Blue Moon in Springtime! :)

Hello everyone –

On Saturday, March 31^st, skywatchers around the world will be watching a celestial rarity – a full Blue Moon, the second Blue Moon of 2018! (The first one was on January 31^st.) It’s extremely rare for a calendar year to contain two Blue Moons; this last happened in 1999 and won’t occur again until 2037. And BTW, the next Blue Moon won’t happen until Halloween Night – October 31^st, 2020! (I predict that werewolf costumes will be very popular at that time!) :)

So just what is a Blue Moon? It’s the second Full Moon in a calendar month – a phenomenon that happens only once every 2-1/2 years or so (hence the expression, “Once in a Blue Moon”). The Moon won’t actually appear blue in the sky this weekend – but that’s OK – it will still be bright and beautiful, like every other Full Moon that I’ve ever seen.

To celebrate this auspicious occasion, and the arrival of the springtime (at long last!), here are three poems by Evaleen Stein (1863-1923), my favorite Midwestern poet!

“Faeries”

By Evaleen Stein
 

Grandfather says that sometimes,
When stars are twinkling and
A New Moon shines, there come times
When folks see faery-land!

So when there’s next a New Moon,
I mean to watch all night!
Grandfather says a Blue Moon
Is best for faery light,

And in a peach-bloom, maybe,
If I look I shall see
A little faery baby
No bigger than a bee!

“Budding-Time Too Brief”

By Evaleen Stein

O little buds, break not so fast!

  The spring’s but new.

  The skies will yet be brighter blue,

  And sunny too.

I would you might thus sweetly last       

Till this glad season’s overpast,

  Nor hasten through.

It is so exquisite to feel

  The light warm sun;

  To merely know the winter done,       

  And life begun;

And to my heart no blooms appeal

For tenderness so deep and real,

  As any one

Of these first April buds, that hold       

  The hint of spring’s

  Rare perfectness that May-time brings.

  So take not wings!

Oh, linger, linger, nor unfold

Too swiftly though the mellow mould,       

  Sweet growing things!

And errant birds, and honey-bees,

  Seek not to wile;

  And, Sun, let not your warmest smile

  Quite yet beguile     

The young peach-boughs and apple-trees

To trust their beauty to the breeze;

  Wait yet awhile!

“Up, Little Ones!”

by Evaleen Stein

A robin redbreast, fluting there
Upon the apple-bough,
Is telling all the world how fair
Are apple-blossoms now;
The honey-dew its sweetness spills
From cuckoo-cups, and all
The crocuses and daffodils
Are drest for festival!

Such pretty things are to be seen,
Such pleasant things to do,
The April earth it is so green,
The April sky so blue,
The path from dawn to even-song
So joyous is to-day,
Up, little ones! and dance along
The lilac-scented way!

Happy springtime holidays! :)

Rob

In Memoriam: Professor Stephen Hawking

Hello everyone –

I had initially been planning to share some poetry about the REAL St. Patrick’s Day (tomorrow) and the arrival of springtime next Tuesday, March 20^th. However, Wednesday’s announcement of Professor Stephen Hawking’s death has inspired me to collect a garland of poems to honor him and his inspirational legacy to humankind.

“INVICTUS” (1875)

By William Ernest Henley (1849–1903)

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

“Crossing the Bar” (1889)

By Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1807-1892)

Sunset and evening star,

And one clear call for me!

And may there be no moaning of the bar,

When I put out to sea,

But such a tide as moving seems asleep,

Too full for sound and foam,

When that which drew from out the boundless deep

Turns again home.

Twilight and evening bell,

And after that the dark!

And may there be no sadness of farewell,

When I embark;

For though from out our bourne of Time and Place

The flood may bear me far,

I hope to see my Pilot face to face

When I have crossed the bar.

Tennyson remarked about this poem: “The Pilot has been on board all the while, but in the dark I have not seen him… [He is] that Divine and Unseen Who is always guiding us.”

“Bilbo's Last Song (At the Gray Havens)”

By J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973)

Day is ended, dim my eyes,

but journey long before me lies.

Farewell, friends! I hear the call.

The ship's beside the stony wall.

Foam is white and waves are gray;

beyond the sunset leads my way.

Foam is salt, the wind is free;

I hear the rising of the Sea.

Farewell, friends! The sails are set,

the wind is east, the moorings fret.

Shadows long before me lie,

beneath the ever-bending sky,

but islands lie behind the Sun

that I shall raise ere all is done;

lands there are to west of West,

where night is quiet and sleep is rest.

Guided by the Lonely Star,

beyond the utmost harbor-bar,

I'll find the havens fair and free,

and beaches of the Starlit Sea.

Ship, my ship! I seek the West,

and fields and mountains ever blest.

Farewell to Middle-earth at last.

I see the Star above my mast!

Requiescat in pace, Professor. Ad astra per aspera!

Until next time –

Rob

My Next Public Lecture: "Here There Be Dragons" on 3/15 @ the CCB!

Fantastic Beasties!

Hello everyone –

Fantastic beasts have been on my mind lately, as I’ve been preparing for two upcoming presentations about them that I’ll be giving on campus this spring. Cryptozoology and geomythology are fascinating fields of study that have fascinated me for a long time. Here are two songs – one traditional and one literary – that make mention of fantastic beasts (and some ordinary ones, too).

"A Place In The Choir"

(Traditional Appalachian Folksong – 20^th Century)

All God's creatures got a place in the choir

Some sing low and some sing higher,

Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,

Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they've got now

All God's creatures got a place in the choir

Some sing low and some sing higher,

Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,

Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they've got now

Listen to the top where the little bird sings

On the melodies and the high notes ringing,

And the hoot owl cries over everything

And the blackbird disagrees.

Singing in the night time, singing in the day,

When little duck quacks, and he's on his way.

And the otter hasn't got much to say

And the porcupine talks to himself

All God's creatures got a place in the choir

Some sing low and some sing higher,

Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,

Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they've got now

The dogs and the cats they take up the middle

While the honeybee hums and the cricket fiddles,

The donkey brays and the pony neighs

And the old gray badger sighs...

Listen to the bass, it's the one on the bottom

Where the bullfrog croaks and the hippopotamus

Moans and groans with a big t'do

And the old cow just goes moo.

All God's creatures got a place in the choir

Some sing low and some sing higher,

Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,

Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they've got now

It's a simple song a little song everywhere

By the ox and the fox and the grizzly bear,

The dopey alligator and the hawk above,

The sly old weasel and the turtle dove.

All God's creatures got a place in the choir

Some sing low and some sing higher,

Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,

Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they've got now

All God's creatures got a place in the choir

Some sing low and some sing higher,

Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,

Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they've got now

All God's creatures got a place in the choir

Some sing low and some sing higher,

Some sing out loud on a telephone wire,

Some just clap their hands, or paws, or anything they've got now

All God's creatures got a place in the choir!

NOTE: I’ve written an additional verse to this song, featuring fantastic beasts, which goes like this:

Physiologus writes a biology book,

While the unicorn blows its horn by the brook.

The dragon roars in a crystal cave --

If you seek it out, you have to be brave!

The dryad whispers a tree-top tune,

While the werewolf howls by the light of the Moon.

The vampire bat in the belfry rings,

While the phoenix bird so brightly sings!

“The Unicorn” (1962)

Words by Shel Silverstein (1930-1999) & the Irish Rovers (1968)

1. A long time ago, when the earth was green

And there was more kinds of animals than you’ve ever seen,

And they run around free while the world was being born,

And the loveliest of all was the Unicorn.

            There was green alligators and long-neck geese.

            There was humpty-backed camels and chimpanzees.

            There was cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born

            The loveliest of all was the Unicorn.

2. But the Lord seen some sinning, and it caused him pain.

He says, “Stand back, I’m gonna make it rain.”

He says, “Hey Brother Noah, I’ll tell ya whatcha do.

Go and build me a floating zoo.

            And you take two alligators and a couple of geese,

            Two humpty-backed camels and two chimpanzees.

            Take two cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born

            Noah, don’t you forget my Unicorn.”

3. Now Noah was there, he answered the calling

And he finished up the ark just as the rain was falling.

He marched in the animals two by two,

And he called out as they went through,

            “Hey Lord, I got your two alligators and your couple of geese,

            Your humpty-backed camels and your chimpanzees.

            Got your cats and rats and elephants -- but Lord, I’m so forlorn

            Cause I just don’t see no Unicorn.”

4. Old Noah looked out through the driving rain

But the Unicorns were hiding, playing silly games.

They were kicking and splashing in the misty morn,

Oh them silly Unicorn.

Then the goat started goating, and the snake started snaking,

The elephant started elephanting, and the boat started shaking.

The mouse started squeaking, and the lion started roaring,

And everyone’s aboard but the Unicorn.

            I mean the green alligators and the long-neck geese,

            The humpty-backed camels and the chimpanzees.

            Noah cried, “Close the door cause the rain is pouring --

            And we just can’t wait for them Unicorn.”

5. Then the ark started moving, and it drifted with the tide,

And the Unicorns looked up from the rock and cried.

And the water come up and sort of floated them away --

That’s why you’ve never seen a Unicorn to this day.

            You’ll see a lot of alligators and a whole mess of geese.

            You’ll see humpty-backed camels and lots of chimpanzees.

            You’ll see cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you’re born

            You’re never gonna see no Unicorn.

Additional Verse by the Irish Rovers:

6. Now you might think this is the ending to the song,

But I’ll have to tell you, friends, that in fact you’re wrong.

You see, Unicorns are magical, so when the rain started pouring,

They grew themselves some wings and they took to soaring.

            You’ll see green alligators and long-necked geese

            Some humpty-backed camels and some chimpanzees

            But if you’re looking for the Unicorns, don’t be forlorn,

            The second star to the right and straight on until morn.

Enjoy the early spring weather outside this weekend! :)

Rob