Yesterday morning I attended a memorial Mass for my Cousin Jane with her children, grandchildren, friends, and extended family. After Mass, we went to the home of one of her daughters where the seven little ones spent the day playing. In the late afternoon, my seven youngest cousins, their moms, and I walked to the little beach at the end of the street for more fun jumping in the sand, collecting beach glass, and wading in the water.
We also spotted this message. There was no one sitting nearby. Who wrote it? Why is there a heart? What prompted the message? H'mmm . . . I don't know why but I like the idea of messages written in the sand. It reminds me of a tiny poem by Daniel Smythe.
Driftwood
Driftwood marks the shore. The alphabet
of ancients writing a last word.
This prompted me to wonder about this poet. A Google search led me to an article from the Schenectady Gazette, July 27, 1966. According to the piece, Professor Daniel Smythe, an English professor from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, was having his fifth book of poetry published. He had long been a friend of Robert Frost, and Louis Untermeyer, famed critic, wrote of Smythe's poetry. "What is noticeable about the lines is the deceptive simplicity! - the surface is smooth but there are many layers of consciousness in the depth." That is truly high praise for any poet. Through the wonders of the internet, I was then able to locate and purchase a copy of The Best of Daniel Smythe from a used book seller in New Hampshire. I look forward to reading more of his work.
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