Hurrah Hurrah! The First of May!

Odysseuse greets you once more with a tribute to the First of May.

Where Do They All Come From?

A little green man
in a fluffy yellow hat
underneath the rim
of a toadstool sat.

He twirled his finger
and he twitched his toe,
he looked at his watch
and said "Time to go!"

He jumped to his saucer
and quickly spun away
but he left his yellow hat
on the field of May.

Marguerite Louise Monette

Here's your chance to indulge in a bit of doggerel: fill in the blanks in the following lines.

Hurrah, Hurrah, the First of May!
Outdoor (blank, blank) starts today!

Have fun!

A Valentine Phenomenon

When we walk we float
over curbs, skirt open manholes,
teeter on brinks, oblivious:
nothing exists but us.

Through some phenomenon of mind
other people fade, become transparent,
disappear.

And yet I see you clearly
and I know that you see me.

The Other Side of July

At the toe edge of a footprint in warm dry earth
A tomato worm, ruptured, just past agony, still;
Velvet-moss skin, riven, emits yellow-green effluent,
Bulging obesity suspended in slime.

The shadow of a hand sweeps across the blight,
Dims the shining ooze and withdraws,
Leaving behind a sprig of stalk,
Ragged leaf, yellow star blossom,
And a bitterspice pungency in the air.

MLM

Wimbledon 2008: Toreador Si!

Rafael Nadal was declared the Wimbledon Champion, his first victory in that grass court match. Roger Federer had won at Wimbledon five times in a row and was trying to win number six in order to excel Bjorn Borg's five consecutive wins. He came within a few seconds of breaking Borg's record, and the four hour plus match will go down in Wimbledon history as a once in a lifetime event.

The bullfighter and the fencer (see previous post) met and proved that differing techniques are equal when it comes to winning, although in this case the fencer lost. Tennis fans are looking forward to many years of competition between Roger and Rafa, the One and the Two in the world, both supreme athletes and gentlemen. The sports world can be proud of them.

Wimbledon 2008: The Bullfighter or The Fencer?

Rafael Nadal (Spain) and Roger Federer (Switzerland) will compete for the 2008 Wimbledon title tomorrow, July 6

Nadal is mentioned first, although he is second in the world of tennis to Federer's first place. This comelately sports reporter (tennis only) is highly prejudiced in Roger's favor but is striving for a neutral position as befits a person of Swiss descent.

Wimbledon 2007 ended with Federer and Nadal vying for the title which ended in a five set final won by Roger. It was then that this reporter became aware that tennis is not a game for weaklings but is for serious and competent athletes, and, played well, is worthy of close attention and enthusiasm.

The rules of tennis and its scoring are complicated. Much can be learned on various websites devoted to tennis, including live scores for matches that cannot be seen on TV but are of enormous interest. TV coverage provides a good way to analyze the players' techniques. Nadal moves as if he is in the bullfight ring out-maneuvering a raging opponent who must be dominated and vanquished. Federer moves with a fencer's speed and agility as well as strength and will to win. Both are formidable players.

Our hearts and minds will be on Centre Court in London tomorrow. May the best man win. Go Roger! Go Rafa!

Fantasy for the Fourth

In deep dark dusk
a golden trumpet's piercing note
fractures an invisible rainbow,
flings its colors skyward
in myriad shapes of ephemeral light.

The 1812 Overture explodes,
celebrates in joyous noisy cannonades
our beloved country's birth.

Ghost ships on the Potomac
briefly glow and fade.

Marguerite Louise Monette

Hurrah Hurrah! The First of May!

This is my oft-repeated tribute to the First of May.

Where Do They All Come From?

A little green man
in a fluffy yellow hat
underneath the rim
of a toadstool sat.

He twirled his finger
and he twitched his toe,
he looked at his watch
and said "Time to go!"

He jumped to his saucer
and quickly spun away
but he left his yellow hat
on the field of May.

Marguerite Louise Monette

Here's your chance to indulge in a bit of doggerel: fill in the blanks in the following lines.

Hurrah, hurrah, the First of May!
Outdoor (blank blank) starts today!

A few words about March 2008

It has come to my attention that I have written 90 essays for this blog and a few poems. All of the content here reflects my thoughts and attitudes. Anyone who wants or needs to know can scroll down to the right side of this essay and read the titles of more or less current blogs. Anyone who seeks further information can scroll down a bit farther and go to the archives - and take your chances on what you might find there.

There has been no word of either politics or religion here, not because I am not engrossed in those subjects but because I began these essays with a determination not to get involved in arguments and controversies, with one notable exception having to do with the political philosophy of Machiavelli. It is revealing to recognize Machiavelli's touch which he expounded in the fifteenth century and which informs the politics of Now. If you type the name of Machiavelli in the search box near the top of this essay you will be reading the first and the last word about the man and his schemes.

Tennis, golf, and figure skating competitions on TV are a pleasant escape from the game of politics. I am proud of tennis star Roger Federer and of his golfing friend Tiger Woods. And all of the figure skaters who bring us athleticism, dance, and music.

There has been some interest in the history of our family - but that is for another day. We are as unique as any other family. I have filled in some of the blanks in previous blogs, but, of course, much more can be written.

Janus Shrugged...

and, looking backwards through my eyes, sloughed off the year as being unworthy of further notice. The media are bringing to our attention, in condensed form, all of the details we have observed through 2007, as if we need reminding.

There has been joy and love of friends and family, otherwise the year would have been that of unremitting disasters, not personal but personally felt. So - we are ready, 2008! Tomorrow Janus will have the forward view, optimistic and hopeful that events will justify a good beginning.

December Fast Forwards to Janus

December, slipping, sliding and stressing towards the Holidays, consumed with preparations, there is little time to to think about and to dwell upon, what the mythical Janus foresaw as 2007 began and what he may be looking back upon twelve months later as 2008 begins. He is a convenient metaphor for short term history.

Many good and sincere resolves were made on New Year's Day 2007. Some were kept. Some were forgotten. Afterthought might say those ignored aims deserved oblivion, or that they are perhaps worthy of reconsideration. Janus accepts reruns!

Cinnamon Sugar Days

Before November slips away into the frenzy of December, it must be acknowledged that it has its own special beauty. The gorgeous gaudy hues of autumn have faded to shades of russet; bare black branches form traceries against the horizon, and the earth reveals its true and lovely contours. It is also the time when a first light powdery snowfall sprinkles down and creates a cinnamon sugar effect, hiding nothing: the enhancement of November.

November 1, 2007

This poem by Dixie Willson is a favorite one.

The Mist and All

I like the fall,
The mist and all.
I like the night owl's
Lonely call --
And wailing sound
Of wind around.

I like the gray
November day,
And bare dead boughs
That coldly sway
Against my pane.
I like the rain.

I like to sit
And laugh at it --
And tend
My cozy fire a bit.
I like the fall --
The mist and all.

Dixie Willson

Personal note: this poem is one I wish I had written.