105 Ways to Give a Book

Poetry Friday: "Jerusalem"

Yesterday I got back from a short vacation and I'm feeling, well... happy.

My in-laws treated the families to a stay at The Homestead, and it was lovely. Beautiful place, fun activities, good food, and lots of family time. With my own family, I mean. Yes, we shared meals and swimming with our relatives, but the core of it was us four. And I liked it. And I like how much I liked spending time with these people, my family. We get along so well as a group, and when split off in different pairings, that's great too. We joke and talk and sing so easily. Yes, sing.

One of the songs we couldn't stop singing is Dan Bern's "Jerusalem." It starts off very Bob Dylan in sound and lyrics, but gets really fun along the way. So that's today's contribution to the songs-as-poetry series:
When I tell you that I love you
Don't test my love
Accept my love, don't test my love
Cause maybe I don't love you all that much
Don't ask what kind of music I'm gonna play tonight
Just stay awhile, hear for yourself awhile
And if you must put me in a box, make sure it's a big box
With lots of windows
And a door to walk through
And a nice high chimney
So we can burn burn burn everything that we don't like
And watch the ashes fly up to Heaven
...and then it starts to go off road with the rest of the lyrics, but in an awesome way. Usually I pick a video with some actual video-like content, but the live shows weren't as good to me as just listening to the song. The payoff starts at about 1:20. Stick with it.



Visit our Poetry Friday host at Steps and Staircases. Hope that your summer is treating you even half as well as this:

Fifteen Minutes

I literally have fifteen minutes before I leave for work, but I want to write something today. Actually, that's how I've been feeling all summer - like I'm cramming in a thought or action or activity between things. Random schedules of two active teens matched with my own irregular work schedule superimposed on the long days that my husband spends at work has my mind scrambling to find consistency and connection.

The Kid had theatre/music school weekdays until two and then "Fame" rehearsal every week night. Except when it's canceled. Or when she also has rehearsal on Saturday. Teen is working at Abercrombie a couple of days a week, but she doesn't know what those days are until Saturday. And she also has call-in shifts where they probably won't need her, but she needs to be available. She's also doing a service project at a local shelter and has the nerve to have a social life with friends.

My work schedule is always subject to change, but more so in the summer when I may be covering for coworkers on vacation. When I'm at work in the summer, I'm working hard. Programs of puppet shows and songsters, sure to bring in a crowd. Reshelving books attacked by kids released in the library on rain-soaked days. Readers advisory galore. And behind all of it, a creeping conversation about changes to come in the library system, many of which seem ill-considered.

I wrote about missing summer as a joyful season. But I'm also missing summer as a time to relax from the busy, chaotic schedule of the school year. I'm just tired, and my fifteen minutes are up, so it's time to go to work.