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Joyce Kilmer – 13 May 2009
Joyce Kilmer (1886–1918) was an American poet and journalist who is
remembered principally for his poem “Trees.” He was killed in World
War I.
For today I’ve chosen this poem by Joyce Kilmer:
To a Blackbird and His Mate Who Died in the Spring
(For Kenton)
By Joyce Kilmer
(December 6, 1886 - July 30, 1918)
An iron hand has stilled the throats
That throbbed with loud and rhythmic glee
And dammed the flood of silver notes
That drenched the world in melody.
The blosmy apple boughs are yearning
For their wild choristers' returning,
But no swift wings flash through the tree.
Ye that were glad and fleet and strong,
Shall Silence take you in her net?
And shall Death quell that radiant song
Whose echo thrills the meadow yet?
Burst the frail web about you clinging
And charm Death’s cruel heart with singing
Till with strange tears his eyes are wet.
The scented morning of the year
Is old and stale now ye are gone.
No friendly songs the children hear
Among the bushes on the lawn.
When babies wander out a-Maying
Will ye, their bards, afar be straying?
Unhymned by you, what is the dawn?
Nay, since ye loved ye cannot die.
Above the stars is set your nest.
Through Heaven’s fields ye sing and fly
And in the trees of Heaven rest.
And little children in their dreaming
Shall see your soft black plumage gleaming
And smile, by your clear music blest.
For a large collection of poems and stories, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/poetrydir.html
Calcium – 12 May 2009
“There are many other sources of calcium besides the milk of
cows. Green vegetables contain ample amounts of calcium as do
grains, nuts, seeds, and many fruits and vegetables. My medical
experiences affirm that many health problems respond extremely
favorably after the removal of dairy products from the diet.”
– Michael A. Klaper, M.D.
American author and international lecturer
Vegan Nutrition: Pure and Simple
Isn’t it interesting that animals such as elephants, whose diets are
plant-based, have very large, strong bones? And isn’t it also
interesting that the dairy cows get all of their calcium from the plant
foods that they eat?
It’s time to stop believing the dairy industry’s myths about calcium.
To learn more about calcium, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/health/sub-ca.html
For health articles, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/health.html
For a large collection of quotations, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/quote.html
Fear-Mongering – 11 May 2009
With words like “terrorism,” “financial crisis,” and “swine flu” to
throw around, today’s world is a fear-monger’s dream (nightmare?)
come true.
The word “fear” is used 367 times in the New King James Version. In 2
Timothy 1:7 we find:
“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of
love and of a sound mind.”
The Amplified Bible’s version of this scripture (2 Timothy 1:7) is:
“For God did not give us a spirit of timidity – of cowardice, of
craven and cringing and fawning fear – but [He has given us a
spirit] of power and of love and of calm and well-balanced mind and
discipline and self-control.”
I think it’s obvious that the fear-mongers are motivated by a spirit
that is not of God.
To read my “Fear Makes the World Go ’Round” series, please visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20070225.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20070226.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20070301.html
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20070302.html
Mother’s Day – 10 May 2009
It’s a shame that so few people make the connection between
Mother’s Day and kindness toward all mothers and their offspring.
Instead, humans become complicit in the torture of nonhuman animals
whose body parts and secretions are used as dinners to honor their
own mothers. They don’t even want to face the fact that they are
contributing to the promotion of illnesses such as cancer, diabetes,
heart disease, etc. in these women that they claim to love.
Please read my Blog “A Holiday for ALL Mothers”:
http://www.all-creatures.org/heart/blog-20080511.html
Thomas Hood – 9 May 2009
Thomas Hood (1799–1845) was an English poet and humorist born in
London. At sixteen he began writing for local newspapers and
magazines. Later he became the editor of several periodicals in
which he published many of his own poems. He is quoted as saying,
“So I may earn my livelihood I have to be a lively Hood.”
May
Thomas Hood (1799–1845)
Tis like the birthday of the world,
When earth was born in bloom;
The light is made of many dyes,
The air is all perfume;
There's crimson buds, and white and blue,
The very rainbow showers
Have turned to blossoms where they fell,
And sown the earth with flowers.
For a large collection of poems and stories, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/poetrydir.html
Fish – 8 May 2009
“I know a lot of people are on a continuum, evolving their diet
from red meat to chicken, to fish, and to dairy products – finally
evolving to a vegan diet, completely free of animal products. If you
are on this continuum – if you are moving towards a pure vegetarian
diet, I urge you not to linger in ‘chicken-and-fish land’ too long.
Besides having large amounts of concentrated protein, which can
leach calcium from the bones, today’s fish is by far the most
polluted of all the flesh foods. Fish flesh regularly contains toxic
chemical pollutants known to cause cancer, kidney failure, nerve
damage and birth defects. For this reason, I really feel that fish
does not offer much at all in the way of a health food, and if it’s
the last vestige of animal products remaining in your diet, have no
compunction about letting it swim off your plate altogether.”
– Michael A. Klaper, M.D.
American author and international lecturer
Vegan Nutrition: Pure and Simple
For health articles, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/health.html
For great-tasting recipes, photos, and information, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/recipes.html
For a large collection of quotations, visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/quote.html
Four Mile Point Preserve – 7 May 2009
Recently we hiked through Four Mile Point Preserve located in
Coxsackie, New York, which is a short distance from our home. Even
though we’ve lived here nearly thirty years, we had never been to
this nature preserve on the Hudson River. So, on April 30th we
decided to take a look at it and we were so pleased with what we
saw, that we visited it again on May 4th.
Take a look at some of the photos we took on our first hike through
Four Mile Point Preserve, and be sure to check back as we have more
photos yet to be published:
http://www.all-creatures.org/pice/fmpp.html
For more photos of other nature walks and excursions we’ve taken,
including Block Island, Rhode Island and Crabtree Falls in Virginia,
visit:
http://www.all-creatures.org/pice/index.html
