Poets on Trees

 

Still on our Earth Day theme:

Poet Joyce Kilmer famously wrote, “I think that I shall never see a poem lovely as a tree.”  Odgen Nash rejoines here.

Please keep in mind our program on Farms and Foods of Ohio tonight at 7:30, here at the Library.  Learn how to find the freshest foods close to home and get tips for cooking it in the most delicious way from author and cook Marilou Suszko.

Pied Beauty

I think of this as an Earth Day poem:

Pied Beauty

GLORY be to God for dappled things—

For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow;

For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim;

Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings;

Landscape plotted and pieced—fold, fallow, and plough;

And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim.

All things counter, original, spare, strange;

Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?)

With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim;

He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change:

Praise him.

Be sure to check out our Earth Day display of books on the Avenue in the Library and tomorrow night (Wednesday, April 23) at 7:30, come hear local author and culinary instructor Marilou Suszko tell us about her new book, Farms and Foods of Ohio, and the wonderful fresh food to be found right here in our bountiful state. Marilou shares her many marvelous stories of farms, farmers and good, wholesome food. She’ll tell us where and how to find the best local food, and give us great ideas about preparing it. Eat local, read local! Of course, we’ve got this book in our collection for you to check out.

HIP HOP Stars

    

    Check out those budding HIP HOP stars!  All eyes were on Miss Jackie as she taught eager young teens HIP HOP on Sunday afternoon.  Laughs, giggles, moans and groans accompanied the many intricate moves.  Shouts of “I did it!” were cheered by the HIP HOPPERS during their practice session. 

Pope Benedict XVI…Post United States Visit

 

 

Explore the life of Pope Benedict XVI after his historic U.S. visit with the following library resources:

 

From John Paul II to Benedict XVI                       Mary Ann Walsh                  2005

 

God’s Choice: Pope Benedict XVI                        George Weigel                     2005

 

Jesus of Nazareth: from the Baptism                   Pope Benedict XVI              2007

in the Jordan to the Transfiguration

 

Pope Benedict XVI: a personal portrait    Heinz-Joachim Fischer                  2005

 

Pope Benedict XVI: his life and his mission      Stephen, Mansfield             2005

 

The Rule of Benedict: Pope Benedict XVI          David Gibson                        2007

and his battle with the modern world

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

 

When I asked Library staff members to share their favorite poems, I got submissions from two Robert Frost fans. Perhaps that shouldn’t be surprising; he is one of the truly quintessentially American poets. This poem was written in 1922 and first published in 1923. Do you remember this poem from school?

 

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound’s the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

somewhere i have never traveled, gladly beyond

 

Another love poem today!  Cheryl Paganelli,  Assistant Cataloger, contributes this incredibly lovely poem by e.e. cummings:  somewhere i have never traveled, gladly beyond .  Can’t you just feel the poet’s love for his beloved?

Cheryl reads widely and enthusiastically and can almost always recommend a good book to suit your taste.  She has a good ear for poetry too.

Eric

 

Today’s poem was written by Alina Wirtz, eighth grade daughter of Simona Wirtz, Associate Librarian in our Children’s Department.

 

Eric

Two bright sapphires underneath two honeysuckle eyebrows,

Hair kissed by the sun and combed by a storm.

A heart of fire, yet a soul as peaceful as a dove.

Ears as porous as a sponge, yet attentive enough to hear the ice cream truck.

 

 

A love as pure as just fallen snow, gentle and soft.

A spirit as free as the wind.

An imagination as colorful as a sunset and as wild as the jungle.

A brave lion, yet somewhere, a timid mouse sneaking to nibble on the joys of life.

 

 

A mind full to the brim, excited to overflow with knowledge.

A smile as warm as a summer afternoon, and as sweet as the lollypops he loves.

His eyes twinkle like stars when surrounded by friends and family.

 

 

The smallest of four will soon touch the branches of a sycamore tree.

Salvaging for memories of pleasure and exhilaration, locked up for safe-keeping.

Five of his cards have been tossed out of his deck, only to become kindling for the fire to come.

 

Alina’s an awfully good writer, isn’t she?  She wrote this poem about her little brother.  I hope she keeps writing! Alina attends St. Joseph’s School here in Avon Lake.

Joy and Sorrow

 

In our poem-a-day marathon for April, I missed yesterday.  40 lashes with a wet noodle for me and two poems today for you.

 

The first comes from Adult Services librarian Deb Switzer.  Deb is creative enough to spout original poetry at the Reference desk while selecting materials and running statistic reports.  Don’t be alarmed at this poem.  Deb was having a bit of a stressful day, but she really is just fine. Her good sense of humor seems to bring her through just about everything.

Half Asleep

half asleep

 

half awake

 

in the water

 

drowning.

 

Today’s second poem comes from Lebanese-American poet Kahlil Gibran, most famous for his book The Prophet.  HIs cousin, the American born artist and inventor of the same name, died just a few days ago in Brooklyn, NY. This poem, from The Prophet, was published in 1923, just out of the reach of copyright.

 Joy and Sorrow

Then a woman said, “Speak to us of Joy and Sorrow.”

And he answered:

Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.

And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears.

And how else can it be?

The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.

Is not the cup that hold your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?

And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives?

When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.

When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.

Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.”

But I say unto you, they are inseparable.

Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed.

Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy.

Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced.

When the treasure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver, needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.

 

Reader, do you agree with Gibran?

MP3 Day at ALPL

Today, at ALPL, we put out our new Books on MP3-CD collection. They are on display together right now, and will be interfiled with the regular Books on CD when they get older. They are well-labelled.

What’s the big deal? MP3 vs. WAV means fewer discs, lower cost, less things to damage or lose. You can play them in any PC, any DVD player, most new vehicles’ in-dash CD players, most newer portable CD players — and from your PC you could transfer files to your portable device INCLUDING THE iPOD.

Yes, the iPOD.

So, you don’t have a portable MP3 player to enjoy downloadable material from Overdrive on? Or copy stuff from an MP3 CD to? Borrow one from us.

We have EIGHT players at the reference desk for you to check out for three weeks, with renewal if nobody is waiting. they are Creative ZEN STONE models. Each bag includes the player, a USB cable, instructions and an adapter to play through cassette decks.

Two Roads

 

Associate Librarian Sue Hurbanek remembers memorizing this poem while in school and still recalls it fondly.

 

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,

And sorry I could not travel both

And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could

To where it bent in the undergrowth;

 

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,

Because it was grassy and wanted wear;

Though as for that the passing there

Had worn them really about the same,

 

And both that morning equally lay

In leaves no step had trodden black.

Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,

I doubted if I should ever come back.

 

I shall be telling this with a sigh

Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -

I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Robert Frost wrote this poem in 1915, and readers have been debating its meaning ever since. Is this a hymn to individualism, a call to take the harder, virtuous path through life or was Frost merely ribbing an indecisive walking companion? Would the well-trod road have been a mistake or just different?

I envy Sue her experience of memorizing poetry for school.  It was out of fashion when I went through, and I think I missed something.  Those generations that memorized poetry have an internal soundtrack of beautiful words and inspiring thoughts.  My generation got advertising jingles.