Editor's Corner

By Mary E. Adair

December 2011

Language is the armoury of the human mind; and at once contains the trophies of its past, and the weapons of its future conquests. -Samuel Taylor Coleridge, poet, critic, and philosopher (1772-1834)

Yes, December is playing its little tricks, holding onto warm nights and warmer days, then zapping one with a sudden cold front and dropping temperatures a resounding 30 to 50 degrees in a matter of hours only to embrace the midday following with sunshine and sweat. Who are we to beg different behavior when our own tends to fluctuate with the breeze or lack there of. Perhaps it is because it simply does not seem like Winter has arrived.

Nonetheless, it will soon be Christmas and Hannuka and then in pops a new year (along with the birthday of one of our columnists, LC.) So instead of adding our most frequently seen poem by yours truly for this season the link is here: "Tiny Miracle."

Besides LC's column, "Consider This," Leo C. Helmer has "Cooking With Leo," Peg Jones has "Angel Whispers," "Eric Shackle's Column" by himself discusses the words people believe to have no rhymes, Thomas F. O'Neill in "Introspective" tells about Christmas in China; Carolyn Evans reveals her experience with "Sunfish Meditation," in "Etcetera." Mattie Lennon of Dublin does "Irish Eyes," and John I. Blair encourages family reunions in "Always Looking -."

We welcome one new poet, the Telephone Man, and yes, we know who it is and though he prefers anonimity, you will want to read "God's Mirror." Wendy Shepard Kaplan returns with "The House That Holds My Dreams," and Bruce Clifford shows four of his poems, "Half The World Seems To Be Crazy," "The Looking Glass," "Such Simplicity," and "The Ribbon People." M. Jay Mansfield sent in five for this month, "On The Outside," "Cloudy," "If I Don't Make It," "Thank You My Friends," and "Things Change."

John I. Blair's six poems are, "Assenath And Her Mother," "Cardinals At Twilight," "In This Bite of Time," "Oh Cedar," "Mid November," and "Once More The Moon." Mark Crocker does a tribute poem, "To My Best Friend," and the one story is his, "A Rabbo Christmas Tale."

Enjoy the refreshing contents and we'll see you in January.

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Click on Mary E. Adair for bio and list of other works published by Pencil Stubs Online.