Just stopping in for a brief visit.

First snowfall of the season last night. A light dusting, but the world is white, the footing treacherous. Winter!

The blog has been very serious lately, very dry. I am going to continue with the Colossians notes, but perhaps not today. All I want to do today is invite you to read the following sonnet (also serious, but hardly dry) by the English poet, Gerard Manley Hopkins. Here's his picture, by the way.



[The poem is untitled.]

As kingfishers catch fire, dragonflies draw flame;
As tumbled over rim and roundy wells
Stones ring; like each tucked string tells, each hung bell's
Bow swung finds tongue to fling out broad its name;
Each mortal thing does one thing and the same:
Deals out that being indoors each one dwells;
Selves- goes itself; myself it speaks and spells,
Crying What I do is me: for that I came.

I say more: the just man justices;
Keeps gráce: thát keeps all his goings graces;
Acts in God's eye what in God's eye he is--
Chríst. For Christ plays in ten thousand places,
Lovely in limbs, and lovely in eyes not his
To the Father through the features of men's faces.

***

Later, perhaps, I'll sully the poetic moment by attempting to transcribe my thoughts about this poem, but not now. Gotta go.

Oh, and thanks, Sandy, for your kind words. Yes, I think about it all the time.