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)

The Final Say: "An Eye for an Eye"

Read "'Turn the Other Cheek': A Poem of Jesus Christ."

An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind. --Mahatma Gandhi

That old law about "an eye for an eye" leaves everybody blind. The time is always right to do the right thing. --Martin Luther King, Jr.

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While by My Sheep

WHILE BY MY SHEEP

The text of an anonymous Christmas hymn,

from the German

(Read Luke 2:15-20.)

While by my sheep I watched at night,

Glad tidings brought an angel bright.

How great my joy! Great my joy!

Joy, joy, joy! Joy, joy, joy!

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

There shall be born, so he did say,

In Bethlehem a Child today;

How great my joy! Great my joy!

Joy, joy, joy! Joy, joy, joy!

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

There shall the Child lie in a stall,

This Child who shall redeem us all.

How great our joy! Great our joy!

Joy, joy,joy! Joy, joy, joy!

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

This gift of God we'll cherish well,

That ever joy our hearts shall fill.

How great our joy! Great our joy!

Joy, joy, joy! Joy, joy, joy!

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!

Praise we the Lord in heaven on high!