Let’s start this one off right — with a poem!

First Light Edging Cirrus
by Jane Hirshfield
from Come, Thief

10²⁵ molecules
are enough
to call woodthrush or apple.

A hummingbird, fewer.
A wristwatch: 10²⁴.

An alphabet’s molecules,
tasting of honey, iron, and salt,
cannot be counted—

as some strings, untouched,
sound when a near one is speaking.

As it was when love slipped inside us.
It looked out face to face in every direction.

Then it was inside the tree, the rock, the cloud.

***

Look at that! Your favorite bookstore in the world now has tote bags so you can fill them with your favorite books and walk around enduring all-too-clever comments about what else makes life better… Durable, affordable and totally usable. As a bonus, it has our phone number on it, so you can always reach us! Amazing, I know.

***

In some encouraging news, in its biennial survey of readers, BookBrowse.com found that of 3,400 people surveyed, exactly half read e-books at least sometimes and the other half rarely or never does. This means that those who are sometimes reading e-books are also, at other times, reading paper. And those who are rarely reading e-books are mostly reading paper. It doesn’t matter if you’re confused. Just know it’s good news and let’s move on to….

***

…Here is something totally inspired! I have my questions about what it’s like to be the writer on sale here, but what an amazing way to engage as a reader! You know that feeling you get when you think a good book had to have been written just for you? Well, in this case it wouldn’t be just a feeling.

***

Most exciting of all, Julie just returned from an antiques-buying trip to England, so you must come and see the amazing things she brought back. My most favorite thing so far is a manual kitchen mixer made entirely of (rusty) metal, which looks creepily like an automaton (photos to come!). In the mean time…

***

….Fun Fact of the Day:

Did you know that an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain? As in, the thing it sees with is larger than the thing through which it processes the things it sees… What a great metaphor that would make in a poem. You should write one!

In fact, if you do and you send it to us, we’ll send you a gift card so you can do some holiday shopping. A gift card for how much, you ask? How about $10 for every person who sends in a poem? More people equals more money for the winner. Winner to be chosen via Random.org.

For those of you having a hard time following what just happened because I’m making things up as I go:

poetry contest.

incorporate “the eye is bigger than the brain” any way you like. no other rule!

submit poem in comments.

tell everyone you know about it.

final prize = $10 times total number of participants.

winner will be chosen next Monday.