It’s late. I’ve been otherwise occupied. But I knew this was out there, a haiku by the Japanese poet Issa, translated by Robert Hass.
“New Year’s Day–
everything is in blossom!
I feel about average.”
Odd to Even
For some of you (hi, Eamon and Sakura!), it’s New Year’s already. For others — the Brooklyn and Chicago Brekke crews and assorted friends and acquaintances — it’s coming soon. And then we’ll cross into the new year on the soggy coast, too. In lieu of something a deeper or more reflective — and because Kate and I are scurrying around trying to clean up the house before guests arrive two or three hours from now — thanks for reading and communing in 2005, and I hope all of you have a great ’06. The things we have to look forward to:
–An Italian Olympics.
–Only 1,100-some days until this W. is forced to vacate the people’s mansion.
–With the Red Sox and White Sox having broken their World Series jinxes, 2006 has got to be the Cubs’s year (just don’t’ bet on it).