My blog has been strangely bereft of comments lately. Was it something I said? Dear me, I know I'm not the most popular girl on the block, but ever since I began posting a verse each day in honor of National Poetry Month, I have been astounded by the silence (except for one or two poetry lovers - you know who you are).

Does anyone have a favorite poet....or poem? I confess to being partial to Robert Louis Stevenson, many of whose poems I memorized as a young girl and still remember. I suspect my elementary school teacher was fond of him as well; I have distinct memories of reciting "My Shadow" and "The Swing" aloud in class. At home we owned a very worn old copy of A Child's Garden of Verses, beautifully illustrated by Jessie Willcox Smith. Many years ago, Dwayne surprised me at Christmas with a newer copy of the book which still contained the original artwork. "Oh frabjous day! Callooh callay!" (And I truly did chortle in my joy.) Happily, Anna Rose shares my delight in his poetry, and she is well on her way to memorizing the entire book I do believe. How sweet it is to revisit my childhood through her enjoyment of these poems.

The Flowers

All the names I know from nurse:

Gardner's garters, Shepherd's purse,

Bachelor's buttons, Lady's smock,

And the Lady Hollyhock.

Fairy places, fairy things,

Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,

Tiny trees for tiny dames -

These must all be fairy names!

Tiny woods below whose boughs

Shady fairies weave a house;

Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme,

Where the braver fairies climb!

Fair are grown-up people's trees,

But the fairest woods are these;

Where, if I were not so tall,

I should live for good and all.