I awoke this beautiful spring morning to hear the birds at full throttle, giving me an excuse to post a wonderful bird poem by Henry Vaughan, the 17th century metaphysical poet.
Tag Archives: "Spring"
Each Enclosed Spirit Is a Singing Bird
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Bird", "Spring", Henry Vaughan, Nature, Religion Comments closed
The Witch that Walks in the Fields of Spring
Here’s a poetic warning that my wife directs to those who close their eyes to the miracle of May that is exploding all around us. Maybe we miss out on spring because we are plugged into our iPods or talking on our cell phones or texting. Or for that matter, blogging. Ignoring spring requires a […]
Pretty Is Not What Blazes the Trail
As the ice (or “iron rind”) starts dissolving from the ponds, we may dream of “ferns and flowers and new leaves unfolding.” But the transition from winter to spring is a much grittier affair, characterized less by sweetness and more by lurid smells emerging from chilling mud. The real harbinger of spring may not be the bluebird but the skunk cabbage, celebrated by Mary Oliver in a powerful poem.
Ah, the Stench of Spring
The news has been so grim recently that I offer up a bit of comic verse at midweek to give you a breather. Think of it as a celebration of the stench of spring—which is to say, of the fertilizer that the farmers are spreading on their fields as the season of growth begins. The […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Spring", "The Noble Drop of Dung", comic verse, Scott Bates Comments closed
Moving beyond August Madness
Alexander Pope, taking his cue from the Roman poet Juvenal, knew what a crazy month August could be. In The Dunciad the end of civilization occurs in August, coinciding with the rise of the “dog star” Sirius: Now flam’d the Dog Star’s unpropitious ray, Smote ev’ry brain, and wither’d every bay [poet]; Sick was the […]
Posted in Uncategorized Also tagged "Spring", "Strange Gathering", Christianity, Cordoba Institute, Islam, politics, Religion, Rumi Comments closed
