incandescens | jollymerryhollyberry

I am unlikely to be here at my computer when the New Year strikes, so I will say it now; happy new year to you all.

Otherwise -- today was quiet, grey, damp, and I am so grateful that I'm not in one of the parts of the country that's getting flooded or that seems to be thinking about it.

Took drycleaning down to drycleaners. Also took worn-out/outgrown clothes down to be donated to nearest charity shop. (After lugging the bags around for quarter of an hour, the term nearest is highly applicable.) If ever I end up in a this ae night situation, I will have a whole bagful of hosen and shoon and other clothing to put on. The fact that they will all be too small for me is, under the circumstances, probably not going to be the world's most important matter.

You can tell when I've just finished writing something else; I end up babbling vaguely on unimportant matters, and use words like "intrinsic" far too freely.

Happy new year to everyone, in any case.

---

The Poetry of Dress

I

A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness: --
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distration, --
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthrals the crimson stomacher, --
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribbands to flow confusedly, --
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat, --
A careless shoe-string, in whose tie
I see a wild civility, --
Do more bewitch me, than when art
Is too precise in every part.

-- R Herrick