City Trees

"City Trees"
by Edna St. Vincent Millay

The trees along this city street,
Save for the traffic and the trains,
Would make a sound as thin and sweet
As trees in country lanes.

And people standing in their shade
Out of a shower, undoubtedly
Would hear such music as is made
Upon a country tree.

Oh, little leaves that are so dumb
Against the shrieking city air,
I watch you when the wind has come,—
I know what sound is there.

For Your Viewing

Snippets and Snatches

In Short, I Write too Much and Speak too Little

Whose language do I speak, to whom belongs my wetted lip?
The words of my tongue fall neatly to chin, to chest, to hip,
Into my bulging pocket, an armor and a veil,
Finding rest on napkins, paper scraps and mail.

There, spinning to a stop, like a penny on the kitchen floor,
Verbum becomes still water, refluent no more;
No plashy word will spring from the ground,
Only grunts, sighs, and primitive sound.

With scribing of the word, more and more I find,
Tonic of speech thick on tongue, heavy on mind.
A well-brewed epigram will suffice;
Shall brevity be my paralyzing vice?

Let's Talk About This:

The Morn Smiles and Blushes

Here are a few stanzas from Anne Bradstreet's "Contemplations." I read it in my American literature class this past week, and I loved it! It's too long to post the whole thing, and I know no one would read the whole thing. I hope this small taste will give you the desire to read the rest:

[Here Bradstreet is describing the sun in the sky, as she is taking a walk outside. She is amazed at it's glory and is in awe- how much greater the creator must be!]

5
Thou as a Bridegroom from thy Chamber rushes
And as a strong man joys to run a race.
The morn doth usher thee with smiles and blushes.
The Earth reflects her glances in thy face.
Birds, insects, Animals with Vegative,
Thy heat from death and dullness doth revive
And in the darksome womb of fruitful nature dive.

6

Thy swift Annual and diurnal Course,
Thy daily straight and yearly oblique path,
Thy pleasing fervour, and thy scorching force,
All mortals here the feeling knowledge hath.
Thy presence makes it day, thy absence night,
Quaternal seasons caused by thy might.
Hail Creature, full of sweetness, beauty, and delight!

7

Art thou so full of glory that no Eye
Hath strength thy shining Rays once to behold?
And is thy splendid Throne erect so high
As, to approach it, can no earthly mould?
How full of glory then must thy Creator be!
Who gave this bright light luster unto thee.
Admir'd, ador'd for ever be that Majesty!

8

Silent alone where none or saw or heard,
In pathless paths I lead my wand'ring feet.
My humble Eyes to lofty Skies I rear'd
To sing some Song my mazed Muse thought meet.
My great Creator I would magnify
That nature had thus decked liberally,
But Ah and Ah again, my imbecility!

-Anne Bradstreet (1612-1672), one of the first American poets, a puritan who came to the new world when she was 16, from her poem entitled "Contemplations."

Fresh Meat. Oh, Sorry, I Meant Man. Freshman.

Yesterday I finished my first week of college. Yesterday, being a Friday, was also the first Friday I went to class in five years. When I say that out loud, I feel like a mix between a home-school-er and Huck Finn. Does that make sense?

So, here's a surprise. Remember how I originally wanted to live on campus, and then my dreams of independence were crushed by an unusually large freshman class with an unusual amount of out-of-town students who filled up the dorms? Okay, yeah, that happened. But then, (*trumpets play*) a miracle occurred - I was reunited with my dreams about fifteen minutes before my first college class. This is how it happened:

I'm about to get out of my car, commuter-style, and walk to my first class (nerves pumping some unholy vibrations through me) when the my phone rings.

"Hello?"
"Hey Madeline, are you still interested in living on campus?"
"Uh, yeah, absolutely."
"Well, you got it."
"Waaaait...What?"
"Some one didn't show up to claim their room, and now it's yours."
"Oh. Oh wow. Uh, when can I move in?"
"You could move in right now, if you wanted to."
"Oh. Oh my goodness. Ummm...Can I call you back?"

I told my mother. Mother is shocked and freaking out. I could not think clearly, but here's my thought-process:

Okay, chill out, Madsey, this is what you wanted, why are you so nervous?! Ahhh! No, seriously, chill. Okay, I'm cool. this is cool, we're all good...I can't do it! I missed all the floor meetings, I missed move in day, I missed meet your RA day (wait do they even have those?)...I missed out on everything that everyone else got to do when they moved in three days ago. I'm a commuter now, I am. I commuted today, and that's what I thought I was gonna have to do all year. I mean, can I really change my plans like this? Can I really pack up my life right now? I should have been planning this months ahead of time! Stupid Webster, always throwing me for a loop.

Deep breath. Never have I ever (haha) felt the weight of a decision so heavily on my shoulders. That may sound way over dramatic to most people, but to me, this choice was going to change my life. If I stayed home, I'd have one experience, and I'd have one attitude, if I took the room, I'd have a totally different life for the next year, and probably three years to come. It sounds stupid, but when you have a choice like that, it feels like you're choosing between two different lives to lead.

You got this Mads. Just go to class.

I went to class, came home and discussed it with my parents, slept on it, and the next day I called and accepted the room. And now I'm psyched! Once I committed to my decision, I felt really good about it - I started to remember my original reasons for wanting to live there, and I knew I made the right choice (with the help of prayer and the wisdom of my steadfast parents).

It amazes me just how scared I can get, just because of change. A change of mindset, mostly. I actually enjoy the change of material and physical things, but when I have change the way I live, or the way I look at things, it scares me to death. I can do it, of course, but it takes a lot of help from other people.

So, in conclusion, my first week of college, was eventful, full of new friends and experiences, and one of the longest weeks of my life. I now have all of my stuff packed up in four boxes and two bags, with little excess.
My world is changing, once again.