Epiphany

Day 332 of the "What are you reading, and why?" project, and earlier this week a young woman bought Dubliners, by James Joyce, and I mention this now on Three Kings Day, or the Feast of the Epiphany, which is the cause for celebration in the party taking place in "The Dead," one of the stories in this beautiful book.

For good summaries of the feast day, Joyce, and the meanings of "epiphany," be sure to visit today's Writer's Almanac, and, while you are there, be sure to read and/or listen to the heartbreaking poem, "The Lovers Leave by Separate Planes," by Maxine Kumin.  (When I read a poem like that, I want to write a poem like that.)

Today is the day my husband, as a little boy in Cuba, would receive his Christmas gifts, so I always leave the tree up at least that long. (OK, last year I left it up till Valentine's Day, reducing and replacing its decorations appropriately to fit the new red holiday, and I liked that, so I will probably do it again.)

I have at hand Epiphany School, poems by Chris Green, and also, finally, The Alchemist's Kitchen, by Susan Rich, and Among Women, by Jason Shinder, and I hope to have little revelations while reading these, but I am still enjoying the revealed world in Blood Almanac, by Sandy Longhorn, for now.

And the January issue of The Sun has arrived, a gift from my friend Kim, so I have read the revelations in the Readers Write section and the poems already! People are so wise and wonderful, so vulnerable, so generous. When we can make this manifest--our combined vulnerability and generosity--ah! that is a world to live in.

But over at Facebook, S. Jane provided a link to a devastating short film on our Chernobyl Legacy, at Mediastorm, which reminds us of the other things we have made manifest in our world. So view this for epiphany, as well.