Poetry Friday: I Remember Galileo

I love Gerald Stern's description of the mind in this poem. Is the mind more like a piece of paper or a squirrel? You decide. 

I Remember Galileo

by Gerald Stern

I remember Galileo describing the mind

as a piece of paper blown around by the wind

and I loved the sight of it sticking to a tree

or jumping into the back seat of a car,

and for years I watched paper leap through my cities;

but yesterday I saw the mind was a squirrel caught crossing

route 80 between the wheels of a giant truck,

dancing back and forth like a thin leaf,

or a frightened string,

 

Here's the rest.

 

And here's today's roundup. 

Reading Update

Book #27 was Father of the Rain, by Lily King. This is the story of Daley, first in her childhood as her parents are splitting up, and then as an adult as she struggles to help her alcoholic father dry out. This was my third Lily King novel, and I enjoyed it.

Book #28 was H is for Hawk, by Helen MacDonald. Helen's father has just died, and Helen is training a goshawk. She's also reflecting on T. H. White, the author of The Sword in the Stone, who did some falconry of his own. My daughter recommended this one, and I was glad I read it.

Book #29 was Love Makes Room: And Other Things I Learned When My Daughter Came Out, by Staci Frenes. Frenes is a Christian musician whose life was upended by her daughter's revelation, in high school, that she was gay. This book chronicles the family's journey to acceptance.

Book #30 was The Bird of Light, by John Hay. This was a paper copy, given to me for Christmas by my daughter, and it turned out to be the perfect choice for a day of air travel. It's a beautiful book about terns, both scientifically and poetically written. 

Book #31 was I Wish I Could Say I Was Sorry, by Susie Kelly. This is a memoir about a young British girl growing up in Kenya in the 60s, and then her subsequent life. 

Book #32 was The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic and Change, by Pauline Boss. This recent book, by the author who popularized the term "ambiguous loss," is a quick and helpful read.

Spiritual Journey Thursday: Celebration

 

"The joy that Jesus offers his disciples is his own joy, which flows from his intimate communion with the One who sent him. It is a joy that does not separate happy days from sad days, successful moments from moments of failure, experiences of honor from experiences of dishonor, passion from resurrection. This joy is a divine gift that does not leave us during times of illness, poverty, oppression, or persecution. It is present even when this world laughs or tortures, robs or maims, fights or kills. It is truly ecstatic, always moving us away from the house of fear into the house of love, and always proclaiming that death no longer has the final say, though its noise remains loud and its devastation visible. The joy of Jesus lifts up life to be celebrated." Henri Nouwen

You can see what everybody else posted here.