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Penny Pawl's avatar

Charming!!!!

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Douglas L Murray's avatar

Once again, Sasha, you open up the depths of the world around us through stories of seemingly innocent intimacies, reminiscent of William Blake's famous poem, Auguries of Innocence:

To see a world in a grain of sand

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in an hour.

Thank you for another great read.

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Napa Valley Features's avatar

Thank you—we couldn’t agree more about Sasha Paulsen’s work. It’s moving and meaningful. We had actually planned to publish the very poem you mentioned, but Penguin recently reissued those works, removing them from the public domain. The poem we selected today is no less powerful, but yes, that one was our original instinct as well.

Thank you again for your thoughtful note and continued support. Sasha has a way of revealing the depths of the world through moments of quiet intimacy, much like the lines from Blake’s Auguries of Innocence:

“To see a world in a grain of sand

And a heaven in a wild flower,

Hold infinity in the palm of your hand

And eternity in an hour.”

We’re grateful, as always, for the chance to share her words.

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Drew  Tomasyan's avatar

Great article Sasha! I felt like you were echoing all my own thoughts. Thank you!

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Joanne Depuy's avatar

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow: The Rainy Day

The day is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

The vine still clings to the moldering wall,

But at every gust some dead leaves fall,

And the day is dark and dreary

My life is cold, and dark, and dreary;

It rains, and the wind is never weary;

My thoughts still cling to the moldering Past,

But the hopes of youth fall thick in the blast,

and the days are dark and dreary

Be still, sad heart! and cease repining:

Behind the clouds is the sun still whining;

Thy fate is the common fate of all,

Into each life some rain must fall,

Some days must be dark and dreary.

Sasha: Loved your article. My mother's favorite rainy day poem...always repeated on rainy days!

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Napa Valley Features's avatar

What a wonderful reminder! Thank you.

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Nancy Yewell's avatar

Sasha, you've done it again! Delightful and uplifting.

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Carolyn Younger's avatar

Thank you, Sasha. I was getting more and more depressed by stories of what our president-and-cronies are up to, and then I read your piece about real people, courageous people, people who make a difference without shouting about it. And you included a dog — a bonus in my book. I was cheered by the account, and despite the rain, you made the day a little brighter.

Carolyn Younger

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A. Cort Sinnes's avatar

Nice piece, Sasha. I enjoyed reading it. We must remain vigilant against Oblomovitis. And ten minutes ago, I didn't even know it was a word. Thank you.

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