Poem for Monday

Sonnet CXXX
By William Shakespeare

My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damask'd, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound.
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground:
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.

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Another from Poet's Choice in Sunday's Washington Post Book World. "William Shakespeare, like his model Philip Sidney...lets his impatience with standard language suggest a high standard for both courtship and poetry," writes Robert Pinsky. "Both poets also like the refreshing simplicity of words such as 'shiny' for the sea and 'go' for how a goddess moves."

Slept late after not sleeping much at all in the early hours of the night; I still have a raging sore throat, which seems ridiculous in July, but if it had to happen I am just glad it's now and not in two weeks when we're going to the beach. Spent the late morning answering comments and jotting down ideas that range from crack to complete and utter crack, then gathered up the kids and went to Brookside Gardens at Wheaton Regional Park, which was having its annual butterfly show, Wings of Fancy, in the greenhouse.


A Red Cracker (don't ask me why they're called that when they have no red, I'm just going by the chart) tastes a peach at the butterfly display.


I believe this beauty is a White Peacock...


...while this is either a monarch or its imitator, a viceroy...


...and this is a zebra longwing.


One of the lovely things about the exhibit is that butterflies and children actually mix quite well.


It's quite easy to find oneself with a Grecian Shoemaker on one's sleeve (this is me, photo taken by my husband)...


...or a Zebra Mosaic on one's shorts (this is older son)...


...or, if one is very fortunate, flapping wings in one's ear (this is a complete stranger, as is the little girl in the top photo, and I cannot positively identify either butterfly either).

And other than a visit to Rodman's for some necessary food items like P&G Tips, that was my excitement for the day. Though I'm sure I had something else to say, but have spent all evening under the influence of Very Evil People and have forgotten. *smooches Very Evil People in gleeful delight* Tomorrow I must catch up on Star Trek gossip ("Leonard Nimoy says absolutely nothing at convention!") and e-mail with relatives...apparently my cousin took offense at my non-absolute adoration of DH. Hopefully by dawn the Nyquil will have worked and I will be able to breathe and swallow normally again!