Owl Chatter, and all of us, lost a dear friend yesterday, Hank. We go way back to the first days at Brandeis in the Fall of 1967. Welly and I were roomies with Hank sophomore year. He and Judy were family to us, in the best sense of the word. He took extraordinary pride and joy in his children and grandchildren. I have often quoted him in saying “Having grandchildren is one thing that is not overrated.” Of course, the best thing he ever did was marry Judy — don’t start me about her. It would never end.

I’m not going to chatter about anything else tonight, though I’m sure Hank would want us to keep churning out the usual nonsense. We can return to that soon enough. I’m just going to share one of my favorite poems by Kooser, from Winter Morning Walks:

I saw the season’s first bluebird
this morning, one month ahead
of its scheduled arrival. Lucky I am
to go off to my cancer appointment
having been given a bluebird, and,
for a lifetime, having been given
this world.