I noticed today the loosely wrinkled skin On legs and arms, no defect, no disease But simply signs of time, the body's decrease Of power and of repair as these begin The ultimate indications of old age. ~ A.D. Hope ("Memento Mori" via Australian Poetry Library) I return again to memento mori, not to wax morose or moribund but to remind myself to laugh and dance and take nervous risks and strain ...
Midlife Blog
Absurd
"Credo quia absurdum est." Translated, roughly: I believe it because it's absurd... A throwaway. But a throwaway that resonates, right? Seems to me that this oft cited gem might be relevant to another oft cited crutch: the midlife crisis. It's absurd enough to believe, but I'm holding my course. Beware the midlife leap! ...
Small Press
A press. A small press. For grapes and wine. For apples and hard, tart cider. But this diminutive hand-me-down is not the only small press that I have been considering lately. I believe that it is the right time for a pair of small presses. Companions. I can hardly imagine what spirited offspring they might conceive! ...
Mind Over Matter
"Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter." ~ Mark Twain I first shared this lighthearted (if somewhat cavalier) quip from Mark Twain just over a year ago titled, Mind Over Matter. It seemed the obvious pull-title at the time, but I've wondered since if I was too glib, as if I were trying to one-up Samuel Clemens. [pullquote]Insurance reductions. Movie ticket ...
Memento Mori by Billy Collins
It's time I return to the topic of memento mori, no? Billy Collins has [at least] twice taken up the "Memento Mori" title/topic. "There is no need for me to keep a skull on my desk, to stand with one foot up on the ruins of Rome, or wear a locket with the sliver of a saint’s bone. It is enough to realize that every common object in this sunny little room will outlive me– the carpet, ...
Desiderata
Desiderata Early mornings Velvet winter Sunny slopes Playful bride Ample walkabout Precocious spring Fertile flow Sumptuous sunrise Eternal cyclabouts Taffy byways Kinful summer Robust gardens Languid waters Vibrant autumn Scudding seas Concluded stories (Source: "Desiderata", 40x41: Midlife Crisis Postponed) ...