Ring Out, Wild Bells
by Alfred, Lord Tennyson
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.
Ring out the grief that saps the mind
For those that here we see no more;
Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.
Ring out a slowly dying cause,
And ancient forms of party strife;
Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.
Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
The faithless coldness of the times;
Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.
Ring out false pride in place and blood,
The civic slander and the spite;
Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.
Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
Ring out the narrowing lust of gold;
Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.
Ring in the valiant man and free,
The larger heart, the kindlier hand;
Ring out the darkness of the land,
Ring in the Christ that is to be.
Happy New Year.
It’s the season for resolutions.
I’m hoping to try to do more blogging this year. More poetry, more reading logs. More book reviews. And more prompt on posting my learning notes– is anyone still reading those?
Let’s see if I can start the year off on the right foot with a little poem and art, hearkening back to the January where I did a daily poetry and art post. I’m not going to pledge a daily post, but maybe I’ll try to make it a more regular occurrence.
I still read your learning notes! Usually a week or two a time in a great gulp. Which seems to be a pattern I’ve fallen into with most of the blogs I still read (i.e. the ones that still exists).
Maybe we need to start a “Blog like it’s 2005” thing–a shared Feedly list or something, or even an old-school blogroll in the sidebar, for those of us who miss those old days and want to cheer each other on in our efforts to return to more consistent blogging habits. Remember blog-rings? I loved those. 🙂
You don’t know how encouraging it is just to know that you’re reading them! Sometimes I feel like I’m sending out ships into the dark on a subterranean lake, wondering if they’ll ever reach the further shore, if there even is a shore. If they don’t just sink like stones mere yards from shore. And yes, I do think it would be lovely if we found some way to encourage each other, and to regain that sense of blog community.
In May I never even posted my learning notes or pictures of Bella’s birthday, a whole month gone. Partly because my computer died. And looking back I wonder if that lost month isn’t part of what derailed what had been a pretty good habit to that point. But this year is going to be different! Better! More blogging!
Yes, and more commenting so we know the ships are reaching shore. 🙂 I’ve been terrible about that. Reading on my phone and then just…clicking on. Because I hate writing on my phone. But that’s a weak excuse.
I read your learning notes too but especially love your poetry posts. Thanks for the Tennyson and painting. So perfect. A very happy new year to you and your family!
Thanks, Stephanie, I should get back to more poetry and paintings. A happy new year to you and yours too.
I read the learning notes posts! Well, I read all you posts 🙂
🙂 Yay! I need to get back to being better at reading blogs.
Happy New Year to you: I hope the year is kind to you and holds some light-hearted reading that makes you giggle 🙂
Thank you, Valerie, you too.
Would love to hear more from you in 2017!
Oh I do hope so. I want to get out of my rut so badly. I feel like I’ve been stuck in the mud for a long time now.
I read your posts!
I really want to blog more too except that right now most of my internet time is on my phone while nursing the baby and I do not have the patience to peck out an entire post with one thumb.
I hear you. I got really good at typing one handed on my laptop and at balancing it on a pillow next to me. It’s much harder when you’re tied to a baby.
I’m still reading, I just don’t comment much. 🙂
Well, I’m equally guilty of not commenting on anyone else’s blogs, so I guess I shouldn’t complain.