Poem for Sunday and Hanover Afternoon

Upon The Horse And His Rider
By John Bunyan

There's one rides very sagely on the road,
Showing that he affects the gravest mode.
Another rides tantivy, or full trot,
To show much gravity he matters not.
Lo, here comes one amain, he rides full speed,
Hedge, ditch, nor miry bog, he doth not heed.
One claws it up-hill without stop or check,
Another down as if he'd break his neck.
Now every horse has his especial guider;
Then by his going you may know the rider.

Now let us turn our horse into a man,
His rider to a spirit, if we can.
Then let us, by the methods of the guider,
Tell every horse how he should know his rider.

Some go, as men, direct in a right way,
Nor are they suffered to go astray;
As with a bridle they are governed,
And kept from paths which lead unto the dead.
Now this good man has his especial guider,
Then by his going let him know his rider.

Some go as if they did not greatly care,
Whether of heaven or hell they should be heir.
The rein, it seems, is laid upon their neck,
They seem to go their way without a check.
Now this man too has his especial guider,
And by his going he may know his rider.

Some again run as if resolved to die,
Body and soul, to all eternity.
Good counsel they by no means can abide;
They'll have their course whatever them betide.
Now these poor men have their especial guider,
Were they not fools they soon might know their rider.

There's one makes head against all godliness,
Those too, that do profess it, he'll distress;
He'll taunt and flout if goodness doth appear,
And at its countenancers mock and jeer.
Now this man, too, has his especial guider,
And by his going he might know his rider.

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We spent Saturday in Hanover with Paul's parents, taking them out to lunch to celebrate his father's 80th birthday which is in two days. We went to the Hibachi Buffet, where we often eat with them, and the waitresses brought Clair a "cake" with a candle made mostly of non-dairy whipped cream so he wouldn't have to worry about lactose. Then we went to Hanover Shoe Farms to see the foals (and the black cat who always greets us when we arrive). Most of the mares are still pregnant and were out in the fields frolicking, though it was pretty chilly!

We skyped our kids and our niece Noelle, who just had a baby, so we got to see the little one (who slept like an angel for the whole call, though apparently as a preemie she has digestive issues and can really scream). Then we drove home under a pretty sunset past fields of horses and cows. We watched Eva Doesn't Sleep, a movie about Eva Peron's corpse, which was excellent, creepy, and more political than I was expecting. Then we watched Evita because I was in the mood (really I was since seeing Jonathan Pryce at the Oscars) and of course it was awesome!