Business, economic development - the unofficial Chamber of Commerce

Baskets are made from a variety of materials; Native Americans made baskets with resources that were the most plentiful in their specific environment. For instance, some Native Americans made their baskets with swamp ash—a kind of wood that was abundant in the New England region. Other Indians would follow the same practice, but with different wood. In the Southwest, sumac and yucca leaves were used for baskets; while in the northwest, roots from spruce trees and cedar bark was used.

But that’s just basket weaving in America; the practice itself goes back much further. In fact, according to some historians, some of the earliest archaeological finds of basket weaving was in ancient Egypt some 12,000 years ago. Other baskets were found in the middle-eastern section of the world, estimated to be over 7,000 years old. But because many baskets were made of perishable material, like leaves and roots, in particular, it can’t be known for certain when basket weaving originated.

There are several types of basketry, and according to some of the more learned historians of basket weaving, the type depended on what material the basket was made of. Coiled basketry, for instance, were baskets made with grasses. Twining basketry were baskets made with tree bark. And wicker basketry—perhaps the most common ingredient in today’s baskets—were made with oak or ash.

But basket weaving isn’t exactly a paint-by-numbers kind of art. It takes patience and practice to form the kind of baskets that will not only impress you but impress those who you give or sell them to. There is nothing quite like a homemade product, especially a basket, something that every person needs at one time or another for collecting eggs, gathering flowers, carrying food to the park or beach or for using as decoration for the kitchen table.

No matter how you make a basket, whether it’s a bushel basket, a casserole basket or a picnic basket, basket weaving is an art form and, in some small way, enables basket weavers to get in touch with the history of our civilization.

How many of you are always looking for new ways to use your embroidery designs - always, or never? If never, you are overlooking wonderful opportunities! Do you optimize the use of every design? Do you routinely review your library of designs to see if you can combine motifs from one set with another? Have you noticed how embroidery design styles have changed over the past few years? Give those old motifs a new look by using the designs that you got way back when, again! Add new motifs under, or around, them to create a whole new look! My last big project, a wind jacket back, is a good example of what anyone can do with a little time and imagination!

With fall already upon us, I wanted something tropical in my
wardrobe as it’s still every where in ready-to-wear & home dec. The colors are just as exciting as leaves turning colors. With the tropical look continuing into fall, I remembered a wind jacket, with a hole that needed covering, in my closet. The fabric is an aqua, “falling leaf” jacquard that would be perfect in both style & color!

I began with the 168-169 Tropical scene components but wanted
to add other motifs to cover the entire jacket back. Next I added a colorful bird from set 166 Flights of Fancy.

Although larger, these birds were simply wonderful as forefront
motifs with the smaller tropical plants as background! When I
went back through my sets, up to 2 years old, I found 117 Japanese Botanicals with several motifs that worked into what I had already stitched to make a spectacular finished look. The scene had motifs from 4 entirely different themes that I had never thought about putting together before.

When planning a large area you want to give the effect of being
almost covered, yet leave an open effect. You want most motifs to appear as just an illusion, with only a few focus pieces to be in full fill. Often this can achieve this by using muted colors that almost blend into the fabric color & brighter colors for the key pieces which you want to draw the real attention.

TIP: A great way to visualize how the whole “picture” will look, print out 1:1 size templates of the motifs, cut them out & move like puzzle pieces until it’s pleasing to you.

The main things to watch when creating a large area or scene are:

1. Don’t overdo it! Don’t try to fill every single inch of the large area making the scene too busy.

2. Don’t worry about exact placement - a random look is much more attractive, especially on all 4 sides. Place motifs in an uneven fashion.

3. Don’t limit yourself to motifs from one set - you might wind up with something less than spectacular!

4. Think outside the box! You may be surprised at the sets you pull motifs from to create a whole new theme! Example: try roosters with florals or veggies or create a theme of fruit & flowers.

5. Don’t let the design colors keep you from considering them for the project. Very often a few color changes will give a whole new look to a motif making it work with something else you would never have considered before.

If you don’t “think outside the box”, you are missing out on
the real enjoyment & ability to expand your creativity to optimize the use of your designs! To see what I mean, take a look at the photo of my finished wind jacket that is post on our web site!

Thread Artist has the superior designs & supplies you need to make all your creations as spectacular as you imagine them. You’ve invested a lot in your equipment; don’t compromise the projects you create with your equipment by using less than the very best supplies & embroidery designs available anywhere!

Sandy Carter is the author of embroidery articles at embroidery
designs by Thread Artist. She has an article about embroidery software for digitizing and lettering fonts at
embroidery software. There is free embroidery digitizing Tutorial at
this web address - embroidery by Thread Artists.

There are many brands of machines out there and everyone boasts different features. Some machines appeal to quilters, others want you to embroider everything including the toilet seat and the shower curtain. Searching for the right machine is going to take some time.

Shopping for a new machine can make your head spin. The girls on my boards discuss which machine is best every time someone needs a new one. We all know the name brands but I am not going to suggest one, that decision is yours. It’s a personal one and an important one. I will, however give you a few basic questions you should ask yourself.

1. What type of sewing do you plan to do?
- clothing
- crafts
- repairs and alterations
- home decorating

2. Where will you sew?
- sewing room
- kitchen table
- integrated into other family living area

3. How will your machine be stored?
- in its own cabinet
- in a closet hiding behind the coats
- leave it out to sew every spare moment

4. Consider your budget and buying habits? How long will you keep this machine?
- 6 months
- a few years
- forever and a day

When you answer these questions, you are on your way to making the right decision. Obviously if you are going to sew from the kitchen table, you don’t want a machine with lots of accessories or add-ons that will take up too much room. If you are doing repairs and alterations, you don’t want a machine that duplicates the quilting stitch. If you have small children around, your machine needs to be tucked away safely. Just a few things to think about.

Research is the name of the game here. Check out the latest consumer reports. Visit the forum discussions on sew-whats-new.com and see what the girls are using. They will gladly tell you what works and what doesn’t. Another source is the well known sewing magazines. Sew News and Threads do comparison studies all the time.

If you are lucky enough to have local dealers, pay them all a visit. Test drive all their machines and ask lots and lots of questions. Take fabric with you that you use and test out things like stitch length, reverse and some of the different presser feet. Find out about lessons. Lots of dealers will give you a few free lessons to get you acquainted with your machine. Above all, take your time. I cannot stress this enough. Don’t let anyone rush you thru the process. Leave the kids at home so you have no distractions. While you are in the shop asking questions, you can see how the staff relate to customers and if they have the answers to all your questions. If they seem impatient or brusque, imagine how they might be after the sale. If they are not helpful now at the prospect of a sale, they probably won’t be later if you need help.

On the other hand, a strong sales pitch can also steer you in the wrong direction. Paying for a top of the line model doesn’t mean you are getting the machine you will be happiest with. You must resist the urge for that impulse buy. Go home and talk to someone who sews. Find out their experiences and listen to what they have to say. Again, take your time with this decision.

If you have visited all the dealers, and test driven their machines visit them all again. Visit again when you are rested and can make a clear decision. Go back and take a second look at those machines. You are looking at them with new eyes now. Maybe there are a few things you never noticed the first time that stand out now. What about that foot pedal, is it comfortable? Do you want the even feed feature? Does the machine run smoothly and quietly? Are there more programmes than you will ever use? If so, make a mental note and you can scale down your possible choices. This second visit will tell you more than you expect.

Ask about the warranty that comes with each machine. Be sure you know who is responsible for standing behind it, your dealer or the manufacturer. Are repairs made locally or will you have to pack everything up and send it away.

Be very sure you understand what is included with the sewing machine. Which feet, how many bobbins and what about a manual. The manual is very important. You will refer to the manual time after time so it should be a good reference guide to all the accessories and stitch designs along with any other functions. The manual should be full of pictures and diagrams for the basic sewing as well as clear directions. If your manual isn’t helpful, do you want to go searching out the answers every time you have a problem. I wish I had a penny for every time someone has emailed me with a problem that their manual doesn’t answer.

Be sure you get your sales agreement in writing and keep your copy in a safe place. Nothing less will do.

The bottom line is you must do some work before you ever sew your first stitch. If you make the effort and educate yourself, the rewards of a great sewing machine are yours.

Mary Wilkins has three grown children and six perfect grandchildren. Completely self taught, she has been sewing, and crafting for over 30 years. Her website http://www.sew-whats-new.com has been recognized in many sewing magazines and newsletters alike.

What is embroidery? Do you know embroidery? Do you want to learn or do you know the basics but want to learn more? There is so much out there to learn about this craft. Congratulate yourself for taking the first step.

Embroidery is a type of needle work that has grown quite a bit over the years into a popular hobby for many people. It is really not hard at all to learn embroidery. In fact, some people find it much easier than other types of needlework (such as crochet). You can work from a pattern that will help you make many great designs and decorations.

If you want to learn embroidery, there are many books and magazines and even websites out there to help. It is a craft that can usually be learned by looking at directions in a book. If you know someone in person that also does embroidery, this can be very helpful to you for them to show you in person. It can be especially helpful if you find a place that you get “stuck” or need some extra help to figure it out.

When you learnt the basics of embroidery, you will probably want to try more and more. You may want to try harder designs. The best method is to get your hands on as many patterns you like and can find. There are pattern books available at retail and craft stores. You can also find many patterns online.

The great thing about the internet is that you can find many embroidery patterns online for free. You can also find many sites dedicated to the topic that will offer tips and advice. These sites are a great way to meet other people, talk to people about your hobby and learn more and the things you like to do.

James Hunt has spent 15 years as a professional writer and researcher covering stories that cover a whole spectrum of interest.
Read more at http://www.embroidery-central.info

Whether you are just starting to collect or you are an avid stamp collector, you know that there are a few essential stamp collecting supplies no collector should do without. Although stamp collecting is an inexpensive hobby for most, you will need to invest a small amount on these necessary supplies in order to collect properly. Take a look at these items to help you get an idea of what you need before beginning a collection.

Albums

Before you begin collecting stamps, it is important that you find a stamp album that works well for you. You can get stock books that allow you to slip your stamps into tiny clear pockets. These are typically what the professional sellers use because they do not damage the stamps in any way. You can also purchase a stamp album where you actually mount the stamps to each page. This can take a little more time but the stamps look great once they are mounted.

Corner Mounts

When mounting your stamps, you will need an abundance of corner mounts. Some professionals like to use corner hinges instead. The choice is really up to each collector. These items are very inexpensive and typically come in packs of 1000 that can be bought for under $3 per pack.

Tongs

Tongs can be very important for stamp collecting. Most tongs are used when someone is trying to soak the paper off the back of a stamp. Tongs offer a more gentle touch than the human hand. They can handle stamps without getting the stamps dirty and without harming the stamps. You can get a great pair of tongs for less than $5 each. They come in various sizes. You can experiment to find out which size you like the best.

Books

If you want to know more about collecting stamps, you should certainly consider purchasing a general stamp collecting book. A great instructional book can be very informing and helpful to any collector. You can find these books at bookstores as well as at hobby stores, trade shows, and online.

When it comes to purchasing stamp collecting supplies, there are several options on where to shop. First, you can start by visiting your local hobby shops. Hobby shops will likely carry at least one type of album, tongs, mounts, and possibly a book. Shopping online is another great way to purchase supplies. Be sure when you are shopping online that you understand the terms for each purchase. Be aware of shipping costs and return policies before making a purchase.

http://stampcollectinghq.com Everything you need to know about the hoby of stamp collecting.

Welcome back! In part one of this three-part series, the advantages and disadvantages of laser-engraved rubber stamps were discussed. As discussed in the first article, although laser engraving has a high start-up cost, its quality and efficiency are second to none. In this segment, you will learn the benefit and fallbacks of a photoengraving stamp-making method.

Making a rubber stamp through a chemical or photopolymer process will also require significant start-up costs. Depending on the equipment capabilities, quality, or size, a photopolymer stamp-making kit may cost anywhere from $400-$4000. This process requires a significant amount of labor and tends to have a higher turnaround time.

The first step of the photopolymer process involves creating a negative of the image to be engraved. To begin, create or obtain a completely black graphic on a completely white background. If the graphic has colors, save or convert it to a monochrome or two-color format. A simple graphics editor, such as Paint (which automatically comes with a Windows OS) will allow the user to “Save As” and choose a “Save as type” as “Monochrome Bitmap.” This will convert the colored graphic into a black-and-white bitmap file. Once the image is completely black and white, using a graphics editor (again, Paint will work), invert the colors. This will create a white image on a black background.

Turnaround time for a rubber stamp will vary greatly, as this variable is contingent on the creation of a metal plate. If you are creating stamps for fun, you will need to have enough graphics to fill both a metal plate and a matrix (mold) board. The metal plate and matrix board can be made on a partial board; however, this is not an efficient use of materials and may make for uneven molds and/or stamps. If maximum efficiency is desired, enough graphics will need to be obtained to create a full metal plate. Additionally, the photopolymer process does not allow small businesses to make custom rubber stamps efficiently, as these rubber stamps tend to be made for a one-time order and the mold is no longer needed.

Depending on the materials at hand, the metal plate may need to be made by an engraving company. Once the metal place has been engraved, it is placed in a machine with the matrix board and, with a combination of heat and pressure known as vulcanization, the matrix board is made into a mold. The rubber is cut to the size of the mold, placed in the vulcanizer, and creates a rubber stamp through a similar process of heat and pressure. Be warned: as a mold is put under heat and pressure every time a rubber stamp is created, it may only last for 40-60 stamp vulcanizations.

After the rubber has been pressed, it can be cut into individual stamps. As the rubber is quite thick, most stamp enthusiasts agree regular scissor are not sufficient. Kai Scissors are a considered an essential tool in the arts and crafts world. These scissors can be found at crafts stores or on the web, and Kai Scissors makes 15+ styles and sizes of scissors. Mounting foam is also needed to ensure the block the stamp is mounted on does not come in contact with the surface to be stamped. Once the rubber and mounting foam have been cut, the stamps are glued to a wooden mound and are ready to impress!

We have discussed laser engraving, photoengraving, and one last stamp-making method is yet to come! Next, learn how to make rubber stamps, without any special or expensive equipment, from the privacy of your own home!

Gwendolyn Lee is a statistician and analyst of Internet-related metrics for custom rubber stamps at http://www.rubberstamps.net. She has researched and implemented business models to maximize profitability, efficiency and advertising tracking.

War bombs may explode demolishing man and land.
Hurricanes may devastate and leave us entirely bare.
Earthquakes may devour and swallow up old landmarks.
But nothing is as destructive as a world that doesn’t care.

Smog may be an atrocious bother in our daily living.
We all suffer significantly from pollution in the air.
Intoxicants may be debilitating to those who will imbibe.
But nothing is as troublesome as a world that doesn’t care.

Embezzlers may run off with money not their own.
A spouse may engage in an extra-marital affair.
Some folks may be malicious, evil, mean and rude.
But nothing is as tragic as a world that doesn’t care.

The rich may all get richer as the poor languish behind.
The aged may find their last days are lived in solitaire.
The young may be lost in a confusing world maze.
But nothing is as dreadful as a world that doesn’t care.

Diabetes may be incurable and challenge the appetite.
Cancer may be ubiquitous, creating turmoil and despair.
Kidneys may suddenly fail and require dialysis.
But nothing is as fatal as a world that doesn’t care.

Our world has many problems for solutions to be found.
Great trials and tribulations on mankind can overbear.
But hope remains alive however small the sparks may be,
If the world does not let leave of its capacity to care.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries, http://www.clergyservices4u.org. She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow, Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances, Homilies that Teach.

Muir Woods
(California, l968)

Old trees, that is what they were,
So high, they merged with the sky—
Almost touched the upper void:
3000-years packed tightly into roots
Soil astronomy never saw—; here
Is where (in: 1968) my mother and I
Walked, side by side…down—, its
Old dirt pathway

As ever she strolled along beside me
Without a burden, slowly, a mile an
Hour. End of the road—across the
Blue bay, laid San Francisco.

Funny how we remember such simple
Afternoons, 30-years in the past, sitting
Here now at El Parquetito, in Miraflores;
Tomorrow, who knows what’s next!

#1303 4/5/2006 (written in the afternoon, in Miraflores, Lima, Peru)) at El Parquetito Café/Restaurant; in 1968, my mother came to visit me from Minnesota, to San Francisco, I was but 21 or 22 years old at the time, and we went to Muir Woods, it was a most wholesome day, and the woods were most enchanting. I remember it being a highlight of her trip, that she was to spend one week with me, then go south to visit my brother. I remember the woods being cool, and it was a warm day, very warm day. There were several more trips we’d experience together: Canada, Jamaica, Mexico and Las Vegas, all wonderful trips. I had discovered, that she was easy to travel with, and it would take me a life time to find another person whom I could travel with without conflict, which was my wife Rosa.

See Dennis’ web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Of course the sexiest poets were the Brownings.

Elizabeth, who was home schooled and eloped with Robert to Italy, was born in England in 1806. She died in Italy at age 55 having produced one son, Pen, who survived her.

Robert Browning was born near London in 1812. His father had a large library from which, at least in part, Robert was educated. He liked Elizabeth’s poems and dropped her a line. She wrote back. That caused them to elope and create Pen. Robert died at age 77 and is buried in Westminster Abbey. They have a burial place there for poets. It’s called Poet’s Corner.

Read about the Brownings at http://www.cswnet.com/~erin/browning.htm.

Keats thought Grecian urns were sexy.

John Keats was also born near London but not until 1879. He was well educated despite the fact that he was the son of a stable keeper. He studied medicine and worked at it too but gradually drifted into Writer’s Never Never Land.

Keats died of consumption in Italy (as did Elizabeth) in 1821 a disease that also killed his mother. Read his biography at http://www.john-keats.com/.

My mentioning that both Elizabeth and John died in Italy is called by us writers drawing a parallel. In this case, it is a very week parallel.

Edgar Allen Poe was another hopeless romantic. He liked Nicean barks of yore.

Note that Poe is almost always called by his full name while John Keats is just called “Keats.”

After much research, I don’t know why that is.

But I do know you must be famous to be called only by your last name except with Adam and Eve who are always called by their first names.

I have it on good authority that their family name was Jones: Adam and Eve Jones and they were created in Missouri.

This has to be true doesn’t it? If Adam is my ultra great grandfather then doesn’t his last name have to be Jones? Well, it doesn’t take higher mathematics to figure this out. His kids all had the last name Jones. Their kids had the last name of Jones. Get it?

Back to Poe: Poe died in a gutter as we all know.

That was in Baltimore.

Actually, he was found unconscious and he died in a hospital.

They didn’t say in his biography if it was John Hopkins or not. But I’m quite sure that if it were John Hopkins, they would have saved him. (Writer’s call this drawing a conclusion.)

His death was in 1849 so he lived 40 years from his birth in Boston.

Did you know that Poe was in the army?

He reached the rank of sergeant major in two years; damn good for a poet. That’s another parallel. I was in the army for two years and made sergeant.

Poe always admired women. Read his biography at http://www.poemuseum.org/poes_life/index.html. Note that Poe has a museum. How many poets can say that?

We mustn’t skip Andrew Marvell because he wrote To His Coy Mistress.

Marvell was born in 1621 in England and spent his childhood running around the town of Hull. Hull must have been a great place to grow up. It’s the third largest sea port in England.

Even Hitler knew that.

He bombed the hell out of it during World War II.

Marvell would have been exposed to the history of the area. He would know what an Anglo Saxon was, what a Viking was, and what a Roman was. He probably knew about Hadrian’s Wall. He may have even gone out into the fields and walked on it. Well, it could have been too far from his house.

Marvell was well educated and traveled much in Europe.

Most of his stuff was not published during his lifetime. He died in 1678. Read his biography at http://www.photoaspects.com/chesil/marvell/index.html.

Well, there are plenty of sexy poets but we must stop here. We have to look at some poetry of the aforementioned poets and then write a poem of our own. So take notes!

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

This is her most famous poem from Sonnets from the Portuguese. Robert called his dark-complexioned darling wife My Little Portuguese.

Sonnet XLIII

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, -I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

I married a couple once. The bride was Elizabeth and the groom was Robert. I read this poem. After the service a gentleman asked me if I was an English professor. I told him that I was a research engineer and that I researched everything. Then he told me that I had married the couple for time and all immortality. I should have married them for time and mortality. Well, I said, “What I did, I did!”

I always made mistakes at weddings. My congregation always waited to see what the mistake would be. Once I said, “I present Mr. and Mrs. Richi.” That was wrong. “Richi” was the bride’s maiden name.

Anyway, did you note that Elizabeth said, “…and if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death.”

Love is immortal.

If you didn’t read the poem aloud, go back and read it again.

Robert Browning

Robert was a little long winded so we will cut him short giving only the first stanzas of his poem.

A Pretty Woman

That fawn-skin-dappled hair of hers,
And the blue eye
Dear and dewy,
And that infantine fresh air of hers!

To think men cannot take you, Sweet,
And enfold you,
Ay, and hold you,
And so keep you what they make you, Sweet!

You like us for a glance, you know—
For a word’s sake
Or a sword’s sake,
All’s the same, whate’er the chance, you know.

And in turn we make you ours, we say—
You and youth too,
Eyes and mouth too,
All the face composed of flowers, we say.

I always envisioned Elizabeth as having brown eyes to go with her dark complexion. The gal in this poem has blue eyes. Do you think it was written to Elizabeth?

John Keats

Keats was prolific. I have always liked the first verse of this famous poem:

Ode on a Grecian Urn

THOU still unravish’d bride of quietness,
Thou foster-child of silence and slow time,
Sylvan historian, who canst thus express
A flowery tale more sweetly than our rhyme:
What leaf-fring’d legend haunts about thy shape

Of deities or mortals, or of both,

In Tempe or the dales of Arcady?
What men or gods are these? What maidens loth?
What mad pursuit? What struggle to escape?

What pipes and timbrels? What wild ecstasy?

Heard melodies are sweet, but those unheard
Are sweeter; therefore, ye soft pipes, play on;
Not to the sensual ear, but, more endear’d,
Pipe to the spirit ditties of no tone:
Fair youth, beneath the trees, thou canst not leave
Thy song, nor ever can those trees be bare;
Bold Lover, never, never canst thou kiss,
Though winning near the goal - yet, do not grieve;

She cannot fade, though thou hast not thy bliss,
For ever wilt thou love, and she be fair!

Ah, happy, happy boughs! that cannot shed
Your leaves, nor ever bid the Spring adieu;

And, happy melodist, unwearied,
For ever piping songs for ever new;
More happy love! more happy, happy love!
For ever warm and still to be enjoy’d,
For ever panting, and for ever young;
All breathing human passion far above,
That leaves a heart high-sorrowful and cloy’d,
A burning forehead, and a parching tongue.

Who are these coming to the sacrifice?
To what green altar, O mysterious priest,
Lead’st thou that heifer lowing at the skies,

And all her silken flanks with garlands drest?
What little town by river or sea shore,
Or mountain-built with peaceful citadel,
Is emptied of this folk, this pious morn?

And, little town, thy streets for evermore
Will silent be; and not a soul to tell
Why thou art desolate, can e’er return.

O Attic shape! Fair attitude! with brede
Of marble men and maidens overwrought,
With forest branches and the trodden weed;
Thou, silent form, dost tease us out of thought
As doth eternity: Cold Pastoral!
When old age shall this generation waste,
Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe
Than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou say’st,

«Beauty is truth, truth beauty,»- that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

I wonder what ever happened to the Urn Keats was looking at. Where they Gods or men chasing those virgins around the urn?

Edgar Allen Poe

Do you like soap operas? Well, Helen was for real. She was engaged to Poe but reneged. Read the whole grueling tale at http://www.usna.edu/EnglishDept/poeperplex/hwhitmap.htm. It’s a soap opera.

Here is Poe’s poem to “Helen” but is it to a generic Helen (Poe liked the sound of the word) or was it to Helen of Troy, or was it to his lost Helen?

To Helen

Helen, thy beauty is to me
Like those Nicean barks of yore,
That gently, o’er a perfumed sea,
The weary, way-worn wanderer bore
To his own native shore

On desperate seas long wont to roam,
Thy hyacinth hair, thy classic face,
The Naiad airs have brought me home
To the glory that was Greece,
And the grandeur that was Rome.

Lo! In yon brilliant window-niche
How statue-like I see thee stand,
The agate lamp within thy hand!
Ah, Psyche, from the regions which
Are Holy-Land!

I’m going with Helen of Troy.

Andrew Marvell

This is one of my favorite poems. I hope you like it.

To His Coy Mistress

Had we but world enough and time,
This coyness, lady, were no crime.
We would sit down and think which way
To walk, and pass our long love’s day.
Thou by the Indian Ganges’ side
Shouldst rubies find: I by the tide
Of Humber would complain. I would
Love you ten years before the Flood;
And you should, if you please, refuse
Till the conversion of the Jews.
My vegetable love should grow
Vaster than empires, and more slow.
An hundred years should go to praise
Thine eyes, and on thy forehead gaze;
Two hundred to adore each breast,
But thirty thousand to the rest;
An age at least to every part,
And the last age should show your heart.
For, lady, you deserve this state;
Nor would I love at lower rate.

But at my back I always hear
Time’s winged chariot hurrying near;
And yonder all before us lie
Deserts of vast eternity.
Thy beauty shall no more be found,
Nor, in thy marble vault, shall sound
My echoing song; then worms shall try
That long-preserved virginity;
And your quaint honour turn to dust,
And into ashes all my lust.
The grave’s a fine and private place,
But none, I think, do there embrace.

Now, therefore, while the youthful hue
Sits on thy skin like morning dew,
And while thy willing soul transpires
At every pore with instant fires,
Now let us sport us while we may,
And now, like am’rous birds of prey,
Rather at once our time devour
Than languish in his slow-chapped pow’r.
Let us roll all our strength and all
Our sweetness up into one ball,
And tear our pleasures with rough strife
Thorough the iron gates of life.
Thus, though we cannot make our sun
Stand still, yet we will make him run.

Well, you know what they say Make love while the sun shines.

Now it is time for you to write your romantic poem. I’ll write mine right here.

To April

Now the March winds have drifted on to northern climbs
I look for thee thou blessed spring to melt the snows alpine.

I want to feel thee in my arms that long have waited for thy smile.
I long to hold thee tight and long; I long to hold thee all the while.

When winter blew the endless snows that burned my ears and froze my toes
I though of thee both day and night, so far away, so not all right.

Now I see you in the distance, coming to me, to give assistance.
Wait! Please do not pass me by. You’re gone again. I will cry.

You’re gone again. I will cry.

Well, I do love warm weather.

John T. Jones, Ph.D. (tjbooks@hotmail.com, a retired VP of R&D for Lenox China, is author of detective & western novels, nonfiction (business, scientific, engineering, humor), poetry, etc. Former editor of Ceramic Industry Magazine. He is Executive Representative of IWS sellers of Tyler Hicks wealth-success books and kits. He also sells TopFlight flagpoles. He calls himself “Taylor Jones, the hack writer.”

More info: http://www.tjbooks.com

Business web site: http://www.aaaflagpoles.com