If You Keep Your Eyes Shut

An old door. I love shut doors.

I am a very curious person.

Nosy to some that don't understand.

And a closed door, especially a beautiful one,

has to have a treasure behind it.

That's why I love books.

Books carry me away to another place.

Another land. Another life.

My second love is books of poetry.

The one by Robert Frost is by far my favorite.

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.

His house is in the village though;

He will not see me stopping here

To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer

To stop without a farmhouse near

Between the woods and frozen lake

The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake

To ask if there is some mistake.

The only other sound’s the sweep

Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.

But I have promises to keep,

And miles to go before I sleep,

And miles to go before I sleep.

~ Robert Frost

I had never read this poem by Dr. Seuss, but will keep it now~

If you keep your eyes shut, you'll miss the best things! 

I Can Read With My Eyes Shut!
Dr. Seuss

I can read in red. I can read in blue.
I can read in pickle color too.
I can read in bed, and in purple. and in brown.
I can read in a circle and upside down!
I can read with my left eye. I can read with my right.
I can read Mississippi with my eyes shut tight!

There are so many things you can learn about.
But…you'll miss the best things 
If you keep your eyes shut.
The more that you read, the more things you will know
The more that you learn, the more places you'll go. 

If you read with your eyes shut you're likely to find
That the place where you're going is far, far behind
SO…that's why I tell you to keep your eyes wide.
Keep them wide open…at least on one side.

When our daughter, Jenny, was born

I recalled a poem I learned in high school.

Jenny Kiss'd Me. We didn't get her name from it,

but I've always thought of it fondly as her poem.

Jenny Kiss'd Me

Jenny kissed me when we met,

Jumping from the chair she sat in;

Time, you thief, who love to get

Sweets into your list, put that in!

Say I'm weary, say I'm sad,

Say that health and wealth have missed me,

Say I'm growing old, but add,

Jenny kiss'd me. 

~ James Henry Leigh Hunt