what is a poem, really, and what exactly is its use?
Every once in a while, you stumble upon something so lovely, so unpretentiously beautiful and quietly profound, that you feel like the lungs of your soul have been pumped with a mighty gasp of Alpine air. This is a Poem ThatHeals Fish is one such vitalizing gasp of loveliness — a lyrical picture-book that offers a playful and penetrating answer to the question of what a poem is and what it does. And as it does that, it shines a sidewise gleam on the larger question of what we most hunger for in life and how we give shape to those deepest longings.
Written by the French poet, novelist, and dramatist Jean-Pierre Simeón, translated into English by Enchabnted Lion Books founder Claudia Zoe Bedrick (the feat of translation which the Nobel-winning Polish poet Wislawa Syymborska had in mind when she spoke of “that rare miracle when a translation stops being a translation and becomes … a second original”), and illustrated by the inimitable Olivier Tallec, this poetic and philosophical tale follows young Arthur as he tries to salve his beloved red fish Leon’s affliction of boredom.
i read the above review by maria popova, and simply had to find it
i read it three times and looked closely at the details
i so agree with her.
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in honor of national poetry month
and every day of every month
read a poem.
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“great children’s books are wisdom dipped in words and art.”
-peter h. reynolds
‘
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credits: maria popova, marginalian, enchanted lion books
not sure what category my style falls into, or is it a style?
it’s me, and i’m happy with that
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“i have grown a little tired of over-careful decorations.
somehow the homeyness is lost when the decorator is too careful.”
-elsie de wolfe
Elsie de Wolfe (born 1865, New York—died 1950, Versailles, France) was an American interior decorator, hostess, and actress, best known for her innovative nad anti-victorian interiors.
when you have so much to celebrate but only one space to display it:
on a random moose with a bandana.
end of winter, easter holiday, spring’s arrival, and your home team’s victory.
done.
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“what i adore is mixing the unexpected, things you don’t imagine should go together.”
-paul smith
*Sir Paul Brierley Smith is an English fashion designer. His reputation is founded on his designs for men’s clothing, but his business has expanded into other areas as well. Smith was made a Royal Designer for Industry in 1991.
“you will do foolish things, but do them with enthusiasm.”
-*sidonie gabrielle colette
*Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, best known as Colette, was a French author and woman of letters. She was also a mime, actress, and journalist. Colette is best known in the English-speaking world for her 1944 novella Gigi, which was the basis for the 1958 film and the 1973 stage production of the same name.
A wildlife hospital just solved a hilarious case of mistaken identity.
On Thursday, a woman brought in a baby hedgehog to the Lower Moss Nature Reserve and Wildlife Hospital in Cheshire, England — only to be told it wasn’t an animal in need, but a beanie hat pop-pom.
The caring woman had picked up the ‘hedgehog’ from the side of the road after she noticed it “hadn’t moved or pooped all night,” reported U.K. newspaper The Independent.
“From a distance, you take it at face value. She didn’t handle it at all — she scooped it in a box with some cat food and left it alone in a warm, dark place,” veterinarian Janet Kotze, told the paper.
“She did everything so well. She barely peeked at it because she didn’t want to stress it out.”
Kotze described the woman who made the rescue as having “well-meaning” intentions. She said she knew immediately when presented with the box containing the ‘hedgehog’ what it actually was.
“It was pretty obvious to us but I can also see how she was mistaken,” she recalled. “She said, ‘You’re joking! Oh my goodness, how did I do that?’ ”
“She was so concentrated on doing the right thing. She was concerned it hadn’t moved or even pooed — that would be spooky if it had,” Kotze added.
A real-life hedgehog
The wildlife hospital wrote of the rescue attempt on Facebook, “Our hearts melted as a kind soul thought she was rescuing a baby hedgehog,” as they jokingly nicknamed the pop-pom ‘hoglet.’
Despite the mistake, the reserve shared that the “adorable” new visitor “still got all the love, complete with some cozy TLC.”
“Remember, kindness knows no bounds, even when it’s to a faux furry friend! 🐾,” the wildlife hospital added while highlighting the importance of rescuing hedgehogs in vulnerable situations.
“Please remember, if you spot a hedgehog out during the day, it’s a sign something’s not right. Pop them in a box with a warm source and seek help from your local vets. Let’s keep our prickly friends safe!”
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“he was so benevolent, so merciful a man that, in his mistaken passion, he
would have held an umbrella over a duck in a shower of rain.”
-douglas william jerrold
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p.s. confession: this could have easily been me. especially if i didn’t have my glasses on.
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source credits: escher walcott, people, the independent, kennedy news media photo,
random hand model, not me, wearing ‘dusty rose’ polish.
i’m very hard on my nails so polish doesn’t stand a chance of lasting very long.