Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

London Snow

When men were all asleep the snow came flying,
In large white flakes falling on the city brown,
Stealthily and perpetually settling and loosely lying,
Hushing the latest traffic of the drowsy town;
Deadening, muffling, stifling its murmurs failing;
Lazily and incessantly floating down and down:
Silently sifting and veiling road, roof and railing;
Hiding difference, making unevenness even,
Into angles and crevices softly drifting and sailing.

Savor the rest of the poem by Robert Bridges at the Poetry Foundation.

Leaf's Lament

The Leaf's Lament
by Andrew Fusek Peters

Said the leaf to the sky,
I would learn to how to fly,
But I'm shaking like a leaf do I dare?

Listen to a recording and read more
here.

Graduation Day

Congratulations to all those wearing a Harry Potter like cloak, may you receive one of these books to help you on your journey:

for inspiration along the way,

Oh, the Places You'll Go by Dr. Seuss
The North Star by Peter H. Reynolds
Dream by Susan V. Bosak

or escapism if not yet decided on the road to take,

Delaying the Real World by Colleen Kinder
Vagabonding by Rolf Potts

or a little practical advice,

How to Survive the Real World edited by Andrea Syrtash
Good to Go by Kim Zarzour and Sharon E. McKay

and a poem to tuck into your pocket,

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,

Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch;

If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;

If all men count with you, but none too much;

If you can fill the unforgiving minute

With sixty seconds' worth of distance run--

Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,

And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

Read the rest of Rudyard Kipling's inspirational poem here and enjoy Harvey Keitel reading.

Till all the Stars Have Fallen

Vikki recommends one of our favorite gifts! From Kids Can Press, a rich collection of Canadian poetry compiled by David Booth and illustrated by Govenor General's Award winning illustrator, Kady MacDonald Denton. Kady created our very own dragon that graces these pages. You can read an interview with Kady by Library and Archives Canada here.

Full Moon Over The Flying Dragon

In honor of Guy Gavriel Kay coming to the store in May to celebrate the launch of his new book Under Heaven 

I've selected a poem by Li Bai 

Alone and Drinking Under the Moon

Amongst the flowers I

am alone with my pot of wine

drinking by myself; then lifting

my cup I asked the moon

to drink with me, its reflection

and mine in the wine cup, just

the three of us; then I sigh

for the moon cannot drink,

and my shadow goes emptily along

with me never saying a word;

with no other friends here, I can 

but use these two for company;

in the time of happiness, I 

too must be happy with all

around me; I sit and sing

and it is as if the moon

accompanies me; then if I

dance, it is my shadow that

dances along with me; while 

still not drunk, I am glad 

to make the moon and my shadow

into friends, but then when

I have drunk too much, we

all part; yet these are 

friends I can always count on

these who have no emotion

whatsoever; I hope that one day

we three will meet again,

deep in the Milky Way. 

(poem from Poet Seers)

As I walked the dog around the courtyard on this evening of the full moon, I remembered another poem by an Australian writer, Judith Wright, that is included in Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection  selected by Michael Rosen with pictures by Paul Howard 

Full Moon Rhyme

There's a hare in the moon tonight,

crouching alone in the bright buttercup field of the moon;

and all the dogs in the world

howl at the hare in the moon.

(read the rest here and then buy the book here or there)

Over at Terri Windling's Drawing Board she has reminded me that we are close to Beltane , it brings to mind the haunting music, Huron 'Beltane' Fire Dance, by Lorenna McKennitt and the novel, Ysabel , by Guy Gavriel Kay that takes place at Beltane.

Etcetera

Make a cup of tea and settle down to enjoy Nancy Pearl 

interviewing Guy Gavriel Kay. - Cath