Regardless of your religious preference or lack thereof, I hope you can find a few moments for calm in what may be a hectic time.
I wish you all - my virtual friends - peace and joy in this season and in the new year.
Anyone who wishes to post a holiday message in this thread is welcome, but please try to keep your 'inner Scrooge' at bay. There's enough anger and depression this time of year, and surely better places to show it than here. Pictures of your city or area are nice!
Partly inspired by MrT's 'rediscovery' of the classic poem, here is my own little offering. Many of you have seen this before, but since we reorganized AARland I thought a new thread would be best.
The nine Muses are:
Calliope - (kah-LI-uh-pee), epic poetry
Clio - (KLEE-oh), history
Euterpe - (you-TER-pee), music
Erato - (er-RAH-toh), love poetry and mimicry
Melpomene - (mel-PO-men-nee), tragedy
Polyhymnia - (pol-HIM-nee-ah), sacred poetry, classics, mime, geometry
Terpsichore - (terp-SIC-oh-ree), dance
Thalia - (THAH-lee-ah), comedy
Urania - (you-RAY-ni-ah), astronomy and the future
A Visit from Miss Clio
‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all ‘cross the board
WritAARs were writing and posting-counts soared.
The threads they were hung on the forum with care
In the hope that some readers would place comments there.
The mods they were snoozing with eyelids like lead
While visions of centerfolds danced in their heads;
And I with my book, and my cat in my lap
Had just settled in my recliner for a long evening nap.
When out from my computer there arose such a sound
I sprang to my desk to see what could be found,
And there on the screen I saw in a flash
Past WORD and WINDOWS, behind all that trash,
A background of blue, letters bold as a star,
The Paradox screen lit with words from afar.
When what must my wondering eyes then embrace
But the shape of a book, with eight women in trace!
And the elf that was driving, so lively and quick, Oh,
I knew from my classics she could only be Clio!
More dainty than fireflies her helpers they came
And she caroled and praised them, and called them by name;
“Now Polyhymnia! Now Euterpe! Now Thalia and Terpsichore!
On Calliope! On Urania! On Erato and Melpomene!
Off the screen! On the desk! To yon keyboard you go!
Now dance away, dance away, don’t you be slow!”
As spirits that fly at a Harvest Moon Fest
When they dance out the dwindling of autumn in death,
So out of my screen the fair maidens then flew
With their chariot book, and of course Clio, too.
And then in a twinkling I heard next to me
The rattling and pounding of each keyboard key,
And I drew back in alarm and was spinning around
When to my bookshelf Clio went with a bound.
She was dressed all in velvet, with pearls and white lace,
But no raiment compared to her beautiful face;
My books on their shelf she perused with great care
And then turned around and gave me a stare.
Her eyes – how they sparkled, her smile was so merry!
Her wings were the gossamer of a pureblooded faerie!
Her pert little lips showed white teeth in a grin
And her shimmering hair matched the snow of her skin;
The scroll of her office of History she gripped,
And from it the essence of all sagas dripped;
Her expression was patient, and willing and sage,
Like a book that’s your good friend no matter your age.
She was lissome and sleek, a Titanian elf,
And I smiled when I saw her, in spite of my self;
A flick of her scroll and a nod of her head
And I knew of her purpose, though nothing was said;
So I retook my seat and threw out my plans
While she perched on my shoulder and guided my hands.
Then nodding approval of my edited prose
And waving her scroll, o’er the keyboard she rose;
She remounted her book, to her sisters gave motion
And away they all swept like a boat on the ocean.
And I heard her exclaim as they vanished from sight,
“Merry Christmas – no excuses! Get busy! Go write!”
I wish you all - my virtual friends - peace and joy in this season and in the new year.
Anyone who wishes to post a holiday message in this thread is welcome, but please try to keep your 'inner Scrooge' at bay. There's enough anger and depression this time of year, and surely better places to show it than here. Pictures of your city or area are nice!
Partly inspired by MrT's 'rediscovery' of the classic poem, here is my own little offering. Many of you have seen this before, but since we reorganized AARland I thought a new thread would be best.
The nine Muses are:
Calliope - (kah-LI-uh-pee), epic poetry
Clio - (KLEE-oh), history
Euterpe - (you-TER-pee), music
Erato - (er-RAH-toh), love poetry and mimicry
Melpomene - (mel-PO-men-nee), tragedy
Polyhymnia - (pol-HIM-nee-ah), sacred poetry, classics, mime, geometry
Terpsichore - (terp-SIC-oh-ree), dance
Thalia - (THAH-lee-ah), comedy
Urania - (you-RAY-ni-ah), astronomy and the future
A Visit from Miss Clio
‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all ‘cross the board
WritAARs were writing and posting-counts soared.
The threads they were hung on the forum with care
In the hope that some readers would place comments there.
The mods they were snoozing with eyelids like lead
While visions of centerfolds danced in their heads;
And I with my book, and my cat in my lap
Had just settled in my recliner for a long evening nap.
When out from my computer there arose such a sound
I sprang to my desk to see what could be found,
And there on the screen I saw in a flash
Past WORD and WINDOWS, behind all that trash,
A background of blue, letters bold as a star,
The Paradox screen lit with words from afar.
When what must my wondering eyes then embrace
But the shape of a book, with eight women in trace!
And the elf that was driving, so lively and quick, Oh,
I knew from my classics she could only be Clio!
More dainty than fireflies her helpers they came
And she caroled and praised them, and called them by name;
“Now Polyhymnia! Now Euterpe! Now Thalia and Terpsichore!
On Calliope! On Urania! On Erato and Melpomene!
Off the screen! On the desk! To yon keyboard you go!
Now dance away, dance away, don’t you be slow!”
As spirits that fly at a Harvest Moon Fest
When they dance out the dwindling of autumn in death,
So out of my screen the fair maidens then flew
With their chariot book, and of course Clio, too.
And then in a twinkling I heard next to me
The rattling and pounding of each keyboard key,
And I drew back in alarm and was spinning around
When to my bookshelf Clio went with a bound.
She was dressed all in velvet, with pearls and white lace,
But no raiment compared to her beautiful face;
My books on their shelf she perused with great care
And then turned around and gave me a stare.
Her eyes – how they sparkled, her smile was so merry!
Her wings were the gossamer of a pureblooded faerie!
Her pert little lips showed white teeth in a grin
And her shimmering hair matched the snow of her skin;
The scroll of her office of History she gripped,
And from it the essence of all sagas dripped;
Her expression was patient, and willing and sage,
Like a book that’s your good friend no matter your age.
She was lissome and sleek, a Titanian elf,
And I smiled when I saw her, in spite of my self;
A flick of her scroll and a nod of her head
And I knew of her purpose, though nothing was said;
So I retook my seat and threw out my plans
While she perched on my shoulder and guided my hands.
Then nodding approval of my edited prose
And waving her scroll, o’er the keyboard she rose;
She remounted her book, to her sisters gave motion
And away they all swept like a boat on the ocean.
And I heard her exclaim as they vanished from sight,
“Merry Christmas – no excuses! Get busy! Go write!”
