Shall we sit here and share a cup of tea?
For we have so much to discuss!
There's few things are more comforting to me
Than one full pot of tea and us.
Wednesday, September 19, 2018
Monday, April 2, 2018
April
Another new month we welcome in,
Pleased at warm weather and winter’s end.
Right bitter the month of March did prove.
If the last month our missing snows did send,
Let this bring forth our Springtime without end.
Pleased at warm weather and winter’s end.
Right bitter the month of March did prove.
If the last month our missing snows did send,
Let this bring forth our Springtime without end.
Sunday, April 1, 2018
Resurrection Day
“He is not here!” quoth the angel.
“Jesus thy Lord is alive!
“Mind ye well that which He told thee:
“Ne death nor grave shall survive!”
Recall’d they then the Saviour’s words:
“Crucified by sinners, yet
The third day shall He rise again”—
With this Gospel were they met.
“Get thee gone to His disciples,”
Urg’d the angel, “and tell all:
“How that Jesus Christ is risen,
“To Peter His words recall.”
His life He gave upon the Tree:
Even the soldier did marvel.
In Joseph’s tomb did they lay him;
Sabbath approaching, they dispers’d.
Right early that Sunday morning,
Intent on anointing Him there,
Salome came, and the Marys.
Empty stood the tomb—the women were astounded—
‘Not here!’ cried the angel, ‘for death He’s confounded!’
“Jesus thy Lord is alive!
“Mind ye well that which He told thee:
“Ne death nor grave shall survive!”
Recall’d they then the Saviour’s words:
“Crucified by sinners, yet
The third day shall He rise again”—
With this Gospel were they met.
“Get thee gone to His disciples,”
Urg’d the angel, “and tell all:
“How that Jesus Christ is risen,
“To Peter His words recall.”
Then with joyous tread they left there,
Astonied at all they’d heard
And the empty grave they’d found there:
The fulfilling of His Word.
Astonied at all they’d heard
And the empty grave they’d found there:
The fulfilling of His Word.
His life He gave upon the Tree:
Even the soldier did marvel.
In Joseph’s tomb did they lay him;
Sabbath approaching, they dispers’d.
Right early that Sunday morning,
Intent on anointing Him there,
Salome came, and the Marys.
Empty stood the tomb—the women were astounded—
‘Not here!’ cried the angel, ‘for death He’s confounded!’
Wednesday, March 28, 2018
The Warriors' Oath
We are the Queen’s Greatest Warriors.
With our magical staves we keep evil at bay.
We clear our forest of the evil creatures—
We refuse them entry—
We foil their schemes of invasion.
They will never have our land.
It is our Queen’s and it is ours.
The invaders will never prevail,
Not whilst the Greatest Warriors yet live and breathe.
Such is our Oath.
Our Oath we keep for aye,
Else may our very lives answer for it.
Background:
Perhaps it was a last-ditch effort on our part to avoid growing up; I’m certain it was on mine. I was sixteen years old, my best friend three years my junior—both plenty old to be done with such things, but both plenty young and with just enough of rebellion between us to be in denial of the inevitable.
In any case, we invented for ourselves an imaginary kingdom—I say imaginary, but much of it actually existed. My house sat right on the edge of a woods, and by “woods” I do not mean a small clump of trees but a regular forest—endless trees everywhere, a lake, and all that. The woods made up the kingdom. As for the inhabitants, well—it is not difficult to find enemies in a woods in the heat of summer. Our enemies were the Reptilians—snakes, wasps, and any other biting or slithering or flying or stinging creature, all of which were already the bane of our outdoor existence. Later, we added the Carnivorous Beavers—there really were beavers on the lake, though we never actually saw them and they were probably not the least interested in consuming human flesh. These dreadful monsters were led by the most wicked of them all, Martilia—kindly played by my dog, Buddy, who would bark your ear off but never harm you.
As for our friends—there was a Queen, and her subjects—they were all invisible. We, the most prominent and faithful of her subjects, were named the Greatest Warriors and presented with staves with which to ward off the Reptilians and defend Arametheia—our ultimate mission, of course, being to finally overthrow Martilia and reclaim the lands he had stolen.
Of course, the real world always has a way of taking precedence over any imaginary, however beautiful and clever...
Monday, March 26, 2018
My Biggest Pretends
I have pretended to own a dragon;
I have pretended to own a horse.
I have pretended to be a dragon—
But only the nicest kind, of course.
I have pretended to be a Warrior;
I have pretended to wield Magic Staves.
I have pretended to be the Queen’s Warrior—
Kept at bay things that crept out of Caves.
I have pretended the Stories were real;
I have pretended to believe my Books.
I have pretended only the Stories were real—
The world is not as it seems or it looks.
I have pretended to own a horse.
I have pretended to be a dragon—
But only the nicest kind, of course.
I have pretended to be a Warrior;
I have pretended to wield Magic Staves.
I have pretended to be the Queen’s Warrior—
Kept at bay things that crept out of Caves.
I have pretended the Stories were real;
I have pretended to believe my Books.
I have pretended only the Stories were real—
The world is not as it seems or it looks.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
Four Wise Kittens
There once was a beautiful Lady Cat who had four kittens. When her kittens had grown old enough, she sent them out into the world to make their fortunes. “Go where you please and do what you will,” she told them; “but someday, I should like each of you to settle down with a family of Humans, as I have done. When you have done so, if it is possible, come visit me and tell me how you have fared with your families. Then I shall know whether I have raised wise children.”
Each kitten promised to do as she requested, for they loved their mother dearly and wished to please her. Having taken leave of their mother, the four young Cats went their several ways. The eldest was called Tom Augustus. Augustus decided that life in a large City should suit him best. He wandered on his own for a time, chasing mice and rats, hunting for scraps of food, and wondering up at the tall buildings. When he tired of this, he found himself a Human family as his mother had suggested. As soon as an opportune moment arose, he returned to visit his mother. He told her of all his adventures.
“And how do you get on with your family, my son?” she inquired.
“Oh, splendidly, splendidly,” he assured her. “I live with a young married couple who allow me free roam of the flat while they are away at work; in the evening, we sit by the fire together and have tea and a book. So you see, we enjoy quality time, but they are not overbearing.”
“That is wise, my son,” beamed the mother proudly. “One mustn’t allow one’s Humans to monopolize all one’s time.”
The second kitten was called Tom Nelson. Nelson decided to explore the Countryside. He roved about the lands, catching birds and mice and all manner of agreeable dainties. At last, he decided that he should like to continue in this line of business to the end of his days. So he found himself a Human family that owned a large plot of land with a farm on it. He made an excellent living there, keeping the barn free of mice and the fields free of crows and other pesky birds. For his services, he was allotted a portion of food and a dry bed in the hayloft. Occasionally, when it suited him, he amused himself by entertaining the smaller Humans as they went about their various chores.
One evening, he slipped away to tell his mother all about his arrangement with the family. She nodded her approval. “That is a good plan, my dear. One mustn’t allow one’s humans to imagine one is a lazy brute that cannot earn one’s own keep. I have two very wise sons indeed. If only your two sisters do half as well, I will consider myself the most successful and fortunate of mothers.”
The older sister was called Dame Clarice. Clarice was fond of taking her time about things, and spent several weeks making her way in a leisurely fashion from one sunny napping place to another. When at last Clarice chose her Human home, it was with a kind old woman who thought Clarice would make a perfect companion for a quiet life of relaxing and taking her ease. Clarice thought much the same of the old lady, and went and told the mother cat so. “She is a dear, lovely person, Mother,” Clarice cooed. “You may rest assured, however, I do not spoil her. When she is sitting idly and attempts to coax me into her lap, I ignore her entirely. But when she gives up and starts in on a bit of knitting or a book, I reward her by nestling into her arms. I must say, she often reacts in a most ungrateful manner. What do you make of it, Mother?”
“You are doing well, my daughter,” the mother assured her. “Humans are often slow to learn, that is all. You are quite right: one mustn’t allow one’s Humans to become spoilt and believe that it is for them to say when one will and will not give them attention. I am pleased with you and your brothers. Let us see if your youngest little sister will fare as well.”
The youngest of the four kittens was called Dame Eliza. Unlike her sister and brothers, Eliza had no interest in exploring the wide world on her own. Instead, she sought out and found herself a Human family immediately upon leaving her mother’s house. Eliza was rather fond of dainty human dishes. Fortunately, her Humans offered all manner of such luxuries: bowls of cream or milk, bits of fish, and other such tasty treats. At length, Eliza went happily to tell her mother.
“I hope, dear,” said the mother gravely, “that you do not allow this treatment to cloud your judgment where the Humans are concerned? They are so easily given the wrong impressions. One day they may think they can feed you just anything they please and you will accept it.”
“Oh, no, Mother,” Eliza laughed. “You needn’t worry. I reject every dish they offer me, until they throw up their hands in despair. Then I go into the pantry and help myself. So you see, they know full well who does all the choosing.”
“Then I am satisfied,” said the mother. She added, with a contented smile, “I have raised four very wise cats indeed.” With that, following a few harmless nips and swats, she graciously allowed her Human to stroke her ears.
Each kitten promised to do as she requested, for they loved their mother dearly and wished to please her. Having taken leave of their mother, the four young Cats went their several ways. The eldest was called Tom Augustus. Augustus decided that life in a large City should suit him best. He wandered on his own for a time, chasing mice and rats, hunting for scraps of food, and wondering up at the tall buildings. When he tired of this, he found himself a Human family as his mother had suggested. As soon as an opportune moment arose, he returned to visit his mother. He told her of all his adventures.
“And how do you get on with your family, my son?” she inquired.
“Oh, splendidly, splendidly,” he assured her. “I live with a young married couple who allow me free roam of the flat while they are away at work; in the evening, we sit by the fire together and have tea and a book. So you see, we enjoy quality time, but they are not overbearing.”
“That is wise, my son,” beamed the mother proudly. “One mustn’t allow one’s Humans to monopolize all one’s time.”
The second kitten was called Tom Nelson. Nelson decided to explore the Countryside. He roved about the lands, catching birds and mice and all manner of agreeable dainties. At last, he decided that he should like to continue in this line of business to the end of his days. So he found himself a Human family that owned a large plot of land with a farm on it. He made an excellent living there, keeping the barn free of mice and the fields free of crows and other pesky birds. For his services, he was allotted a portion of food and a dry bed in the hayloft. Occasionally, when it suited him, he amused himself by entertaining the smaller Humans as they went about their various chores.
One evening, he slipped away to tell his mother all about his arrangement with the family. She nodded her approval. “That is a good plan, my dear. One mustn’t allow one’s humans to imagine one is a lazy brute that cannot earn one’s own keep. I have two very wise sons indeed. If only your two sisters do half as well, I will consider myself the most successful and fortunate of mothers.”
The older sister was called Dame Clarice. Clarice was fond of taking her time about things, and spent several weeks making her way in a leisurely fashion from one sunny napping place to another. When at last Clarice chose her Human home, it was with a kind old woman who thought Clarice would make a perfect companion for a quiet life of relaxing and taking her ease. Clarice thought much the same of the old lady, and went and told the mother cat so. “She is a dear, lovely person, Mother,” Clarice cooed. “You may rest assured, however, I do not spoil her. When she is sitting idly and attempts to coax me into her lap, I ignore her entirely. But when she gives up and starts in on a bit of knitting or a book, I reward her by nestling into her arms. I must say, she often reacts in a most ungrateful manner. What do you make of it, Mother?”
“You are doing well, my daughter,” the mother assured her. “Humans are often slow to learn, that is all. You are quite right: one mustn’t allow one’s Humans to become spoilt and believe that it is for them to say when one will and will not give them attention. I am pleased with you and your brothers. Let us see if your youngest little sister will fare as well.”
The youngest of the four kittens was called Dame Eliza. Unlike her sister and brothers, Eliza had no interest in exploring the wide world on her own. Instead, she sought out and found herself a Human family immediately upon leaving her mother’s house. Eliza was rather fond of dainty human dishes. Fortunately, her Humans offered all manner of such luxuries: bowls of cream or milk, bits of fish, and other such tasty treats. At length, Eliza went happily to tell her mother.
“I hope, dear,” said the mother gravely, “that you do not allow this treatment to cloud your judgment where the Humans are concerned? They are so easily given the wrong impressions. One day they may think they can feed you just anything they please and you will accept it.”
“Oh, no, Mother,” Eliza laughed. “You needn’t worry. I reject every dish they offer me, until they throw up their hands in despair. Then I go into the pantry and help myself. So you see, they know full well who does all the choosing.”
“Then I am satisfied,” said the mother. She added, with a contented smile, “I have raised four very wise cats indeed.” With that, following a few harmless nips and swats, she graciously allowed her Human to stroke her ears.
Saturday, March 24, 2018
My First Holiday
Grandmother’s house for Christmas:
I can’t recall my exact age
But I must have been
Less than eight and more than one—
Old enough
To have stopped being
The chubby baby
Kissed and cuddled
To death by everyone,
But young enough
That nothing I might say
Or do
Could be of much interest
To anybody.
I mostly kept out of the way
In a corner somewhere
And played with my doll.
The Greatest Adventure
Happened each time
I got hungry.
There was no question
Of my sitting up with the big folks,
So I found myself
Bits and morsels in the kitchen.
To reach
That faraway place,
I crawled and scooted
Through The Giants’ Forest—
An enormous tangle
Of legs
And knobby knees
And dress-pants
And skirts
And shoes.
The journey was perilous
And my head got knocked about
On numerous occasions.
When at last
I reached my destination,
I would bury myself
In a delightful
Cake
Or pie
Or candy—
Until I was found out,
The sweets whisked away
And replaced by
A stalk of celery
Or
A boiled egg.
Then I would scoot
Up into another corner,
Grieving my lost meal
And contemplating
Whether it were worth
Risking another trip
Back through the forest
To resume my former seat.
Before I could
Quite reach a decision,
I was suddenly
Taken notice of,
Hurried into another room,
And made to sit
With my cousins
Round the Christmas Tree.
Coloured boxes
Were handed all round,
Only mine
Never actually came
Into my own hand.
The next moment,
The floor lay littered
With colourful scraps,
And I found
My body being squeezed into
Some sort of a dreadful trap
Which caused me to
Scratch terribly
All over.
Somewhere I heard
Mother’s voice
Saying,
“Oh, dear, say thank-you to Auntie So-and-so!”
I was so choked
That I could not
Get out a word.
Then, I was so dreadfully uncomfortable
That tears would start,
And I was carried off to bed.
I can’t recall my exact age
But I must have been
Less than eight and more than one—
Old enough
To have stopped being
The chubby baby
Kissed and cuddled
To death by everyone,
But young enough
That nothing I might say
Or do
Could be of much interest
To anybody.
I mostly kept out of the way
In a corner somewhere
And played with my doll.
The Greatest Adventure
Happened each time
I got hungry.
There was no question
Of my sitting up with the big folks,
So I found myself
Bits and morsels in the kitchen.
To reach
That faraway place,
I crawled and scooted
Through The Giants’ Forest—
An enormous tangle
Of legs
And knobby knees
And dress-pants
And skirts
And shoes.
The journey was perilous
And my head got knocked about
On numerous occasions.
When at last
I reached my destination,
I would bury myself
In a delightful
Cake
Or pie
Or candy—
Until I was found out,
The sweets whisked away
And replaced by
A stalk of celery
Or
A boiled egg.
Then I would scoot
Up into another corner,
Grieving my lost meal
And contemplating
Whether it were worth
Risking another trip
Back through the forest
To resume my former seat.
Before I could
Quite reach a decision,
I was suddenly
Taken notice of,
Hurried into another room,
And made to sit
With my cousins
Round the Christmas Tree.
Coloured boxes
Were handed all round,
Only mine
Never actually came
Into my own hand.
The next moment,
The floor lay littered
With colourful scraps,
And I found
My body being squeezed into
Some sort of a dreadful trap
Which caused me to
Scratch terribly
All over.
Somewhere I heard
Mother’s voice
Saying,
“Oh, dear, say thank-you to Auntie So-and-so!”
I was so choked
That I could not
Get out a word.
Then, I was so dreadfully uncomfortable
That tears would start,
And I was carried off to bed.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
Shopping with Mother
Hours
Upon hours
Days
Years
Forever!
“It’s only been five minutes, love.”
Impossible.
The walking
The waiting
Tired
Starving
“We’ve only just had lunch.”
How long
How much longer
Forever
“I just need a few things.”
Bored
Oh, look
Fun
A forest of clothes
A whole forest of clothes
Just like a forest
A forest to play in
A forest to get lost in
“Where’ve you gone?”
A forest to hide in
“Come out now, this isn’t funny.”
Reach out a hand
Take hold of a foot
“Madam, please collect your child.”
Wrong foot
“We are never coming here again.”
Just when the fun started.
Grownups are strange.
Upon hours
Days
Years
Forever!
“It’s only been five minutes, love.”
Impossible.
The walking
The waiting
Tired
Starving
“We’ve only just had lunch.”
How long
How much longer
Forever
“I just need a few things.”
Bored
Oh, look
Fun
A forest of clothes
A whole forest of clothes
Just like a forest
A forest to play in
A forest to get lost in
“Where’ve you gone?”
A forest to hide in
“Come out now, this isn’t funny.”
Reach out a hand
Take hold of a foot
“Madam, please collect your child.”
Wrong foot
“We are never coming here again.”
Just when the fun started.
Grownups are strange.
Wednesday, March 21, 2018
Prayer for the Expected Child
My hope and prayer for your boy is that he will be
A follower of Christ
A thinker
A reader
A doer
And that his thoughts, words, and actions
Will be ever driven by
The Word of his God
And be employed for the cause of
The glory of Christ
His only Liege LORD
Whose servant and warrior he will ever be.
A follower of Christ
A thinker
A reader
A doer
And that his thoughts, words, and actions
Will be ever driven by
The Word of his God
And be employed for the cause of
The glory of Christ
His only Liege LORD
Whose servant and warrior he will ever be.
Tuesday, March 20, 2018
The Raindrop Infantry
If ever I went for a bit of a drive
With Brother and Mother and Dad,
Ten times I would ask when we were to arrive—
How hard it was not to be bad!
No matter if twenty-five times I had said
That I would make nary a peep,
I found myself wanting to knock Brother’s head
Though I ought to read or to sleep.
But if ever we went driving in the rain,
That was quite another matter:
I knew from my botherations to refrain
When I heard that pitter-patter.
I would behave, for—somehow, at my window—
A great army rose from the drips,
Marching right at me—smaller than my big toe—
Yet I was sure I saw sword-tips.
This army was made of small infantrymen,
Small in size, but in numbers vast.
’Cross my window they marched, again and again,
Made of water and moving fast.
On occasion one broke off from his fellows
Speeding away down the window,
Off in pursuit of an “Ambush!” he bellows,
At least I imagined it so.
However long the rain continued falling,
The fearsome infantry marched on,
Insisting I behave—I heard them calling:
“Be good, little imp, or begone!”
With Brother and Mother and Dad,
Ten times I would ask when we were to arrive—
How hard it was not to be bad!
No matter if twenty-five times I had said
That I would make nary a peep,
I found myself wanting to knock Brother’s head
Though I ought to read or to sleep.
But if ever we went driving in the rain,
That was quite another matter:
I knew from my botherations to refrain
When I heard that pitter-patter.
I would behave, for—somehow, at my window—
A great army rose from the drips,
Marching right at me—smaller than my big toe—
Yet I was sure I saw sword-tips.
This army was made of small infantrymen,
Small in size, but in numbers vast.
’Cross my window they marched, again and again,
Made of water and moving fast.
On occasion one broke off from his fellows
Speeding away down the window,
Off in pursuit of an “Ambush!” he bellows,
At least I imagined it so.
However long the rain continued falling,
The fearsome infantry marched on,
Insisting I behave—I heard them calling:
“Be good, little imp, or begone!”
Monday, March 19, 2018
Loyalty
A true companion shapes the world.
You know the sort I mean:
The one who would keep at your side
From six to seventeen,
And after too, for nothing changed
Enough to make him leave.
The two of you might grow and learn,
But what this would achieve
Was just to keep you true and close
Whatever came your way:
Through golden fields or bitter storms
Yet steady you would stay.
You know the sort I mean:
The one who would keep at your side
From six to seventeen,
And after too, for nothing changed
Enough to make him leave.
The two of you might grow and learn,
But what this would achieve
Was just to keep you true and close
Whatever came your way:
Through golden fields or bitter storms
Yet steady you would stay.
Sunday, March 18, 2018
The Prophet Samuel
Servant of God he was pledged at birth:
Asked of God did his mother name him.
Man of God he would grow up to be:
Unto the LORD’s voice did he hearken.
Ever mindful to heed the LORD God’s call,
Long served he Him, and saw kings rise and fall.
Asked of God did his mother name him.
Man of God he would grow up to be:
Unto the LORD’s voice did he hearken.
Ever mindful to heed the LORD God’s call,
Long served he Him, and saw kings rise and fall.
Friday, March 16, 2018
Living Well
Sharing Stories
At the end of long walks;
Sharing Laughter
After serious talks;
Seeing Beauty
In all He has made;
Seeing Truth
In His work displayed;
Knowing Joy
That heals after the tears;
Knowing Friendships
That last through the years—
For Him and for one another
We live.
At the end of long walks;
Sharing Laughter
After serious talks;
Seeing Beauty
In all He has made;
Seeing Truth
In His work displayed;
Knowing Joy
That heals after the tears;
Knowing Friendships
That last through the years—
For Him and for one another
We live.
Thursday, March 15, 2018
Review: Fairest (From 6 May 2008)
Levine, Gail Carson. Fairest.
In the town of Ayortha lives a young girl named Aza, who desires nothing more than to be beautiful—or at least pretty. When she becomes the queen’s lady-in-waiting, she seems to have found a sympathetic friend; but things are not always as they seem.
Levine does not go to great lengths to describe things, but she paints a clear picture all the same. She uses first person, which allows the reader to see deeper into Aza’s character. Each chapter leaves the reader on edge, nearly frantic to find out what happens next. Fairest combines fantasy, action, and even a touch of romance, to create a story that should appeal to most anyone.
Review: The Squire's Tale (From 5 February 2018)
Morris, Gerald. The Squire's Tale.
Review: The Order of the White Boar (From 11 October 2017)
Marchant, Alex. The Order of the White Boar.
Inclined to useless babbling, I shall endeavour to make this review short and to the point: Alex Marchant's The Order of the White Boar is one of the best works of children's historical fiction I have ever read, and my only complaint was that it came to an end - but what delight to see an announcement on the last page that another installment, The King's Man, is forthcoming! Joy and jubilation!
Inclined to useless babbling, I shall endeavour to make this review short and to the point: Alex Marchant's The Order of the White Boar is one of the best works of children's historical fiction I have ever read, and my only complaint was that it came to an end - but what delight to see an announcement on the last page that another installment, The King's Man, is forthcoming! Joy and jubilation!
Note: My GoodReads reviews post automatically to my other blog. I wish there were a way to automatically post only children's book reviews here. Alas! I shall have to content myself with copy-and-paste. In the next few days and weeks, I will post previous reviews here, until I am up-to-date and can continue from there with the next children's book I finish. 'Tis time to begin this blog in earnest; I've neglected it far too long. This particular review is rather sparse, but I'm placing it here just to get the ball rolling.
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