A Haiku for Leap Day

A lonely pond in age-old stillness sleeps . . .

    Apart, unstirred by sound or motion . . . till

Suddenly into it a lithe frog leaps.

    --Basho (1644-1694)

      (Translated, from the Japanese, by Curtis Hidden Page, 1923)

Portrait of Basho by Hokusai, late 18th century

A Chip on His Shoulder

A CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER

Author Unknown

He always has something to grumble about,

    Has the man with a chip on his shoulder;

The world to the dogs is going, no doubt,

    To the man with a chip on his shoulder;

The clouds are too dark, the sun is too bright.

No matter what happens, it is never right;

When peace is prevailing he is spoiling to fight,

    The man with a chip on his shoulder.

A portrait of R. (which could stand for rogue),

a man with a chip on his shoulder

(and "The Devil's Idiot")

Photo copyright 2005 Evelyn M. Gilmer

February All Dripping Wet

If the clouds be full of rain,

they empty themselves upon the earth.

--from Ecclesiastes 11:3

(King James Version)

The title of this post is a line from an untitled poem in Sing-Song: A Nursery Rhyme Book by English poet Christina Rossetti.

Melanie (1947-2024): Requiescat in Pace

Melanie sang "Peace

Will Come." Melanie is gone.

May she rest in peace.

Melanie -- "Peace Will Come" (video)