A small miracle occurred! A first! I read a poetry book cover-to-cover … and in one sitting no less! (London-to-Boston.) Not bad for a Civil Engineer!
I do read poetry, but not well. In Hatchards, I happened upon The Nation’s Favourite Poems, a BBC Book.
I LOVED IT!
In 1995, The Bookworm, a popular BBC program, decided to conduct a poll on England’s favorite/favourite poems. Many were skeptical, the editor reports, expecting a low response, or results dominated by Shakespeare or “dirty limericks.” Instead 12,000 votes were cast, and a very eclectic list was birthed—topped by Rudyard Kipling’s “If” (“If you can keep your head when all about you …”) and favored with just two from the Bard.
Whatever. Worked for me. And perhaps for some of you. I’m going on vacation in Kaua’i after Christmas, and it’s my plan to go another step … and read these 100 aloud to my wife. (Who probably memorized half of them decades ago.) I’ll report to you in ’05!