

As American author Hal Borland (1900-1978) wrote, "Year's end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us."

Richard Wilbur

American poet and translator;

poet laureate (1987-88)

"Paperwhites" by David Yezzi : The Atlantic Magazine

Read this poem that first appeared in the January/February 2015 issue of The Atlantic: Paperwhites by David Yezzi : The Atlantic Magazine

3 Christmas Carols from the Bible | Blog | American Bible Society News

Read 3 Christmas Carols from the Bible | Blog | American Bible Society News

"On Christmas Eve" by Nicholas Moore / December 1943 : Poetry Magazine

Today is Christmas Eve. Read "On Christmas Eve" by Nicholas Moore in this issue: December 1943 : Poetry Magazine

"Christmas Mail" by Ted Kooser : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem: Christmas Mail by Ted Kooser : The Poetry Foundation

THE WISE STILL SEEK HIM

*

In this season

of warmth and tradition,

let us not forget Christ,

the reason behind our celebration

(Greeting from a Christmas card, 2015)

"The Twelve Days of Christmas" by Anonymous : The Poetry Foundation

According to American cartoonist Charles M. Schulz (1922-2000), "Christmas is hearing about those partridges and pear trees until you're ready to lose your mind." The following is a version of the traditional English carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas" that is somewhat different from the familiar version of it: The Twelve Days of Christmas by Anonymous : The Poetry Foundation

"[little tree]" by E. E. Cummings : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem about a Christmas tree: [little tree] by E. E. Cummings : The Poetry Foundation
This poem is good for children.

"The Three Ships" by Alfred Noyes : Read book online

Read the Christmas poem "The Three Ships" by Alfred Noyes: http://www.readbookonline.net/readOnLine/41874

"The Oxen" by Thomas Hardy : The Poetry Foundation

A widespread folk-belief is that cattle fall on their knees at midnight of Christmas Eve, as did the ox in the stable at Bethlehem when Christ was born. Here is a poem about that folk-belief: The Oxen by Thomas Hardy : The Poetry Foundation

Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)

English novelist and poet

"The Puppy" by Wesley McNair : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem by an American poet: The Puppy by Wesley McNair : The Poetry Foundation

"Who Steals My Good Name" by W. D. Snodgrass : Poetry Magazine

Read this poem: Who Steals My Good Name by W. D. Snodgrass : Poetry Magazine

"The Final Say: Third Sunday of Advent" by Monty Gilmer

Today is the third Sunday of Advent. Read Matthew 11:2-19 in The Holy Bible: King James Version.


THE FINAL SAY: DANCE
by Monty Gilmer

We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced;
we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
     THE BIBLE:
     Matthew 11:17 (King James Version)

Pipers
piped unto ladies,
who danced.
     MONTY GILMER
     in Six-Word Memoirs, sixwordmemoirs.com

"Sonnet in the Shape of a Potted Christmas Tree" by George Starbuck : Poetry Magazine

Read Sonnet in the Shape of a Potted Christmas Tree by George Starbuck : Poetry Magazine

Merry Christmas!

George Starbuck (1931-1996)

American poet

"The Final Say: Discerning the Face of the Sky" by Monty Gilmer

THE FINAL SAY: DISCERNING THE FACE OF THE SKY

by Monty Gilmer

To the memory of my father
Hugh M. Gilmer (1914-2006),
who was a farmer

     Jesus said, "When it is evening, ye say, 'It will be fair weather: for the sky is red.' And in the morning, 'It will be foul weather today: for the sky is red and lowering'" (The Bible: Matthew 16:2-3, King James Version).

     An anonymous, old weather rhyme reads:

     Evening red and morning gray

     Are the signs of a bonny day.

     Evening gray and morning red

     Bring down rain on the farmer's head.

"I'll tell you how the sun rose -- " by Emily Dickinson : Bartleby.com

Read this poem about a day: I'll tell you how the sun rose -- by Emily Dickinson : Bartleby.com
This poem is good for children.

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

American poet

"'Hope' is the thing with feathers - " by Emily Dickinson : The Poetry Foundation

American poet Emily Dickinson was born on this day in 1830. Read this poem of hers, a poem that is good for children: “Hope” is the thing with feathers - (314) by Emily Dickinson : The Poetry Foundation

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

Sonnet 7: "How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth" by John Milton : The Poetry Foundation

English poet John Milton was born on this day in 1608. Read this sonnet of his on his having arrived at the age of twenty-three: Sonnet  7: How soon hath Time, the subtle thief of youth by John Milton : The Poetry Foundation

"Pelicans in December" by J. Allyn Rosser : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem that American poet J. Allyn Rosser wrote: Pelicans in December by J. Allyn Rosser : The Poetry Foundation

J. Allyn Rosser

"Look not in my eyes, for fear" by A. E. Housman

Lyric 15 from A Shropshire Lad (1896)

by A. E. Housman

Look not in my eyes, for fear

   They mirror true the sight I see,

And there you find your face too clear

   And love it and be lost like me.

One the long nights through must lie

   Spent in star-defeated sighs,

But why should you as well as I

   Perish? -- gaze not in my eyes.

A Grecian lad, as I hear tell,

   One that many loved in vain,

Looked into a forest well

   And never looked away again.

There, when the turf in springtime flowers,

   With downward eye and gazes sad,

Stands amid the glancing showers

   A jonquil, not a Grecian lad.

A. E. Housman (1859-1956)

English classical scholar and poet

(Photographed by E. O. Hoppe)

"What Can Advent Teach Us About Waiting on God?" | Blog | American Bible Society News

Today is the second Sunday of Advent. Read What Can Advent Teach Us About Waiting on God? | Blog | American Bible Society News


A poem for Advent from the King James Bible

(Isaiah 40:3, 52:10. Adapted by Monty Gilmer from
the hymn "Prepare the Way of the Lord")

Prepare ye the way
of the Lord, prepare the way
of the Lord, and all
the ends of the earth shall see
the salvation of our God.

"In the bleak midwinter" by Christina Rossetti : The Poetry Foundation

Read the Christmas poem "In the bleak midwinter" by Christina Rossetti, an English poet who was born on this day in 1830.

Read about this Christmas carol based on a poem by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894): "In the Bleak Midwinter"

Also read about the winter solstice.

"Day in Autumn" by Rainer Maria Rilke : Poetry Magazine

Read "Day in Autumn" by Rainer Maria Rilke, a German poet who was born on this day in 1875: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/181335

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s Messianic Hope

The words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and of Isaiah the prophet (Isaiah 40:4-5 from the King James Bible) make up this found poem for Advent:

I have a dream that one day
Every valley shall be exalted,
And every mountain and hill shall be made low:
And the crooked shall be made straight,
And the rough places plain:
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together.


Note: I found this poem in and adapted it from the Rev. Dr. King's address at the Lincoln Memorial during the March on Washington on August 28, 1963.

"The Singing" by Patrick Phillips : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem about lullabies: The Singing by Patrick Phillips : The Poetry Foundation

"Song of the Oriental Poet" by Anonymous

SONG OF THE ORIENTAL POET

Anonymous

Spring is past,

Summer is gone,

Winter is here,

And my song that I was meant to sing

Is still unsung.

I have spent my days

Stringing and unstringing my instrument.

~~~

     It was about the poem above that Joyce Rupp wrote, "Whenever I read these lines a certain sadness enters my soul. I get so preoccupied with the details and pressure of my schedule, with the hurry and worry of life, that I miss the song of goodness which is waiting to be sung through me."

"Ode to Stephen Dowling Bots, Dec'd." by Mark Twain : The Poetry Foundation

Read Ode to Stephen Dowling Bots, Dec'd. by Mark Twain : The Poetry Foundation

American writer Mark Twain was born Samuel Langhorne Clemens on this day in 1835.

Mark Twain (1835-1910)

Photo Credit: Library of Congress,

Washington, D.C.

"Preparing our Hearts During Advent" | Blog | American Bible Society News

Read the blog post Preparing our Hearts During Advent | Blog | American Bible Society News
Today is the first Sunday of Advent.

"The Gift Outright" by Robert Frost : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem: The Gift Outright by Robert Frost : The Poetry Foundation

Robert Frost (1874-1963)

American poet

"Family Reunion" by Maxine W. Kumin : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem: Family Reunion by Maxine W. Kumin : The Poetry Foundation

Maxine W. Kumin

(Source of photo: The Poetry Foundation)

"A Thanksgiving to God, for his House" by Robert Herrick : The Poetry Foundation

Read A Thanksgiving to God, for his House by Robert Herrick : The Poetry Foundation

"Traveling with Guitar" by Debra Marquart : The Poetry Foundation

Read this road poem from an American writer and singer who knows the musician's life: Traveling with Guitar by Debra Marquart : The Poetry Foundation

"Thanksgiving for Two" by Marjorie Saiser : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem: Thanksgiving for Two by Marjorie Saiser : The Poetry Foundation

"Sunday Morning" (1915) by Wallace Stevens : Poem Guide : Learning Lab : The Poetry Foundation

A legendary poem turns 100: Sunday Morning by Wallace Stevens : Poem Guide : Learning Lab : The Poetry Foundation

From "The Months" by Mother Goose

From THE MONTHS
by Mother Goose

Dull November brings the blast,
Makes the leaves go whirling fast.

Margaret Atwood (born on this day in 1939) : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of Canadian writer Margaret Atwood : The Poetry Foundation

"The Great Commandment" by Jesus Christ : The King James Bible

THE GREAT COMMANDMENT

by Jesus Christ

(Mark 12:29-31, King James Version)

     The first of all the commandments is,

     Hear, O Israel;

     The Lord our God is one Lord:

     And thou shalt love the Lord thy God

     With all thy heart, and with all thy soul,

     And with all thy mind, and with all thy strength:

this is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely this,

     Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

There is none other commandment greater than these.

"Heaven's Gate" by Robert Morgan : The Poetry Foundation

Read the poem Heaven's Gate by Robert Morgan : The Poetry Foundation

This poem by Robert Morgan reminds me of my own mother, Evelyn M. Gilmer, a devout Christian who turned 92 on November 10 of this year and who uses a walker.

Robert Morgan : The Poetry Foundation

"The Final Say: Jane Austen" by Monty Gilmer

THE FINAL SAY: JANE AUSTEN
by Monty Gilmer

The novels of Jane Austen
Are the ones to get lost in.
                --Edmund Clerihew Bentley

I wonder if Petula Clark
Has ever read Mansfield Park.
                                   --Monty Gilmer


(English songstress Petula Clark was born on this day in 1932.)

Jane Austen (1775-1817)

Portrait, ca. 1810

Marianne Moore (born on this day in 1887) : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of American poet Marianne Moore : The Poetry Foundation

"At the Justice Department November 15,1969" by Denise Levertov : The Poetry Foundation

Read At the Justice Department November 15, 1969 by Denise Levertov : The Poetry Foundation
Also listen to Denise Levertov reading this poem of hers.

Denise Levertov (1923-1997)

(Photo by Chris Felver)

"I Dream'd in a Dream" by Walt Whitman

I DREAM'D IN A DREAM
by Walt Whitman

I dream'd in a dream I saw a city invincible to the attacks of the whole of the rest of the earth,
I dream'd that was the new city of Friends,
Nothing was greater there than the quality of robust love, it led the rest,
It was seen every hour in the actions of the men of that city,
And in all their looks and words.


Source: Leaves of Grass (1892) by Walt Whitman

Walt Whitman (1819-1892)

Robert Louis Stevenson (born on this day in 1850) : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson : The Poetry Foundation

"Windy Nights" by Robert Louis Stevenson : The Poetry Foundation

Read Windy Nights by Robert Louis Stevenson : The Poetry Foundation

Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson was born on this day in 1850> To learn more about him, go to the RLS Website: http://www.robert-louis-stevenson.org

"November Night" by Adelaide Crapsey : The Poetry Foundation

Read this five-line poem, a cinquain: November Night by Adelaide Crapsey : The Poetry Foundation

Adelaide Crapsey (1878-1914)

American poet

A Bible reading for Veterans Day : The King James Bible

Read Isaiah 2:1-5 (King James Version): http://www.bartleby.com/108/23/2.html#1-5

"Triolet on a Line Apocryphally Attributed to Martin Luther" by A. E Stallings : Poetry Magazine

Read this poem: Triolet on a Line Apocryphally Attributed to Martin Luther by A. E. Stallings : Poetry Magazine

German Reformation leader Martin Luther was born on this day in 1483.

A. E. Stallings

Anne Sexton: Essential American Poets / Essential American Poets : The Poetry Foundation

Archival recordings of poet Anne Sexton (who was born on this day in 1928), with an introduction to her life and work: Anne Sexton: Essential American Poets / Essential American Poets : The Poetry Foundation

Anne Sexton (1928-1974)

American poet

(Source of photo: The Poetry Foundation)

"Her Kind" by Anne Sexton (1928-1974) : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem: Her Kind by Anne Sexton : The Poetry Foundation

American poet Anne Sexton 

was born on this day in 1928.

(Source of photo: The Poetry Foundation)

"Some keep the Sabbath going to Church -- " by Emily Dickinson : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem: Some keep the Sabbath going to Church – (236) by Emily Dickinson : The Poetry Foundation

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886)

American poet

Anonymous poem: "Western Wind"

WESTERN WIND
Anonymous:

Western wind, when will thou blow,
The small rain down can rain?
Christ, if my love were in my arms
And I in my bed again!

Chrysanthemum: An Anthology

Poetry

"The Revisionist Dream" by Maxine Kumin : The Poetry Archive

     American poet Maxine Kumin said that her poem "The Revisionist Dream" is about the suicide of American poet Anne Sexton in 1974 and that it is a villanelle. Read "The Revisionist Dream" by Maxine Kumin and listen to a recording of her introducing and reading that poem of hers.

Maxine Kumin (1925-2014)
Poet and author

Six-Word Hymn by Monty Gilmer

SIX-WORD HYMN
by Monty Gilmer

(Adapted from the hymn "Alleluia" (1972),
written by Jerry Sinclair)

Alleluia!
I will praise
my Savior.


First appeared in SMITH Magazine Six-Word Memoirs, sixwordmemoirs.com

C. K. Williams, born on this day in 1936 : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of C. K. Williams : The Poetry Foundation

"Thanatopsis" by William Cullen Bryant : The Poetry Foundation

Read Thanatopsis by William Cullen Bryant : The Poetry Foundation

American poet William Cullen Bryant was born on this day in 1794.

"My November Guest" by Robert Frost

Read this poem by American poet Robert Frost from his first book of poetry A Boy's Will (1913): "My November Guest"

Robert Frost (1874-1963)

Stephen Crane, born on this day in 1871 : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of this American writer: Stephen Crane : The Poetry Foundation

Stephen Crane (1871-1900)

"In Heaven" by Stephen Crane : The Poetry Foundation

American writer Stephen Crane was born on this day in 1871. Read this poem of his: In Heaven by Stephen Crane : The Poetry Foundation

Stephen Crane (1871-1900)

"La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad" by John Keats : Poem Guide : Learning Lab : The Poetry Foundation

Read La Belle Dame sans Merci: A Ballad by John Keats : Poem Guide : Learning Lab : The Poetry Foundation ~ This poem by John Keats (1795-1821) was reprinted in The Pocket Mystery Reader (1942), edited by Lee Wright.

English poet John Keats

was born on this day in 1795.

Biography: John Keats (1795-1821) : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of English poet John Keats : The Poetry Foundation

John Keats

was born on this day in 1795.

Ezra Pound, born on this day in 1885 : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of Ezra Pound : The Poetry Foundation

"A Pact," a poem by Ezra Pound for Walt Whitman / April 1913 : Poetry Magazine

American poet Ezra Pound was born on this day in 1885. Here is a poem that he wrote for American poet Walt Whitman (1819-1892).


A PACT
by Ezra Pound (1885-1972)

I have made truce with you, Walt Whitman --
I have detested you long enough.
I come to you as a grown child
Who has had a pig-headed father;
I am old enough now to make friends.
It was you that broke the new wood,
Now is a time for carving.
We have one sap and one root --
Let there be commerce between us.


Source: Poetry: A Magazine of Verse (April 1913)

"I Hear America Singing" by Walt Whitman : The Poetry Foundation

Read the poem I Hear America Singing by Walt Whitman : The Poetry Foundation

"Fools Revert to Their Follies," a cinquain by Monty Gilmer from the Bible

FOOLS REVERT TO THEIR FOLLIES
A cinquain by Monty Gilmer

(From the Bible: Proverbs 26:11 and 2 Peter 2:22)

The dog
Always returns
To his vomit. The sow
Is washed only to wallow in
The mud.

Biography: Sylvia Plath, born on this day in 1932 : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of this American poet: Sylvia Plath : The Poetry Foundation

Sylvia Plath (1932-1963)

"Poem in October" by Dylan Thomas

Welsh poet Dylan Thomas was born on this day in 1914. Read this poem of his that resulted from his visit on his thirtieth birthday to his boyhood home in Wales: "Poem in October" by Dylan Thomas

"Poem in October" appeared first on pages 257-259 of the February 1945 issue of Poetry Magazine.

In 1953 on his third trip to the United States, Dylan Thomas died suddenly in New York City at the age of thirty-nine.

Advice in Six Words from Robert Frost and from Monty Gilmer

                                   

Never cut what you can untie.

-- Robert Frost

My own advice in six words is published in the new Six Words book The Best Advice in Six Words (2015), edited by Larry Smith. Take my advice:  buy this book!

"The Ball Poem" by John Berryman (born 10/25/1914) : The Poetry Foundation

Read The Ball Poem by John Berryman : The Poetry Foundation

"To Live in the Mercy of God" by Denise Levertov (1923-1997) : The Poetry Foundation

Denise Levertov was born on this day in 1923. Read this poem of hers: To Live in the Mercy of God by Denise Levertov : The Poetry Foundation

Denise Levertov: Essential American Poets / Essential American Poets : The Poetry Foundation

Archival recordings of the poet Denise Levertov (1923-1997). with an introduction to her life and work: Denise Levertov: Essential American Poets / Essential American Poets : The Poetry Foundation ~ Today is the ninety-second anniversary of her birth.

"The Final Say: The Narrow Gate" by Monty Gilmer

THE FINAL SAY: THE NARROW GATE
by Monty Gilmer

A poem of Jesus Christ, Matthew 7:13-14, from the King James Bible:

Enter ye in at the strait gate:
for wide is the gate, and broad is the way,
that leadeth to destruction,
and many there be which go in thereat:
because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto life,
and few there be that find it.


A found poem, a quotation from the former President John Adams:

Strait is the gate and narrow is the way
that leads to liberty,
and few nations, if any, have found it.

"Lost Desire" by Meleager : The Poetry Foundation

Read this poem by Greek poet Meleager of Gadara, this poem translated by William M. Hardinge: Lost Desire by Meleager : The Poetry Foundation

Samuel Taylor Coleridge (born on this day in 1772) : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of Samuel Taylor Coleridge : The Poetry Foundation


AN EPIGRAM
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge

What is an Epigram? A dwarfish whole,
Its body brevity, and wit its soul.

"The Final Say: The Eighth Commandment" by Monty Gilmer

THE FINAL SAY: THE EIGHTH COMMANDMENT
by Monty Gilmer

"Thou shalt not steal."

-- The Bible: Exodus 20:15

(King James Version)

"The Eighth Commandment was not made for bards."

-- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

(born on this day in 1772)


The Final Say
Quotations I have paired up for comparison

"Sir Christopher Wren" (born on this day in 1632)

SIR CHRISTOPHER WREN
From Biography for Beginners (1905)
by Edmund Clerihew Bentley

Sir Christopher Wren
Said, "I am going to dine with some men.
If anybody calls
Say I am designing St. Paul's."

To read more about Christopher Wren click here.

Christopher Wren (1632-1723)

by Godfrey Kneller, 1711

"What Is the Opposite of Faith?" by Monty Gilmer

WHAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF FAITH?
by Monty Gilmer

"What's up is faith, what's down is heresy."
So wrote Alfred, Lord Tennyson.

The opposite of up
is down, of course. And yet
is heresy the opposite of faith?

According to Elie Wiesel,
"The opposite of faith
is not heresy, it's indifference."


Copyright 2015 Monty Gilmer

The Final Say

Quotations I have paired up for comparison

"Neighbors in October" by David Baker : The Poetry Foundation

The following poem was reprinted in the November 2009 issue of Reader's Digest:
Neighbors in October by David Baker : The Poetry Foundation

David Baker

"Treasure in Heaven" (2) by Jesus Christ : The King James Bible

TREASURE IN HEAVEN (2)
A poem of Jesus Christ

(Luke 12:33-34, King James Version)

Sell that ye have, and give alms:
Provide yourselves bags which wax not old,
A treasure in the heavens that faileth not,
Where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth.
For where your treasure is,
There will your heart be also.

"[love is more thicker than forget]" by E. E. Cummings : Poetry Magazine

Read the following poem, and listen to its author read it:
[love is more thicker than forget] by E. E. Cummings : Poetry Magazine

American poet E. E. )Edward Estlin) Cummings was born on this day in 1894>

E. E. Cummings (born 10/14/1894): Essential American Poets / Essential American Poets : The Poetry Foundation

Archival recordings of poet E. E. Cummings, with an introduction to his life and work:
E. E. Cummings: Essential American Poets / Essential American Poets : The Poetry Foundation

"The Final Say: Diligence" by Monty Gilmer

THE FINAL SAY: DILIGENCE

by Monty Gilmer

The ants are a people not strong,

Yet they prepare their meat in the summer.

-- The Bible: Proverbs 30:25
(King James Version)

It is not enough to be industrious; so are

the ants. What are you industrious about?

-- Henry David Thoreau,
quoted in Reader's Digest (November 2015)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~


The Final Say
Quotations I have paired up for comparison

"[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in]" by E. E. Cummings : Poetry Magazine

[i carry your heart with me(i carry it in] by E. E. Cummings : Poetry Magazine

Biography of François Mauriac (born 11 October1885)

"I believe that only poetry counts. A great novelist is first of all a great poet." So said French author Francois Mauriac. Read about him: François Mauriac - Biographical

Francois Mauriac

(1885-1970)

French author

who was awarded

the Nobel Prize for Literature

"Treasure in Heaven" (1) by Jesus Christ : The King James Bible

TREASURE IN HEAVEN (1)
A poem of Jesus Christ

(Matthew 6:19-21, King James Version)

Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth,
Where moth and rust doth corrupt,
And where thieves break through and steal:
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven,
Where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt,
And where thieves do not break through nor steal:
For where your treasure is,
There will your heart be also.

"A Dandelion for My Mother" by Jean Nordhaus : The Poetry Foundation

I hope you will enjoy reading this poem: A Dandelion for My Mother by Jean Nordhaus : The Poetry Foundation

"The Victor Dog" by James Merrill : Poetry Magazine

In the following poem the poet inhabits a dog and listens to his master's voice:
The Victor Dog by James Merrill : Poetry Magazine

James Merrill (1926-1995)

American poet

A quotation from John Lennon, born 75 years ago today

"It's fear of the unknown.

"The unknown is what it is.

And to be frightened of it is

what sends everybody scurrying around

chasing dreams, illusions, wars, peace, love, hate,

all that -- it's all illusion.

Unknown is what it is.

Accept that it's unknown

and it's plain sailing.

"Everything is unknown --

then you're ahead of the game.

That's what it is. Right?"

-- John Lennon (1940-1980),

born 75 years ago today (October 9)

John Lennon
(Photo by Roy Kerwood)

Philip Booth (1925-2007), born 90 years ago today : The Poetry Foundation

Read a biography of
Philip Booth : The Poetry Foundation

A quotation from F. Scott Fitzgerald

 No grand idea was ever born in a conference,

but a lot of foolish ideas have died there.

-- F. Scott Fitzgerald (1896-1940)

F. Scott Fitzgerald

American writer