Friday, June 24, 2011

This week and this guy...


Over the past seven days I have celebrated a 16th wedding anniversary, Father's Day and a 44th birthday with this guy. There is so much I could say about Chuck here but once again I'm going to let Billy Collins do the talking for me:

Litany

You are the bread and the knife,

The crystal goblet and the wine...

-Jacques Crickillon


You are the bread and the knife,

the crystal goblet and the wine.

You are the dew on the morning grass

and the burning wheel of the sun.

You are the white apron of the baker,

and the marsh birds suddenly in flight.


However, you are not the wind in the orchard,

the plums on the counter,

or the house of cards.

And you are certainly not the pine-scented air.

There is just no way that you are the pine-scented air.


It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge,

maybe even the pigeon on the general's head,

but you are not even close

to being the field of cornflowers at dusk.


And a quick look in the mirror will show

that you are neither the boots in the corner

nor the boat asleep in its boathouse.


It might interest you to know,

speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,

that I am the sound of rain on the roof.


I also happen to be the shooting star,

the evening paper blowing down an alley

and the basket of chestnuts on the kitchen table.


I am also the moon in the trees

and the blind woman's tea cup.

But don't worry, I'm not the bread and the knife.

You are still the bread and the knife.

You will always be the bread and the knife,

not to mention the crystal goblet and--somehow--the wine.


Billy Collins

4 comments:

artslice said...

Fabulous poem! I must read more of Billy Collins. Happy birthday and anniversary! (we just had 15 yrs this month... sweet).

Let us know what your first home grown egg dish will be :) Happy Friday.

tangled sky studio said...

congrats on 15 years brenda! and-
of course i already have a first egg dish planned but that's another post : )!!!

Carole Reid said...

Will you cook the first egg or paint it?
Congrats on all the celebrations!

Michele Maule said...

Beautiful. :)Thanks for sharing that.