Serenity

View of the local dam in my hometown. Autumn in England.

 

 

 

 

 

This royal throne of kings, this sceptred isle,
This earth of majesty, this seat of Mars,
This other Eden, demi-paradise,
This fortress built by Nature for herself
Against infection and the hand of war,
This happy breed of men, this little world,
This precious stone set in the silver sea,
Which serves it in the office of a wall
Or as a moat defensive to a house,
Against the envy of less happier lands,--
This blessed plot, this earth, this realm, this England.

 

William Shakespeare "King Richard II", Act 2 scene 1 

 

 

Spring and Winter

When icicles hang by the wall,

And Dick the shepherd blows his nail,

And Tom bears logs into the hall,

And milk comes frozen home in pail,

When blood is nipp'd, and ways be foul

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

To-whit! To-who!—a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

When all aloud the wind doe blow,

And coughing drowns the parson's saw,

And birds sit brooding in the snow,

And Marian's nose looks red and raw,

When roasted crabs hiss in the bowl,

Then nightly sings the staring owl,

To-whit! To-who!—a merry note,

While greasy Joan doth keel the pot.

Love's Labour's Lost, V.ii; written circa 1593~William Shakespeare

"blows his nail"—blows on his hands to warm them"

keel the pot"—cool the contents of the pot by stirring or pouring in something cold"

saw"—speech or sermon

"crabs"—crabapples