The Evening Star
~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
Lo! in the painted oriel of the West,
Whose panes the sunken sun incarnadines,
Like a fair lady at her casement, shines
The evening star, the star of love and rest!
And then anon she doth herself divest
Of all her radiant garments, and reclines
Behind the sombre screen of yonder pines,
With slumber and soft dreams of love oppressed.
O my beloved, my sweet Hesperus!
My morning and my evening star of love!
My best and gentlest lady! even thus,
As that fair planet in the sky above,
Dost thou retire unto thy rest at night,
And from thy darkened window fades the light.
***
The first week of school, day two and it's merry mayhem around here with a special soccer training program twice weekly, a mid-week ballet lesson and a host of other extra-curricular activities to schedule. How on earth can I focus on the paid job when there is so much fun to be had after 3.00 pm every day? How can I concertina up those office hours to spend more time with the children? I'm trying.
The children go to bed plum-tuckered-out under the evening star and thr full moon last night. Not I, of course, because I'm still up covering books (last minute creative attempt), thinking about packed lunches (but deciding against preparing the night ahead as it most items won't stay fresh) and devising complex transport arrangements (with all the precision of a LinFox freight truck).
