Julie Bates

For her favorite poem, Julie has chosen "Those Winter Sundays" by Robert Hayden.

Those Winter Sundays
by Robert Hayden 

Sundays too my father got up early
and put his clothes on in the blueblack cold,
then with cracked hands that ached
from labor in the weekday weather made
banked fires blaze. No one ever thanked him. 

I'd wake and hear the cold splintering, breaking.
When the rooms were warm, he'd call,
and slowly I would rise and dress,
fearing the chronic angers of that house, 

Speaking indifferently to him,
who had driven out the cold
and polished my good shoes as well.
What did I know, what did I know
of love's austere and lonely offices?

Julie likes this poem for its portrayal of the relationship between the father and speaker as one with deep thought and lots of love. The speaker demonstrates appreciation for the father and regret for lost opportunities: a good reminder for all of us never to take treasured relationships for granted. Julie also likes the story-like nature of this poem emphasized by its heavy use of enjambment (continuing a sentence or phrase after the end of a line).

Julie chose a Psalm for her favorite verses:

My salvation and my honor depend on God; He is my mighty rock, my refuge.
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.
Psalm 62:7-8

About these verses, Julie says, "I love this verse because it reminds me that God is there for me through every moment of my day. It reminds me that I am so small in this vast world but I have God next to me every step of the way. The word 'refuge' is probably my favorite part of the whole thing; it perfectly and concisely describes how I feel about God and my relationship with Him."