Edith Wharton's poem: All Souls

All Souls

I

A THIN moon faints in the sky o'erhead,
And dumb in the churchyard lie the dead.
Walk we not, Sweet, by garden ways,
Where the late rose hangs and the phlox delays,
But forth of the gate and down the road,
Past the church and the yews, to their dim abode.
For it's turn of the year and All Souls' night,
When the dead can hear and the dead have sight.



II

Fear not that sound like wind in the trees:
It is only their call that comes on the breeze;
Fear not the shudder that seems to pass:
It is only the tread of their feet on the grass;
Fear not the drip of the bough as you stoop:
It is only the touch of their hands that grope--
For the year's on the turn and it's All Souls' night,
When the dead can yearn and the dead can smite.



III

And where should a man bring his sweet to woo
But here, where such hundreds were lovers too?
Where lie the dead lips that thirst to kiss,
The empty hands that their fellows miss,
Where the maid and her lover, from sere to green,
Sleep bed by bed, with the worm between?
For it's turn of the year and All Souls' night,
When the dead can hear and the dead have sight.



IV

And now they rise and walk in the cold,
Let us warm their blood and give youth to the old.
Let them see us and hear us, and say: "Ah, thus
In the prime of the year it went with us!"
Till their lips drawn close, and so long unkist,
Forget they are mist that mingles with mist!
For the year's on the turn, and it's All Souls' night,
When the dead can burn and the dead can smite.



V

Till they say, as they hear us--poor dead, poor dead!--
"Just an hour of this, and our age-long bed--
Just a thrill of the old remembered pains
To kindle a flame in our frozen veins,
A touch, and a sight, and a floating apart,
As the chill of dawn strikes each phantom heart--
For it's turn of the year and All Souls' night,
When the dead can hear and the dead have sight."



VI

And where should the living feel alive
But here in this wan white humming hive,
As the moon wastes down, and the dawn turns cold,
And one by one they creep back to the fold?
And where should a man hold his mate and say:
"One more, one more, ere we go their way"?
For the year's on the turn, and it's All Souls' night,
When the living can learn by the churchyard light.



VII

And how should we break faith who have seen
Those dead lips plight with the mist between,
And how forget, who have seen how soon
They lie thus chambered and cold to the moon?
How scorn, how hate, how strive, wee too,
Who must do so soon as those others do?
For it's All Souls' night, and break of the day,
And behold, with the light the dead are away. . .

-THE END-

A Good Day

BeaTles lunchbox

I so friggin' want one.

Find A Penny....

You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being
good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I've ever
heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.

Several years ago, a friend of mine and her husband were invited to
spend the weekend at the husband's employer's home. My friend, Arlene,
was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine
home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.

The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have
this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband's
employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest
restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to
indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself
immensely.

As the three of them w ere about to enter an exclusive restaurant that
evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her
husband.
He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.

Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on
the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped,
and a few cigarette butts Still silent, the man reached down and
picked up the penny.

He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found
a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single
penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?

Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could
stand it no longer. She casually mentioned that her daughter once had
a coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of
some value.

A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for
the penny and held it out for her to see. Sh e had seen many pennies
before! What was the point of this?

"Look at it." He said. "Read what it says." She read the words "
United States of America "
"No, not that; read further."
"One cent?" "No, keep reading."
"In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And?"

"And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin.
Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every
single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a
message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass
it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God
at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do
trust in Him. For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were
gold. I think it is God's way of starting a conversation with me.
Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!

When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk. I
stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and
fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words,
"In God We Trust," and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.

It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies in
the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful! And, God is
patient..

Mercury in Gemini (Committee)

I am the One with Mercury in Gemini.
I am the One who is clever and curious.
I am the One with a super sensitive nervous system.

I give you the ability to think quickly and to communicate effectively.
I give you the ability to alter your course and change gears without slowing down.

I want you to recognize that when you step back from the cacophony of everyday stress and stimulus is when you find that inner peace that comes from tapping into your higher mind.

Gemini Sun (Committee)

I am the One with the Gemini Sun.
I am the one who likes to have fun.
I am the One who is sometimes two.
The One who can't decide what to do.

I am the One who is Mutable Air.
I am the One who can change like the weather. Unpredictably.

I give you an insatiable curiosity.
I give you the ability to communicate effectively.
I give you an active mind.
I give you the ability to see both sides.

I want you to balance your restless energy with calm introspection.
I want you to trust in your ability to be decisive.

You will remember when you overcome innate boredom by focusing on your many, diverse interests. When you quiet the many conflicting voices in your head and learn to love the twin who is your Self.

Witness (Committee)

I am the One who saw what you did.
I am the One who shook off the fear and shock.
I am the One who was not afraid to call you out.
I am the One who protects the innocent.

You are The Hierophant

Divine Wisdom. Manifestation. Explanation. Teaching.

All things relating to education, patience, help from superiors.The Hierophant is often considered to be a Guardian Angel.

The Hierophant's purpose is to bring the spiritual down to Earth. Where the High Priestess between her two pillars deals with realms beyond this Earth, the Hierophant (or High Priest) deals with worldly problems. He is well suited to do this because he strives to create harmony and peace in the midst of a crisis. The Hierophant's only problem is that he can be stubborn and hidebound. At his best, he is wise and soothing, at his worst, he is an unbending traditionalist.

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