Friday, October 9, 2009

Hope is the thing

This morning, C was asking me about the necklace I'm wearing. It's a small silver disk with a simple sketch of a bird on one side, and on the other, "Hope is the th.ing with f.eathers that perc.hes in the soul," attributed, of course, to Emily D.ickinson.

My dear friend JK gave it to me last year, late last spring or summer, when I was feeling a little better, right before I fell into the abyss. I took it off then. I put it back on this spring or summer and, with everything that's been going on, despite everything, somehow, I've managed to keep wearing it. Maybe it's stubbornness, I don't know. My magical thinking kicks in, I think of it as kind of a talisman. Maybe. I don't know.

Here's the rest of the verse:
Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

Anyway, we were talking about this and C said, "Hope is the thing with feath.ers, that perches in your soul and sometimes craps on your shoulder."

I LOVE this man.

10 comments:

Astrid said...

Ha ha ha, I laughed out loud at that. I'm a bird person, I was before I met DH, and he has adapted like a champ to being crapped on occasionally by my conure. What a wonderful moment - and what a way to get a laugh out of a tough situation. I will always remember C's version!

wifey said...

that is wonderful! i will be remembering that this week, especially.

Sara said...

C's a much better poet than Emily Dickinson.

Cliff Evans said...

I dunno about being a better poet than Emily Dickinson, but I know that you can sing all of her poetry to the tune of the "Gilligan's Island" theme, and that's pretty cool.

Aunt Becky said...

I have a necklace. It's my lucky necklace. I'm wearing it now, as a matter of fact. It's all magical thinking, of course, because it's JUST a necklace, but it's MY lucky necklace, and I love it.

Can you post a picture? I'd love to see it. And I can't imagine what this looks like.

Tash said...

Tell C if he makes necklaces with that on it, I'll buy one. And pay tremendous amounts of $$.

Michele said...

I agree with Tash... Sign me up. Perhaps not even necklaces, but T shirts, so that the world can see!

erica said...

My Mom loves to quote this poem at me, and the next time she does I'll just sit there and smile, and think of C's version. Brilliant.

loribeth said...

I love your dh's sense of humour!!

Lauren D. said...

I've seen a necklace like you described in a catalog but I don't recall which catalog. Can you help? I want to give one to a friend - along with the alternative ending. Thanks!