not the Jacobean one

Did I tell you guys that I have a National Poetry Month spreadsheet? I am spreadsheet-obsessed, anyway, but this year I am also especially organized, and some days have been set for a while.

The worm drives helically through the wood
And does not know the dust left in the bore
Once made the table integral and good;
And suddenly the crystal hits the floor.
Electrons find their paths in subtle ways,
A massless eddy in a trail of smoke;
The names of lovers, light of other days—
Perhaps you will not miss them. That’s the joke.
The universe winds down. That’s how it’s made.
But memory is everything to lose;
Although some of the colors have to fade,
Do not believe you’ll get the chance to choose.
Regret, by definition, comes too late;
Say what you mean. Bear witness. Iterate.

~John M. Ford (1957-2006), Against Entropy, October 13, 2003. Mike Ford would have been fifty-two, today. He is very dearly missed.

If you are new to the works of John M. Ford, you're in for a treat, and Mike Ford: Occasional Works on Making Light is a good place to start. Molly wanted me to post Troy: The Movie, and with very good reason, because I adore Troy: The Movie, but you guys can go read that one, and also 110 Stories, on your own. If you are Shakespeare-inclined, I would suggest reading one of my favorite villanelles of all time: "I am the King now, and I want a sandwich". There is also a pretty decent bibliography in Mike's wikipedia entry. His novels and short stories are sometimes hard to find, but they are really, really worth it, and I'm pretty sure you won't regret taking the time to track them down.