"One ought, every day at least, to hear a little song, read a good poem, see a fine picture, and if it were possible, to speak a few reasonable words."

Well, it looks like it is back to school time!  My kids are back at college, my nieces and nephews have all shared their beautiful 'first day of school' photos and all the stores are filled with back to school specials on clothing and supplies.  I always loved starting school in the fall--the excitement of wondering if you would like your teacher, who your classmates would be, what subjects would hold your interest, and last, but not least, your new clothes!  For some reason I developed a fascination for marbles in elementary school.  I once traded 35 regular marbles for a beautiful cobalt blue marble that gleamed in the sun...I have cherished that marble for over forty years now and it still resides in my jewelry box!  Here's a fun poem about someone who must love marbles as much as I....

Ode to Marbles

 Max Mendelsohn

I love the sound of marbles   

scattered on the worn wooden floor,   

like children running away in a game of hide-and-seek.   

I love the sight of white marbles,   

blue marbles,   

green marbles, black,   

new marbles, old marbles,   

iridescent marbles,   

with glass-ribboned swirls,   

dancing round and round.   

I love the feel of marbles,   

cool, smooth,   

rolling freely in my palm,   

like smooth-sided stars   

that light up the worn world.

May you have a shiny new marble day!