Today I would like to celebrate Memorial Day by posting a couple of poems by Walt Whitman, long considered one of America’s foremost poets. The following poem," O Captain! My Captain!", was written contemporarily to memorialize the death of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. I think it is a fitting poem for Memorial Day in commemoration … Continue reading O Captain! My Captain!
Category: Poetry
Behind His Father’s Saying
Spring
Although fall is my favorite season, spring is none too shabby itself. In fact, when we are blessed with the generous rains we often are in spring, Central Texas explodes into lush greens and bursts into wild blues, yellows, reds, whites, and pinks along roadsides, parks, and throughout pastures. It is a glorious time of … Continue reading Spring
Alone
There are those times in our lives when the crushing throngs around us become too much to deal with, and we seek the calm of solitude or the society of a select few. One need not be a misanthrope to desire the quiet and still, the company of “old dogs and watermelon wine,’ or the … Continue reading Alone
Opening Doors
Not knowing when the Dawn will come, I open every Door, Or has it Feathers, like a Bird, Or billows, like a Shore— Emily Dickinson I It is a blessing to be associated with the Iota Upsilon Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma International, a group of supportive and talented women educators, active and retired, who … Continue reading Opening Doors
Literary Texas: Robert E. Howard, Part 2
The home of Dr. and Mrs. Howard and their son Robert. Robert Ervin Howard--creator of Conan the Barbarian and the Sword and Sorcery genre of fiction, a prolific writer of pulp fantasy, speculative fiction, extreme sport fiction, westerns, and other heroic narratives--also wrote poetry. It will likely surprise no one, therefore, that much of that … Continue reading Literary Texas: Robert E. Howard, Part 2
Exhortation of the Dawn
Happy Groundhog’s Day! It is always a special day for me. My parents were married on Ground Hog’s Day. I used to tease them about such a romantic choice for the occasion. I suppose Valentine’s Day was out of the question. To each couple their own, I suppose. I decided to take a brief break … Continue reading Exhortation of the Dawn
New Year’s Eve
The Passing of the Year by Robert W. Service My glass is filled, my pipe is lit, My den is all a cosy glow; And snug before the fire I sit, And wait to feel the old year go. I dedicate to solemn thought Amid my too-unthinking days, This sober moment, sadly fraught With much … Continue reading New Year’s Eve
Welcoming Winter
This week, Christmas week, is supposed to be a cold one. So—winter is here. I am one of those hot-natured people who look forward to winter, when I don’t have to drive in ice or work outside for long periods. I adore the coziness of soups simmering on the stove, bread and cookies baking in … Continue reading Welcoming Winter
The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Many of us of a certain age become nostalgic this time of year. For me, “the most wonderful time of year” is not a cliché we easily attach to the month of December. It is truth. Yes, sometimes memories swirling around in the chill winds at Christmastime can be as difficult as they are sweet, … Continue reading The Most Wonderful Time of the Year
Over the River for Thanksgiving
Being a Texas girl, I remember how surprised I was to learn (at a not so tender age) that the long-time favorite “Over the River and Through the Wood” was a Thanksgiving song and, to make matters worse, that snowy old sleigh in the song was originally going to Grandfather’s house. With lines such as … Continue reading Over the River for Thanksgiving
Story Mill Ranch 