Thursday, December 31, 2009

Ringing Out


Lights in the Common

Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
The flying cloud, the frosty light;
The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true...

Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1850

* * *

I like this poem. I like the sentiment.

What's more? I like that this year is over. I'm ready to ring it out.

To do that, I'll be using the cowbell I got for my birthday yesterday. It's painted white, with black lettering that reads "I got a fever..." (I'm guessing y'all know what the prescription is, right?)

No doubt it's just the sort of "wild bell" that Lord Tennyson had in mind.

And so - here's to peace, light, truth. Here's to gentle rhyming. Here's to finding a place and space to each ring our wild bell in the New Year.

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