Gleaning Facebook: Special Music

 Our choir at Trinity Methodist will perform special music this morning, Palm Sunday, at all three services: 8:30, 9:45, and 11. Y'all come.

Gleaning Facebook: Big Fibbers 2013

Come and listen to fibs, whoppers, tall tales and plain out lies as people compete for the title of the Biggest Fibber at the 4th year of The Big Fibbers' Contest! Fun for all! If you ARE a fibber go to the FB page: The Big Fibbers' Contest and read the rules and send us a completed registration form. Deadline to sign up to fib is March 25th, 2013. No charge for fibbers, $5.00 for everyone else! For information email sevenhillstellers@gmail.com

 

PTSW: Beautiful Depths

I was struck yesterday, while listening to an NPR interview with a musician, by her declaration of love for sad songs. I can relate. I also count some sad songs among my favorites. And some sad poems. I thought of this one:

When I have Fears That I May Cease to Be 

When I have fears that I may cease to be
   Before my pen has gleaned my teeming brain,
Before high-pilèd books, in charactery,
   Hold like rich garners the full ripened grain;
When I behold, upon the night’s starred face,
   Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance,
And think that I may never live to trace
   Their shadows with the magic hand of chance;
And when I feel, fair creature of an hour,
   That I shall never look upon thee more,
Never have relish in the faery power
   Of unreflecting love—then on the shore
Of the wide world I stand alone, and think
Till love and fame to nothingness do sink. 

- John Keats 

Now, I don't doubt that John Keats was feeling a bit down when he set out to write these lines. And given his premature death - only 25! - the poem voices a very legitimate concern. But I have to believe that by the time he reached the depths of that nothingness in the last line he was greatly buoyed by a swelling, even joyful, somethingness we'll call pride of accomplishment. Surely he felt happiness at having written so beautifully his despair.