Poem for Sunday

The Sloth
By Theodore Roethke

In moving-slow he has no Peer.
You ask him something in his ear;
He thinks about it for a Year;

And, then, before he says a Word
There, upside down (unlike a Bird)
He will assume that you have Heard --

A most Ex-as-per-at-ing Lug.
But should you call his manner Smug,
He'll sigh and give his Branch a Hug;

Then off again to Sleep he goes,
Still swaying gently by his Toes,
And you just know he knows he knows.

--------

From Poet's Choice in The Washington Post Book World. "Eminent poets sometimes write poems to please children," writes Robert Pinsky. "Theodore Roethke (1908-1963) succeeded, with poems that are short, funny, well-rhymed and respectful of the reader's intelligence."

Our original plan for the day was to do some chores, then leave the kids with my parents for 24 hours so Paul and I could go out to dinner and a concert, then downtown on Sunday to museums, but my father has a bad cold and since Adam goes to outdoor ed next week, we all decided that we really didn't want to risk him being sick, so we just let my mother take the kids out to dinner and are back home with them now. Earlier we took them to Target to get detergent, a micro-umbrella and hiking shoes for younger son to wear at outdoor ed. We also stopped in Bath & Body Works (which has those pretty velour bags filled with Velvet Tuberose products at 50% off, whoo!) and took a walk around the lake at Washingtonian Center, which had both a Humane Society adoption truck and a Santa Claus visiting in the square by the lake:


Santa Claus waves in between visits with children at the shopping center. The Humane Society is behind the tree introducing dogs to prospective adopters.


Seagulls stood on the ice in the frozen parts of the lake...


...while the geese occupied the shore.


The Canada and domestic geese appeared to be having territorial quarrels, even though some of them grew up in the same families.


Instruments and music belonging to Jennifer Cutting, Lisa Moscatiello, Grace Griffith, Rosie Shipley and Bob Mitchell.

That last photo is from the Ocean Quintet's Winter Light concert at Herndon's Industrial Strength Theatre, taken before the musicians came out to perform -- despite being sold out, it was an intimate concert and I didn't try to take any photos during it. Jennifer wrote a bunch of songs for the season, including the title "Winter Light" song in which the singers, holding electric candles, paid tribute to Moses, Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha, Brighid and various other light- and inspiration-bringing religious leaders (Jennifer apologized for not knowing any Celtic Chanukah songs given the date). They also did a sing-along wassailing song and another song by Jennifer about bah-humbugs of the season set to Gilbert and Sullivan, but I can't say any more about that, as we all agreed that what happens at the Industrial Strength Theatre stays at the Industrial Strength Theatre. *g*

And we had wonderful Thai, Afghan and Middle Eastern food at A Taste of the World, and stopped in Crystalis to look at crystals, beads and Tarot decks, so it was a lovely evening. Dementor Delta, thank you for my holiday card! Sunday if the weather cooperates we are dragging our kids downtown with us to art museums. Wish us and Asher B. Durand luck.