A Sunday Pose

In their church outfits, my two older children in the spring of 1961.

They are standing in front of a triple-decker apartment building 

a few blocks from downtown Provo, then called the Hilton Apartments.

which I, jokingly, referred to as The Provo Hilton.

Neither of these two-piece outfits was washable,

except for the shirt and blouse--I think the suits were shrinkable rayon. 

Dry cleaning was too expensive then.

On Sundays, I used to feed my children, dress them, 

take them to Sunday School, (insert photo op here) 

bring them home, change their clothes for washable stuff 

and feed them---in that order. 

By the summer after this picture was taken,

we had moved away from Provo. Forever.

THE MOON AT THE FORTIFIED PASS

The bright moon lifts from the Mountain of Heaven

In an infinite haze of cloud and sea,

And the wind, that has come a thousand miles,

Beats at the Jade Pass battlements....

China marches its men down Baideng Road

While Tartar troops peer across the blue waters of the bay....
And since not one battle famous in history
Sent all its fighters back again,
The soldiers turn round, looking toward the border,
And think of home, with wistful eyes,
And of those in the upper chambers
Who toss and sigh and cannot rest.

Li Po           (also known as Li Bai)  (701-762)


Chinese Poetry; Anthology of Li Bai (Li Po)
Various translators, Kindle location 439

I think the ancient Chinese poets (perhaps because the educated ones were sent all over as administrators) had it together about nostalgia. As we think about more foreign warlike excursions, I would like to call your attention especially to the lines:

And since not one battle famous in history
Sent all its fighters back again,
The soldiers turn round, looking toward the border,
And think of home, with wistful eyes...

as we hope and pray to end wars forever!!!