Monday, December 13, 2010

Poem for Monday and Merlin Birthday Card

Merlin
By Edwin Muir


O Merlin in your crystal cave
Deep in the diamond of the day,
Will there ever be a singer
Whose music will smooth away
The furrow drawn by Adam's finger
Across the memory and the wave?
Or a runner who'll outrun
Man's long shadow driving on,
Break through the gate of memory
And hang the apple on the tree?
Will your magic ever show
The sleeping bride shut in her bower,
The day wreathed in its mound of snow
and Time locked in his tower?

--------

It was a very dark, rainy, cold day from dawn till dusk with reports of icy weather coming in the late hours, so although we had thought about driving to Richmond for Agecroft Hall's holiday festivities, we ended up staying closer to home. After Adam got back from volunteering at Hebrew school and walking the neighbor's dogs, we went to the Great Falls Studios holiday show, where several local artisans display their paintings, photos, pottery, cards, jewelry, quilts, and other crafts, though another incentive to visit was that Jody Marshall was playing carols on the hammered dulcimer for a couple of hours in the afternoon. We had to get home so Adam could go with my parents to the synagogue, where the photographer had asked if he'd like to take photos at a concert of Russian Jewish music.

Meanwhile, after watching the disastrous conclusion of the Redskins game, Paul, Daniel, and I went to Barnes & Noble and Target so I could play with the Nook and Kindle respectively. I think I pretty definitively want the Kindle, though after fiddling with the color Nook, I am having tablet envy...yet ironically I DON'T want a tablet to read books, since I don't want a backlit screen for that, so no color Nook -- I just want the mobile internet with a really good browser on something easier to carry than my laptop, with a larger screen than my phone, and I want 3G access in places where I can't get WiFi. Paul decided to make chicken cordon bleu for dinner, which is excellent with fake chicken and veggie ham plus South Mountain Creamery Muenster, and we had leftover birthday cake. Now I am bummed Dallas did not beat the Eagles and hoping that the Giants can beat Minnesota tomorrow night in Detroit since the poor Metrodome appears to have suffered a season-ending injury. I guess I shouldn't complain about the weather here!

Below is my birthday card from Paul -- a bit anachronistic for Merlin, but when has being historically correct ever mattered on that show? Hee!



No comments: