Blog - Joyful Curmudgeon - Blog
A Mary T. Hoffman Commentary from All-Creatures.org

 

"Joyful Curmudgeon" An oxymoron?
No! I see all the beauty of God's creation and I'm joyful.  At the same time, I see all the suffering and corruption going on in the world, and feel called to help expose and end it so that we may have true peace and compassion.

 

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Summer – 21 June 2006
By Mary T. Hoffman

Since today is the first day of summer, I’ve chosen a couple of appropriate poems for the season. The first one, by Robert Herrick, is a lament for the passing of the daffodils and spring; the second, by Christina Rossetti, a welcome to summer. As an afterthought, I’ve decided to add a third – something I dashed off today.

To Daffodils
By Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

Fair daffodils, we weep to see
You haste away so soon;
As yet the early-rising Sun
Has not attain’d his noon.
Stay, stay Until the hasting day
Has run But to the even-song;
And, having pray’d together, we
Will go with you along.

We have short time to stay, as you,
We have as short a Spring;
As quick a growth to meet decay
As you, or any thing. We die,
As your hours do, and dry
Away Like to the Summer’s rain;
Or as the pearls of morning’s dew,
Ne’er to be found again.

Summer
By Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)

Winter is cold-hearted,
Spring is yea and nay,
Autumn is a weathercock
Blown every way.
Summer days for me
When every leaf is on its tree;

When Robin’s not a beggar,
And Jenny Wren’s a bride,
And larks hang singing, singing, singing
Over the wheat-fields wide,
And anchored lilies ride,
And the pendulum spider
Swings from side to side;

And blue-black beetles transact business,
And gnats fly in a host,
And furry caterpillars hasten
That no time be lost
And moths grow fat and thrive,
And ladybirds arrive

Before green apples blush,
Before green nuts embrown,
Why one day in the country
Is worth a month in town;
Is worth a day and a year
Of the dusty, musty, lag-last fashion
That days drone elsewhere.

For These Reasons
By Mary T. Hoffman (Written 21 June 2006)

Some people think
That Summer’s heat
Is really neat.

Though Spring is gone,
I have no choice
But to rejoice.

Soon Fall will come
With colors bright –
O, what a sight!

Then solemn
Winter’s Ice and snow;
Cold winds blow.

Once more to Spring –
For these reasons
I welcome Seasons.

For more poems and stories, see:
http://www.all-creatures.org/poetrydir.html

Go on to: Cancer – 22 June 2006
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