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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

Happy New Year!


A meditation in verse for today:

The Old Year
by John Clare
The Old Year's gone away
To nothingness and night:
We cannot find him all the day
Nor hear him in the night:
He left no footstep, mark or place
In either shade or sun:
The last year he'd a neighbour's face,
In this he's known by none.

All nothing everywhere:
Mists we on mornings see
Have more of substance when they're here
And more of form than he.
He was a friend by every fire,
In every cot and hall--
A guest to every heart's desire,
And now he's nought at all.

Old papers thrown away,
Old garments cast aside,
The talk of yesterday,
Are things identified;
But time once torn away
No voices can recall:
The eve of New Year's Day
Left the Old Year lost to all.
[about John Clare]

Additional reading for today: Dave Barry’s Review of 2013, the Year of the Zombies.

21 comments:

  1. I hope it is your best year ever AOW, Happy New Year to you both!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Appropriate graphic, with words to live by (from Adrienne's Corner):

    "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Photo essay: "Midnight sets off dazzling celebrations for 2014 around the world."

    ReplyDelete
  4. ______ Eternal, Never New ______

    The years are naught but Man's invention,
    As is Time, itself.
    'Tis been, since Eve, Man's mad intention
    To limit Life to suit himself.

    In Truth what is has always been,
    And will last evermore. ––
    A perspective few have ever seen ––
    A sea without a shore.

    We drift quite helplessly upon
    The surface of the waves
    Charting courses, but we've gone
    Instead on to our graves.

    Though we may seem to disappear
    From our loved ones' view
    There isn't anything to fear
    We shall return anew.

    This never ending cycle
    Upon the shoreless sea
    No matter what we’d like will
    Recur. We live eternally.


    ~ FreeThinke 1/1/14

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wish every one of you
    A Glad New Year
    Filled with Increasing Wisdom,
    Expanding Knowledge,
    Greater Tolerance,
    Courage, Optimism, Good Health,
    Good Humor, Much Vitality,
    Exciting Adventure –-
    Whatever you think "Adventure" might be --
    And as much Enjoyment,
    Fulfillment and Contentment
    As you can possibly get.


    ~ FreeThinke

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. FT,
      Thank you for adding some original verse here. I was hoping that you would do so!

      Delete
  6. Happy New Year to you and Mr. AOW. May it be happier and healthier than 2013 for both of you.

    Very pretty verse.

    Debbie
    Right Truth
    http://www.righttruth.typepad.com

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The last part of 2013 (from November on) was good to us -- thanks, in large part, to Decorate A Vet.

      But I must say that the retinal trouble I had in late September was the worst health scare of my life.

      The thought of blindness is bad enough, but if I couldn't drive, Mr. AOW and I would really be in a world of hurt.

      Because of left neglect, Mr. AOW hasn't driven since his stroke on September 15, 2009. He is much improved now, so we are considering his taking a driver's course this spring or summer. His driver's license was never medically rescinded.

      Delete
  7. May God bless you and Mr. AOW in the coming year.

    ReplyDelete
  8. AOW, Happy New Year to Mr & Mrs AOW, from Mr & Mrs DB! God Bless!

    ReplyDelete
  9. My very best wishes to you and yours for this New Year. May success, courage and prosperity. all be yours.

    ReplyDelete
  10. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  11. Happy New Year to the AOW's.

    I hope the recent change in fortune continues.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Happy New Year! I’m trying to organize my thoughts on the cockroach Obama and Liberals and rill them up into the Crap Sandwich where they belong.
    Obamacare or the ACA is a sad, sad joke. You had a good run America. You really did. You were great while you lasted,
    Remember what Winston Churchill said about democracy? That it was the worst possible form of government--except for every other one?

    In this case, the ACA is the worst way to insure healthcare
    Obamneycare was supposed to insure 32 million. They'll be lucky to hit 5 million once you figure in the newly uninsured. Epic fail. We still have 45 million uninsured. So much for "universal."!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Happy New Year AOW. Despite years of experience I remain hopeful that every New Year will erase the mistakes of the past. Will this be the year my optimism is borne out? Whether or not that happens, 2014 has to be a better year than 2013 if only because of the law of averages.

    ReplyDelete
  14. A Blessed, Joyous, Healthy and Financially smooth year to all...That's good news about Mr. AOW...may he do well on the course and regain what he has lost!

    tmw

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've awakened long enough from today's new Year's day nap to come by here to wish everyone a happy new year!

    And now back to my winter's nap!

    ReplyDelete

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