So today I am feeling lazy even though I made bread yesterday and have washed a zillion dishes in the last few months.

After exercising and the usual morning routine of making coffee and cleaning up a bit, I have been beginning my day sitting outside reading The Great Code by Northrup Frye the last few days.

(Hey, it looks like Frye has his own Canadian postage stamp.)

As I read further in this book it has become much less difficult than it began. At the beginning I thought some of his ideas were very clarifying, but as the book progresses i find that he’s not teaching me much either about the Bible or literature.

On the other hand, I have found reading in my handy dandy new Bible translations has been much more educational. I was taught a lot of Bible stories as a kid. Then I learned  a lot from studying history and liturgy and what not. But I still can find surprises and I like that.

But before long, sitting outside is too hot. We have turned on our air conditioner during the day. What a luxury!

I still read poetry daily. This morning I looked up a couple of the many Wallace Stevens poems that Northrup Frye incidentally quotes in his book. I’m still trying to connect with Stevens who was a bit favorite of Harold Bloom.

Here’s links to the poems I like in the May issue of Poetry Magazine.

Daedel  by A.E. Stallings

The Acceptance by Raymond Antrobus

I dreamed about my dead father last night. We were on a bus and he only had socks on. Weirdly I thought we should get off and go buy him some warmer socks. Why not shoes, I wonder?

Fuck / Time by Inua Ellams

This poem is the story of what happens when Yo Yo Ma tries to record the song of a shaman in Botswana

Sestina written as though Genesis by Kayleb Rae Candrilli

I especially like how this poem begins. In the magazine this is a fold out page to allow for the very long lines.