November 25, 2004

• Thanksgiving…

  will be over or nearly so when I get home tomorrow night.  What I have to say about it, I guess I’ll say tonight.

  That funny phrase I’ve been hearing for days, is still running around in my head.

  “Too weird for words,” were the words I heard from the voice inside my head.

  Like a chain reaction, or a vicious cycle, those catchy words seem to
  have triggered the surfacing in my thoughts of a whole passel of phrases and snatches of poems and
  whatnot.  As I’ve been doing whatever I’ve done today, I keep
  hearing little bits of memory repeating.  For reasons I don’t
  understand, a lot of it was fragments of Robert Service
  poems.  

  One of the reasons may be that his stuff is so
  memorable.  But I don’t remember all of any of his works, so
  tonight I went on a websearch to fill in some of the missing
  pieces of ones I half remember.  Paging through his rhythmic lines
  was fun.  I even read aloud to Doug some of the chilling lines
  fromThe Shooting of Dan McGrew, and bits of a few others.  I
  decided to share some here.

  There’s a special
  one I think I’ll save for Christmas.  The one I want to share
  today, that seems right for Thanksgiving, is–

  Home and Love

  by Robert W. Service

  Just Home and Love! the words are small
  Four little letters unto each;
  And yet you will not find in all
  The wide and gracious range of speech
  Two more so tenderly complete:
  When angels talk in Heaven above,
  I’m sure they have no words more sweet
  Than Home and Love.

  Just Home and Love! it’s hard to guess
  Which of the two were best to gain;
  Home without Love is bitterness;
  Love without Home is often pain.
  No! each alone will seldom do;
  Somehow they travel hand and glove:
  If you win one you must have two,
  Both Home and Love.

  And if you’ve both, well then I’m sure
  You ought to sing the whole day long;
  It does not matter if you’re poor
  With these to make divine your song.
  And so I praisefully repeat,
  When angels talk in Heaven above,
  There are no words more simply sweet
  Than Home and Love. 

  Remember, it’s a feast, not a glut.  Don’t make yourselves sick.

  • 1:53 am
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