winter on the farm where I grew up. UPDATE: these trees were damaged in a storm the summer after I took this photo and are no longer there. I gave this photo to my brother and his wife (who currently owns the farm) this Christmas. good memories.
Comic by Joel Micah Harris at xkcd.com One of my favourite jokes goes like this: Knock, knock. Who's there? Interrupting cow Interrupting cow w--- Moooooooo!! Timing is important in both drama and comedy. A well-paced story draws the audience in and helps it invest in the characters, while a tale too hastily told or too long drawn out will fail to engage anyone. Surprise - something which interrupts the expected - is a creative use of timing and integral to any good story. If someone is reading a novel and everything unfolds in a predictable manner, they will probably wonder why they bothered reading the book. And so it is in life. Having life be predictable all of the time is not as calming as it sounds. We love surprises, especially good surprises like birthday parties, gifts, marriage proposals, and finding something that we thought was lost. Surprises are an important part of humour. A good joke is funny because it goes to a place you didn't expect it to go. Sim...
Comments
The Laurentian Wood (in mid winter)
The only colour left, because there are so many hands,
Is the brown of negroes swaying in white sorrow.
Having lost their gloves in the storm, they stretch rhythmic
Fingers to catch the air's joy, through their slavery.
The throb, throb, throb of their song covers the summits.
Where abundance was, branches, sparsely nourished, hollow fleshed,
Wig-wag spirituals of Brother Jesus.
Though they cannot stir their feet, the move their hands.
These years are harsh; and without the clothing of love
Which of us is able to ling to join in the verses?
Whose breath is not frozen?Our windpipes are icicles.
All through the earth there are icy gaps between man and man.
We could be so brown again if we'd only reach out hands.