Today's poem is one of the most famous war poems, written during the first World War by an Englishman named Rupert Brooke. The poem is a soldier's request, in the event of his death. Brooke wrote the poem in 1914, and died the following year of blood poisoning. His bit of "for ever England" is indeed in a foreign field, on the island of Skyros. He ( Read more... )

I hope that wherever you are, and whether you are single or part of a couple, that you are having a happy day. This year, I am very happily part of couple, but I've spent lots of years in the past either single or not-so-happily part of a couple, so my feelings on the day are mixed ( Read more... )

It's already been a productive day here. I like the idea of doing the things on the first day of the year that you really think are important in the coming year, so there has been time with M and with my sweetheart (and more to come), some focus on financial matters and on scheduling, some emails sent to friends, some organizing and cleaning done ( ( Read more... )

A reprise of a previous postI thought my icon with a Nac Mac Feegle on it was a good idea, since I'm going to be talking about a poem by Robert Burns today. At midnight tonight (in all the various time zones), millions of people will sing some or all of "Auld lang syne". And most of them will have no clue that the words they sing are from Burns (at ( Read more... )

Here at my house, I celebrate Chanukah, and my kids celebrate Christmas. I love years like this, where Chanukah is long done before Christmas arrives, since it means I don't have to mix them together: I put the tree up after the menorah was away. In the future - maybe next year, maybe the one after that - I won't bother with the tree anymore, but ( Read more... )

A merry Christmas to those of you who celebrate it, with wishes of peace for all of you, whether you are of the Christmas persuasion or not!


( Read more... )

Today, a handy-dandy checklist. Well, a poem, really, that I wrote several years ago.

Holiday Dinner To-Do List
by Kelly Ramsdell Fineman

Begin your preparations five days ahead ( Read more... )

Well, me hearties, I hope yer enjoyin' the day.

I be plannin' to sail to Belmar, NJ for a seaside signin'. Keep a weather eye fer more details!


( Read more... )

Today, one of the best-known war poems of all time. It's also the best-known rondeau in the English language. And although it is Memorial Day in the United States today and this post bears the image of an American flag, this poem was written by a Canadian poet. But when a poem is right for the day, it's right for the day.

In Flanders Fieldsby ( Read more... )

For the past few years, I've had a personal New Year's tradition ( Read more... )