Monday it rained. Tuesday it rained. I love the rain. I remember, as a boy, playing in the mini-torrent that used to flow by our home when it rained. My Father would take off his shoes and socks and play with us. Later in life I used to caddy on week-ends and all week long in the Summer. Rain meant no caddying and a day spent reading. After high school I had a job delivering free samples door to door. Rain meant a day relaxing and reading. Much later I had jobs roofing and painting. Rain meant a day at Bill Ash's in Revere, drinking beer with all of the other roofers and painters. Then I got a job driving a taxi, probably the best job I have ever had. Rain meant an increase in resources. Rain is an important part of one of my two favorite poems. They are both from "The Child's Garden of Verses". With all of the poetry I have enjoyed it is strange that those are the two I most treasure. I am not sure that I remember them correctly but here goes:
Rain on the street Rain on the sea Rain on the trees Rain on me
The second has to be read with the rhythm of a swing. That is what is most memorable to me
Oh how I love to go up in a swing Up in the sky so blue Oh I do think it's the pleasantest thing That ever a child can do
I have listened to Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg read their poetry but I have never so felt the importance of the rhythm as this poem has. I wonder if Whitman had rhythm? I also remember hearing the author read "Provide, Provide" and the awesome implications of that poem washing over me. Poetry, something you don't hear much about in these days of laser guided bombs and terrorism and financial chaos and civil war and religious war and AIDS and Ebola and floods and earthquakes and VOTE FOR ME! Poetry, there was a time among the fierce Vikings when, if a warrior couldn't recite poetry, he was considered to be inferior. Among the Samurai the warrior also had to compose the poem. Among the Picts of Ireland, if a warrior couldn't sing a poem, he was considered to be inferior. Patrick changed all of that. After Patrick all that a warrior needed was a cross and a sword. The human race has come a long way. That phrase neither rhymes nor makes sense. Oh how I love to go up in a swing!
I wanted to tell you that I hardly ever visit Hannah's Haven blog- I mostly spend time at IN THE GARDEN... so I just saw your two comments. Thanks. Sorry I didn't respond before....
Ey, I just posted with the same title, same weather going on here, and it's really nice in that sort of down shift into a mild but pleasant depressive mode- I did have to stop my kids from chasing each other with ACTUAL STEAK KNIVES, however(pirate movie). I am blessed with dogs that don't enjoy bad weather-remember how Bruno would only walk under the awnings downtown? These guys just look out the door and resolve to "hold it" until the weather clears. I love these big storms, as long as we don't lose power, even though that gives me an excuse to sleep with the kids in one big pile, so they don't get scared. I remember the first poem, but with ants instead of rain,minus the sea. Hey, what do you know about Sawney Bean? Shaun and I wathced part of Sweeney Todd and I looked up a bunch of stuff but couldn't gather whether this was an actual event, and wondered what you knew about it...yucky, I know, but also creepily fascinating...
6 comments:
Monday it rained. Tuesday it rained. I love the rain. I remember, as a boy, playing in the mini-torrent that used to flow by our home when it rained. My Father would take off his shoes and socks and play with us. Later in life I used to caddy on week-ends and all week long in the Summer. Rain meant no caddying and a day spent reading. After high school I had a job delivering free samples door to door. Rain meant a day relaxing and reading. Much later I had jobs roofing and painting. Rain meant a day at Bill Ash's in Revere, drinking beer with all of the other roofers and painters. Then I got a job driving a taxi, probably the best job I have ever had. Rain meant an increase in resources.
Rain is an important part of one of my two favorite poems. They are both from "The Child's Garden of Verses". With all of the poetry I have enjoyed it is strange that those are the two I most treasure. I am not sure that I remember them correctly but here goes:
Rain on the street
Rain on the sea
Rain on the trees
Rain on me
The second has to be read with the rhythm of a swing. That is what is most memorable to me
Oh how I love to go up in a swing
Up in the sky so blue
Oh I do think it's the pleasantest thing
That ever a child can do
I have listened to Robert Frost and Carl Sandburg read their poetry but I have never so felt the importance of the rhythm as this poem has. I wonder if Whitman had rhythm?
I also remember hearing the author read "Provide, Provide" and the awesome implications of that poem washing over me. Poetry, something you don't hear much about in these days of laser guided bombs and terrorism and financial chaos and civil war and religious war and AIDS and Ebola and floods and earthquakes and VOTE FOR ME! Poetry, there was a time among the fierce Vikings when, if a warrior couldn't recite poetry, he was considered to be inferior. Among the Samurai the warrior also had to compose the poem. Among the Picts of Ireland, if a warrior couldn't sing a poem, he was considered to be inferior. Patrick changed all of that. After Patrick all that a warrior needed was a cross and a sword.
The human race has come a long way. That phrase neither rhymes nor makes sense.
Oh how I love to go up in a swing!
reminds me of a song from the late 70's....
If you like pina colada; getting caught in the rain....
if you're not into yoga; if you have half a brain....
shall I add a line of my own?
If you like reciting poetry at midnight; in the dunes of the cape...
Come sit with me on a porch swing; lets read and escape...
only kidding. I love the rain too- and I am there with you about poetry. I find little poems at the library for the kids and make posters for them.
It's my opinion that poetry keeps scizophrenia a way- I'll let you know if it really works :)
I wanted to tell you that I hardly ever visit Hannah's Haven blog- I mostly spend time at IN THE GARDEN... so I just saw your two comments. Thanks. Sorry I didn't respond before....
no apologies are needed- RANT AWAY
HA it is good for the soul- better than bloodletting for getting rid of toxins
(so I tell myself because I am always ranting.)
I just wanted you to know where I was spending most of my reading in case I missed anymore of your comments....
Love the way you made your blog- wish I thought of it first.
Ey, I just posted with the same title, same weather going on here, and it's really nice in that sort of down shift into a mild but pleasant depressive mode- I did have to stop my kids from chasing each other with ACTUAL STEAK KNIVES, however(pirate movie). I am blessed with dogs that don't enjoy bad weather-remember how Bruno would only walk under the awnings downtown? These guys just look out the door and resolve to "hold it" until the weather clears. I love these big storms, as long as we don't lose power, even though that gives me an excuse to sleep with the kids in one big pile, so they don't get scared. I remember the first poem, but with ants instead of rain,minus the sea. Hey, what do you know about Sawney Bean? Shaun and I wathced part of Sweeney Todd and I looked up a bunch of stuff but couldn't gather whether this was an actual event, and wondered what you knew about it...yucky, I know, but also creepily fascinating...
do you have any recommendations for a fertizling plum?
the one we bought was supposed to be a red sweet plum.
Last year when we got about 25 plums for the first time after 7 years of it being here...
THEY WERE GOLDEN.
good, but golden. Never heard of golden plums until last year.
The pear is supposed to be a self fertilizer and this is our first year with it. Should I plant another just in case?
Normally we would wait- but the cost of things here is getting crazy so I'd like to see more fruit on these trees.....
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