Robert Burns

Robert Burns, who is often referred to as the "National Poet of Scotland," was born on this day in 1759.

He was also a lyricist and his poem and song, "Auld Lang Syne," is usually sung on New Year's Eve.

John Steinbeck used a line of Burns' poem, " To A Mouse," in the title of his book "Of Mice and Men," in 1937.

Bob Dylan chose Burns' song, "A Red, Red Rose," as the lyric that affected him the most.

O my Luve's like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June:
O my Luve's like the melodie
That’s sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry:

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun;
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve
And fare thee weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

The source of this information is Wikipedia.

Class Act

A word to the wise. I was asked to write for an anthology about women a couple of years ago and my piece was rejected because my research sources became quickly outdated, due to being online sites.

However, I did refer the anthology compilers and editors to other potential contributors. I had forgotten all about my disappointment with the aforementioned project, to which I had dedicated much toil and time, and was pleasantly surprised when the book was published. A contributor whom I had recommended and had been accepted, wrote to me and said that in the beginning pages of the anthology, I was thanked by name for referring contributors.

So, I am looking forward to reading "Contemporary American Women: Our Defining Passages."

I suggest you do the same. The class act editors are Carol Smallwood and Cynthia Vincent-Brackett.

Mesh

This is something I intended to post back when it was published in December 2009.

I had the privilege of interviewing my friend and associate, Martha Engber. The link of the article in the Santa Clara Weekly is http://scw.tearn.com/2009/12/santa-claran-launches-literary-novel.html

I met Martha some time ago at a meeting of the South Bay Chapter of the California Writers Club. I am best known as a poet there.
Who knew that years later I would be writing a story about Martha Engber for the newspaper, while I was wearing my journalist hat.

In my work as a reporter, I meet people from all walks of life. In fact, I was recently asked to speak at a retirement hotel by one of my former interviewees. My topic is what it is like to be a writer.

It is always an inspiration to see how different facets of one's life overlap. My next blog post will continue with another unforeseen outcome and connection. Stay tuned... : )

Just for fun

Puns For Educated Minds

1. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.

2. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian .

3. She was only a whiskey maker, but he loved her still.

4. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class, because it was a weapon of math disruption.

5. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.

6. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.

7. A grenade thrown into a kitchen in France would result in Linoleum Blownapart.

8. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.

9. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall.. The police are looking into it.

10. Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like a banana.

11. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.

12. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway.. One hat said to the other: 'You stay here; I'll go on a head.'

13. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.

14. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'

15. The short fortune-teller who escaped from prison was a small medium at large.

16. The man who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.

17. A backward poet writes inverse.

18. In a democracy it's your vote that counts. In feudalism it's your count that votes.

19. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.

20. If you jumped off the bridge in Paris, you'd be in Seine.