Saturday

Oct. 26, 2002

Psalm 34

by David R. Slavitt

SATURDAY, 26 OCTOBER 2002
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Poem: "Psalm 34," by David R. Slavitt, from Psalms of David (Louisiana State University Press).

Psalm 34

Always, I shall bless my Lord,
Boast of His love, and demonstrate
Clearly to those who have not had
Deliverance from affliction the great

Easing He offers. Let us as one
Frame prayers of praise and thanks to Him.
God is more radiant than the sun.
His rays can penetrate to the dim

Interior places of the soul.
Just before we abandon hope,
Kind angels come, console, condole,
Lighting the dark through which we grope.

Magnificent! O taste and see!
Near at hand is abundant proof
Of the goodness of God. And happy are we
People who worship beneath His roof.

Quite awesome is He, and holy men
Revere and love Him, knowing He will
Save and protect them, confident when
They trust in Him, they may fear no ill.

Up on the veld, the lion's young
Voice in vain their hunger, but here
We are fed by the Lord. We wander among
Xeric wastes, and freshets appear.
Your faith may waver, but trust that His vast
Zig-zagging lines will converge at last.


It's the birthday of Leon Trotsky, author and a leader of the Bolshevik Revolution, born in Yanovka, Ukraine, Russia (1879). He said: "Old age is the most unexpected of all the things that happen to a man."

It's the birthday of British editor and Poet Laureate Andrew Motion, born in London (1952). He said: "I want my writing to be as clear as water. No ornate language; very few obvious tricks. I want readers to be able to see all the way down through its surfaces into the swamp."

The first use of a "getaway car" happened on this day in 1901, when three men robbed a Paris jewelry store.

It's the birthday of novelist and playwright John Arden, born in Barnsley, England (1930). His most recognized works are the plays Sergeant Musgrave's Dance (1959) and Left-Handed Liberty (1965). In 1962, John and his wife Margaretta D'Arcy bought a house on an island in a lake in Ireland. John: "It is extremely difficult to get there-and very difficult for me to get off. I want it that way. I've done a lot of work there."

It's the birthday of American writer Pat Conroy, born in Atlanta, Georgia (1945). His most notable works are the autobiographical The Great Santini (1976), about his troubled childhood and abusive father, and The Prince of Tides (1986). His latest work is My Losing Season. He said: "All life connects. Nothing that happens is meaningless."

It's the birthday of legendary gospel singer Mahalia Jackson, born in New Orleans (1911).



Be well, do good work, and keep in touch.®

 

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