Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga

Tonight marks the second anniversary of this blog. In that first introductory blog I stated:

“Not Dark Yet…” you may remember this as the title to one of Bob Dylan’s songs on his Time out of Mind CD. I have borrowed that phrase for the title of my blog, because I like the imagery it evokes. My interests include poetry, religion, politics, nature, conservation, and striving toward the common good. This blog will cover observations of life and shared events. If the politics and religion aspect get too heated, there is always the mediating influence of poetry. Billy Collins, U.S. poet laureate from 2001 to 2003, says that every poem is about death and gratitude. The awareness of death heightens the beauty of the world as we see it. As one who attempts to write poetry, I heartily agree with that notion. Poetry conveys that sense of awareness and gratitude.

So in this space you will see political commentary, personal observations, spiritual questions, maybe a poem from time to time or some pertinent literary references. My emphasis, I anticipate, will always be on the “Not dark yet,” but in the background there is always Bob Dylan’s reminder (as any good poet will affirm) “Not dark yet, but it’s gettin’ there.”

One thing that I've also added is the occasional music video. Here's a great one for New Year's Eve. I have long been an admirer of singer Tony Bennett. He is one class act. Here is a great combination of the old and the new with duet from Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga. Thanks to Carol Marks for first posting this one.