De vier jaargetijden
By Elaine Hannink, februari 08
De Winter
Vandaag is het koud met sneeuw.
Hoe het met mij gaat?
Slecht. Vandaag gaat het slecht.
Morgen komt de zon, misschien?
Nee, de zon verbergt zich achter grijze wolken;
Hij is bang.
Ik ben ook bang—
Deze winter is veel te lang!
De Lente
Waarom springen op de bloemen?
Hoeveel vogels beginnen te zingen?
Nu dooit de winter weg;
Het druipt van het dak af,
En maakt plassen.
Het gras wordt groen geschilderd.
Mijn witte huid wordt langzaam bruin.
De Zomer
Juni betekent warme weer:
Elke dag schijnt de zon
Met een glimlach of een grappig.
Het regent niet
Het sneeuwt niet
De bomen zwaaien in de wind,
En de wind draagt de vlinders,
Geen ijs.
Hoe gaat het met de juni schepsels?
—Goed.
Zij houden van de zomer;
Met hen gaat het uitstekend.
Met mij niet. Vandaag sneeuwt het nog.
De Herfst
Tijdens de warme, aardige zomerdagen
Zegt de herfst:
Sorry, maar ik moet je even onderbreken!
Ik ben aan de beurt.
Hij brengt meer wind die de zomer afschrikt.
Een beetje regen
Een grote storm
Er liggen bladeren op de grond.
Heel veel bladeren, maar geen ijs.
Hoe ik de herfst vind?
Ik heb liever dat er bladeren op de grond liggen dan ijs—
De herfst? Met mij gaat het goed.
Tenminste is het geen winter.
Translation:
The Four Seasons
Winter
Today is cold with snow.
How am I?
Horrid. Today, things are horrid.
Tomorrow the sun will come, perhaps?
No, the sun hides behind grey clouds;
He’s scared.
So am I—
This winter is far too long!
Spring
Why are the flowers popping up?
How many birds have started their singing?
Now the winter melts away.
It drips off the roof
And makes puddles.
The grass is painted green.
My pale skin slowly turns brown.
Summer
June means warm weather.
Every day the sun shines
With a smile or a joke.
It doesn’t rain.
It doesn’t snow.
The trees sway in the the wind,
And the wind wafts butterflies,
Not ice.
How are the June critters doing?
Good.
They like the summer.
Things are wonderful with them.
Not with me. It still snows today.
Fall
Near the end of the warm, friendly summer days,
The autumn says,
Sorry, but I must interrupt!
It’s my turn now.
He brings more wind that chases the summer away.
A bit of rain,
A great big storm.
Leaves lay on the ground.
Lots and lots of leaves—but not ice.
What do I think of fall?
I’d rather have leaves than ice on the ground—
Autumn? It’s ok.
At least it’s not winter.
A Few from Habakkuk
The LORD is in his holy temple;
Let all the earth be silent before him.
For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of God, as the waters cover the sea.
You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.
His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.
The Sovereign LORD is my strength;
he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go to the heights.
For the director of music. On my stringed instruments.
The Call
"Even now," declares the Lord, "return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning."
"Rend your heart and not your garments.
Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and abounding in love..."
"Then the Lord will be jealous for his land and take pity on his people.
"Surely he has done great things.
Be not afraid, O land; be glad and rejoice. Surely the Lord has done great things.
Be not afraid, O wild animals, for the open pastures are becoming green. The trees are beaing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches.
Be glad, O people of Zion,
Rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given you autumn rains in righteousness.
He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.
The threshing floors will be filled with grain; the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.
"Then you will know that I am in Israel, that I am the Lord your God, and that there is no other; never again will my people be shamed."
Joel 2:12ff
Hosea the Cuckold
I will betroth you to me forever;
I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion.
... I will show my love to the one I called 'Not my loved one.'
I will say to those called 'Not my people,' 'You are my people', and they will say,
'You are my God.'
The Summer Day
Poem: "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver, from House of Light. (c) Beacon Press, 1992. Reprinted with permission.
The Summer Day
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean--
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down--
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don't know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn't everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
As I Like It
That's about how my desk is arranged now, or nearly so. As I like it.
I like my 5 pewter Knights In Shining Armor, all lined up. And next to them, my plastic donkey, and next to him, my mini boer goat. And the pictures, and all my pens, and chapsticks, and TODAY, and lots of books.
Too many books.
And my atlas, right close,
And some very special roses from David, hanging up to dry. :D
[Now I suppose I had better throw away all my extra receipts, and expired PostIt note reminders, and all that junk, in case somone comes to look.]
Finally....
David's here!!! Since 5:25 Friday night...a couple hours ahead of time! Yay! And it's been a good weekend, of catching up and moving in and playing piano and all that stuff.
"And tomorrow we go to school..."
"Why?"
"Oh...to learn things....and to get smart...."
"Why?"
"Because."
"Ohh."
That's from
Pinocchio.
