Poem for Thursday

Turning of the Year
Adapted from Kenneth L. Patton
Revised by Jone Lewis

The days of the year have stiffened in ice, and darkness has grown upon the land.

The season of cold and early dusk is upon us.

The sun has retreated down the sky, the living green has forsaken the earth, and the leaves have fallen.

The flowers no longer bloom, and the birds have fled to the south.

We approach the shortened days with peace, for the ancient fear is no longer on our faces.

The heavy death upon the earth is no lasting peril, and the roots in the soil are only sleeping a long sleep.

We hold the turning of the year as a promise; and the renewing of life is our solid hope. The time of returning light is known, and we ready our homes for the celebration. The sun will climb the heavens again, and the darkness will be pushed back each day.

The months of snow will give way to the months of leaves, and petals will fall upon the earth.

The young will be brought from the womb, and the shoot will burst from the seed.

We will walk upon the greening grass, and our plowshares will divide the warming soil.

In the midst of winter the promise is given of the summer season, and in the midst of darkness there comes the assurance of light.

In the time of cold comes a messenger of warmth, and in the days of death there is heard the good news of life.

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Today was some Trek news, some reading, some answering phone calls (, we are doomed never to connect!) and quite a lot of writing, mostly for pleasure even though some of it is ostensibly to be printed/posted in various places. Didn't help much. I am phenomenally depressed at the moment (and it's nowhere near that time of the month, ). I almost didn't bother to post tonight but that seemed more drama-queeny than just ranting. *g* Also, every time I have five seconds of thinking I don't despise fandom anymore, something happens to remind me of just how much I do, and there isn't some specific flame war or personal conflict that set it off this time, and it's not fading nearly as quickly as it usually does. Don't hold your breath waiting for finished fic from me.

I want to say something about Sharon but I don't even know exactly what I think, so I think it's probably better if I wait. Michael Lerner of Tikkun has already practically written a eulogy starting with the very strange statement, "While we would never wish for the death of anyone, even our enemies, we might have hoped that people like the President of Iran, or Syrian dictator Assad, or even President Bush would be peacefully removed from office quickly. Yet the developments of recent months have made many peaceniks hope that Sharon would stay in office at least through the completion of the next half year." This seems to me to be not that far off from Ahmed Jibril of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, who called Sharon's stroke a gift from God. I can't process Lerner's starting a discussion of Sharon's recent peace efforts with this -- is it inane, or am I just not a good enough leftist Renewal movement Jew to get it? (Never mind, don't answer that, the last thing I want to do in my current state of mind is debate politics. I'm just babbling in print.)


Stained and blown glass at the Delaware Art Museum.







Tomorrow I see the gastroenterologist and find out whether I'm allowed to have Indian food yet. Am waiting for the Rose Bowl to be over; I no longer really care who wins. *g*