Note: Thank you for your enthusiasm about my Pecan and Coconut Friands with Raspberries! However, I accidentally wrote 2 instead of 4 egg whites when the post went live (I’ve since corrected it). If you make the friands, do use 4 egg whites.
Sometimes, when I find myself longing to breathe in beauty, I turn to Pablo Neruda. More often than not, I’ll close my eyes and whisper through my favourite poem, which I posted an excerpt of here. Today, though, I found a new (to me) Neruda poem that tied in so perfectly with my last post that I couldn’t resist posting its beginning and end for you:
A Callarse/Keeping Quiet
Poem by Pablo Neruda, translation by Stephen Mitchell
Now we will all count to twelve
and we will all keep still.
This one time upon the earth,
let’s not speak any language,
let’s stop for one second,
and not move our arms so much.
It would be a delicious moment,
without hurry, without locomotives,
all of us would be together
in a sudden uneasiness.
…
If we weren’t unanimous
about keeping our lives so much in motion,
if we could perhaps do nothing for once,
perhaps a great silence would interrupt this sadness,
this never understanding ourselves
and threatening ourselves with death,
perhaps the earth is teaching us
when everything seems to be dead
and everything is alive.
Now I will count to twelve
and you keep quiet and I’ll go.
On a lighter note, I got my hair cut this week, although those of you who follow me on Facebook would know that my true thrill lay in the shampoo-massage and hair-straightening aspects of the appointment.
When I got home, I acted like a thirteen year old girl and screamed over One Direction (what is this One Direction thing I don’t understand no seriously what I’m so confused they came from nowhere I’m so old) tried to take stupid photos of my hair in my bedroom.
Soon after, my housemate generously offered to take a photo for me. Hence you have the honour of seeing not only two photos of my stupid hair, but also what my face looks like when I feel embarrassed about taking photos of my stupid hair.
Do you remember when I bought milk chocolate peanut brittle fingers from the airport? On another work-trip, I bought Bulgarian Rock, because I wanted it to be like the torrone I had in Siena.
It wasn’t. Instead, it burned my mouth in a strange way, and after several (admittedly enormous) bites my tongue went a little bit numb. Yay?
THIS SLICE OF CAKE LOOKS LIKE A DRAGON’S HEAD.
The end.
P.S. I nibbled on this at Bookplate with Deb and Christina from gospel.
P.P.S. I like Deb and Christina very much.
I squealed out loud in the supermarket when I found Almond Breeze. I drank this back in my UVA days and, unlike the So Good version, this almond milk is calcium fortified. Yay!
P.S. It’s super expensive and low in protein though. Boo.
I very much liked this nut bar from the parcel Vien sent me. The nuts were fresh and crisp, and the bar not too sweet despite being held together with a honey syrup.
Also, I’m terrified of how short my hair is going to be once it gets wet and curls up again.
And that’s more than enough out of me for one day.
Question Time: Do you have a favourite poem or poet? I’d love to hear!
Such a poignant poem.
On a brighter side, your hair looks pretty and I also like those nut bars.
Pablo Neruda writes beautifully. And thank you
Hannah! Found your blog link on Facebook, and I’ve bookmarked it now
visited a few times but too infrequently, anyway. I loved the poem you posted and thought I’d share a couple of my favourites by Omar Khayyam.
Oh threats of Hell and Hopes of Paradise!
One thing at least is certain – This Life flies;
One thing is certain and the rest is Lies -
The Flower that once has blown forever dies
And another..
Book of Verse underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread, — and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness —
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise now
I haven’t read much poetry, but your post reminded me I want to. Also your hair (and of course your recipes) look lovely
xx
Oh Amanda, I am thrilled beyond words that you took the time to comment, and in such a glorious, wonderful way! That you so much for sharing these poems; I hadn’t known of Omar Khayyam. Poetry is something I tend to feel pulled towards at particular moments of my life, and then, like you, I forget to read it at other times.
Your comment has reinforced in my mind that we need to catch up properly soon
xo
That poem sent shivers down my spine. I have never read Pabo Neruda (please let this not be a terribly, terribly embarrassing thing to admit to) but am seeing some more reading of such poems in the not-too-distant future. Thank you, ever so much.
I do the hair thing too
But normally just my own backwards photos and then I never know what to do with them. Your hair looks beautiful, and ever so sleek!
Of course that’s not an embarrassing thing to admit; I don’t know a great range of poets myself, but came across Neruda in my teens and fell in love. Here is the full version of Every Day You Play, which sings through my soul.
Bahaha, I think many of us are closet “ooooh, lookee what the hairdresser did” self photographers
Thank you! What an amazing poem.
I’m so glad you like it too
I had to check back to realise that yes, this is the original almond milk, despite my convincing myself you already had the unsweetened variety in Canberra :S I sense it will reach you soon! I’m drawing on all magical abilities to make that prediction…
*laughs* In truth, I’m not at all one of these sugar-fearing people, so s’all good. I like my sweet almond milk *sticks out tongue*
My long standing favourite poet is Gerard Manley Hopkins. He’s the one who pops into my head most often … but I also love TS Eliot, Dorothy Porter, and too many more to list here.
I love catching glimpses of new poets through your blog
Do you have any books of Gerard Manley Hopkins or Dorothy Porter that I could borrow?
Of course I do. I have Porter’s The bee hut, and my old university collection of Hopkins.
I demand you set them aside for me! Demand! (While I look for Banana Heart Summer for you…)
A deal … except I know exactly where mine are.
The thrill is in the hunt.
Wolf whistles! Looking fine mama!
And ok you do realise your next recipe has to be for a vegan raw dragon’s head cake? 
Oh, you! Teehee!
OMG I totally need to do that! Raw nut base and raw jam in the middle
I wanted to know more about the dragon cake – it looks yummy! And did you like it – I guessed not by your lack of commentary
Great poem – it does seem unncanny. I wish I could recommend lots of poetry but about the only poetry I read right now is by A A Milne. And a little Leunig.
It was crazy, crazy sweet, that cake. I kept picking at it but it was too much!
Teehee, yes, having a young’un would lead the way to A.A. Milne!
love the hair!
and that cake DOES look like a dragon’s head. Weird.
Thank you! Teehee, I’m so happy other people can see the dragon and that it’s not just me!
That dragon’s head cake looks really good. Your head also looks really good, which is my incredibly awkward way of saying that I like your haircut.
I don’t really have a favorite poet, but I like to memorize poems and recite them to myself whenever I’m bored or otherwise need to distract myself from something.
I have always wanted someone to be appreciative of my head, so I think you deeply for your compliment, dear Alayna.
I memorise/recite too, except most of the time I don’t realise my brain in storing the words away until they pop up later. For example, I never intended to memorise Aragorn’s poem in Lord Of The Rings, but I know it like the back of my hand regardless.
I <3 Pablo, though admittedly I prefer to read him in Spanish rather than English. (I suppose I'm not quite so tempted to giggle at lines like “the doubled purple of your nipples” when they’re written in Spanish.
However, my very favorite poet is, of course, e. e. cummings. #1 favorite poem? somewhere i have never travelled.
Cute hair!
Although my Spanish was never fluent even during my brief period of studying it, I too love/d to whisper the words to myself in Spanish. I’m still dogmatic about making sure any book I buy of his poetry has both the Spanish and English (and oh, my heart breaks for my favourite collection of his, which I lent to someone eight years ago and have neither received back nor been able to find in bookstores since).
Thank you for the e. e. cummings link! Whenever I read his poetry I always intend to read more, then get distracted. I think you and I should have poetry nights soon, darling. Others’ poetry and our own xoxo
Hair gone now. Or, at least, straight hair gone.
And that is why I abhor lending out books to people. =/
Poetry nights = yes. We need to talk soon about getting you here.
When lending books, even more than the fear of not getting the books back is getting it back with a cracked spine or bent corners. *shudders*
Ditto!! Oh my gosh we are THE SAME PERSON.
xoxo
Cute hair, very cute…. but I love your curls, maybe because I have dead straight hair – the grass is always greener, no?
I like the Highwayman…. great rhythm, and reminds me of becoming fascinated with poetry as a child after reading this
Always greener. I’m so envious of people who can wake up, brush their hair, and be done. When I do that, I look like a banshee.
Curls are back now, anyway! Had to wash it eventually
I’ll have to look up the Highwayman
I love you, Pablo and your hair cut.
xo
<3 <3 <3 beyond.
Lookin’ gorgey (although I do love the curls too…probably since my own hair is woefully flat)! Haha, dragon’s head cake. It’d be funny if there was a flame-shaped pool of sauce coming out of its mouth!
That’s a beautiful poem…I don’t read much poetry unless I’m studying it for school, but in the past I had much love for certain French Romantic/Symbolist poems, particularly those by Larmartine and Mallarmé.
Curls are back, just for you. (Or, well, because I had to wash it eventually, but let’s pretend I brought the curls back just for you
)
Oh heavens, a flame-shaped pool of sauce would have scared the pants off me, I think. I would’ve thought the dragon was about to eat me, not the other way around.
Yay two new poets for me to explore!! Thank you
Oh goshhh I have to say that your hair looks so pretty on you! And I’m not just flattering you, but did you know that you’re getting beautiful-er and beautiful-er each day?!
It’s true~And such deep and beautiful words from Mr. Neruda. Hmmm….let’s just…be still…..
Oh Ellie, you’re so kind that I almost can’t stand it! I’m really rather overwhelmed. Curls are back now though
xo
Ha! It DOES look a dragon’s head – clever cake.
I squealed in delight too when I saw Almond Breeze on the shelves of Coles (or was it Woolies? agh…supermarkets are blending into one….) – I started drinking this in HK when it was super cheap and loved it. But yes – boo in the lack of protein, but yay for expanding your horizons Aussie supermarkets (which I also btw finally bought plain Chobani!!! So yum…and surprisingly thick (TWSS??))
I LOVE the hair – I almost solely go for the head massages and have on occasion accidentally slipped out an inappropriate noise while their fingers have done their magic. It is also the reason I own an Orgasmatron (which is NOT as dirty as it sounds – it’s a metal head massager thing that looks like a claw. Very aptly named though). I got my hair cut too!!! And came away with a fringe which is getting some used to.
Did I ever tell you how much I love your taste in poetry….that was beautiful.
Unfortunately it wasn’t a clever enough cake in the sense that we were perfectly comfortable eating a dragon. Perhaps if it had tried to mimic a, say, placenta?
I just got sent a delivery of the plain Chobani! I like it so much better than the flavoured ones. Sooooo thick and creamy (you know you want to say TWSS there too).
I remember my friend Laura in high school had the Orgasmatron, and dear LORD the shivers. Teehee, I resisted making noises in the chair at the salon, but I did (rudely) pretend to sleep so the girl would stop chatterboxing away.
Oh, Sig! Thank you, that means a lot. I’m always really nervous posting poetry that I love for fear of negative judgypants! xo
What kind of cake is the “dragon’s head” cake?
Linzer Torte
love the hair hannah!
I love those nut bars.. I eat one a day.. its about the only thing my work sells that I can eat…
Oh, thank you Carla!
Eating this particular bar was a crazy memory trip for me, because I used to eat it all the time in high school, then forgot about them. They taste just as good now
Aww you look so different with straight hair, but I still reckon you rock curls like noone else
I the meantime, I finally worked out how to curl my hair using a hair straightener a couple of weeks ago – grass is always greener, huh? 
Teehee, I’ll never forget how, the first time we met up, you told me you used my ringlets to spot me in the restaurant!!
And thank you for your comment, because the curls are definitely back now, post shower 
Oooh! I can’t wait to see you with curls! One day soon we’ll have a sleepover and do our hair and paint our nails and listen to One Direction and… okay, maybe not all those things.
HOT HAIR, HANNAH!
Haha I, too, like the shampoo/massage bit more than the actual hair-cutting itself – it’s always a LOT more enjoyable when someone else washes your hair
I don’t have a favourite poem/poet (yep, I’m totes uncultured!)
Aw, thank you Libby! Someone told me that you can book just shampoos and blow-waves at salons. If I ever become crazy rich, I’m doing that every fortnight at least.
Teehee, poetry’s not for everyone! You’ve got culture in spades anyway.
That poem is so sad! But your hair looks great. I’ve never had to spend the money having my hair straightened – I have to spend a fortune getting it curly (back in the day when perms were the big thing; thank goodness we’ve moved on from there!) I like the look of the nut bar! xx
Sad but poignantly beautiful, like much of Pablo’s writing, I find. Teehee, I’ll never stop being amused about how much hair is a “grass is always greener” issue. Though, like you, I’m grateful perms aren’t in anymore. Must’ve been hellish sitting behind women at the movies…
I’ve just started to drink some almond milk instead of soy (just to mix it up!) & like the look of the almond breeze one! I think I have an Australian one.. not sure what it’s called, it tastes pretty good! But yeah they don’t tend to have much protein! Oh & how cool you go to the folk festival too, I always look forward to the pofferjies there
So yummm! x
I’ve so far only tried the Aussie So Good almond milk and this one, as the others don’t have added calcium and that puts them out for me. I do like almond milk as a change from soy, I must admit! So good in smoothies too
The Folk Festival is wonderful, but I’ve been naughty and haven’t been much in recent years!
I have a little bit of a love affair with Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening by Robert Frost. Possibly, embarrassingly enough, goes back to my days of being hopelessly obsessed by that TV show Roswell. Sad but true.
Once I had my hair straightened (well, more than once in actuality but not much more) and I went to a wedding where no one recognised me from behind…and my hair isn’t even super curly or anything. Was weird. I don’t like it. You always look pretty though so it looks cool on you! But I prefer the curls…
The poster is awesome by the way.
Does One Direction have any other song besides What Makes You Beautiful? If I hear that song one more time I think I might scream (oh dear, that will mean I will have to scream at work tomorrow since they play it on the radio at least once a day…sigh).
Oh, I remember my brother showing me his favourite Robert Frost poem years ago; I think it was called The Bear? I’ll definitely be looking your recommendation up
(And we all have our guilty TV secrets. My current one is Dance Academy.)
Teehee, I’ve have people not recognise me with my hair straight, too! In fact, it happened just this Wednesday at gospel. My mum and grandma hate it when I straighten mine. Oh!! K-lady, that was such a lovely thing to say. Thank you. I’ve been feeling more troll-like than anything lately!
I am so relieved that I don’t even know what that song is. I intend to keep it that way. Maybe… ear plugs tomorrow?
xo
Your hair looks amazing straightened! Hottie
I’m also smitten with that gorgeous art nouveau poster you have on your wall. So colourful and sensual!
AND YAAAY DRAGON CAKES!
Aw, Ashley! Thank you! It’s curly again now though. Darn our need to clean and wash ourselves with water.
Teehee, I could hardly not have a chocolate poster on my wall! I love it too
DRAGON CAKES WIN AT LIFE FOREVER.
Why is it that people with perfectly delicious curly hair always want to have straight hair, and those of us with straight hair desperately want curls? Cruel fate, damn you. The Bulgarian Rock does look rather frightening. Perhaps it’s just me, but I initially thought the Almond Breeze was fabric softener. Maybe I just did too many loads of washing today?
Alas, such is the evil human plight of always wanting what we don’t have… or perhaps of wearing rose-coloured glasses and thinking that the other style of hair has it easier?
(For the record, straight is easier. 
TRUE. I look like a banshee in the morning.)
Bahaha! I understand the fabric softener thing, particularly because one of my old UVA friends always used Febreeze for her washing
Wow, you look so different with straight hair! I do like it, but now we’re not as eerily similar any more.
We’re still twins for life, right?!
Oh oh oh, this comment made me laugh out loud and love you rather a lot! Never fear, we are most certainly still twins for life. My hair is curly again; such is the magic of the shower
The only reason I ever liked any poetry at all was because of my university mentor, John Ditsky (himself a poet). I do recall enjoying pulling apart Wallace Stevens’s poems, though. And your hair looks amazing! SO different, yet also very nice! (must admit I love the curls, though).
I’m so relieved people are saying they still like the curls, because the curls are already back
Oh, there is something wonderful about being taught poetry by a poet! In truth, I think being taught poetry by teachers who don’t appreciate poetry themselves is why so many students dislike it in school.
I’ll have to look John Ditsky up
Bulgarian ROCK! Sounds like some kind of wrestling magazine. Looks…. untasty.
I have a book of John Donne poetry, and – I should have put this in your last post – I like to read his Holy Sonnets as they calm me down nicely when I’m feeling unsettled. In a bit of a sad way, but I do love them.
Elijah Rock, shout shout! Elijah Rock, comin’ up lord!
That’s what I think of. Good ol’ gospel. Much better than wrestling.
Sometimes I think the best poetry is that which is a little bit sad, yet beautiful too. I remember doing a bit of John Donne back at UVA
So cute! But I have to admit, with my pin-straight hair, I’m insanely jealous of your natural curls!
And I’m jealous of your ability to wake up in the morning, brush your hair, and not look like a banshee
Ohhhh you’re hair looks wonderful Hannah! I’ve never had bulgarian rocks before ~ what do they taste like? I’m interesting in trying hehe ~
Aw, thank you Daisy
I think Bulgarian Rock is just a Darrell Lea thing; at least I’d never heard of it before either. It was like hard nougat but with a very strong flavour of almond extract.
That poem really hit me. Must have a look in Spanish.
And how chic is that look? Come to London next week and show off at my book bash!
Even though my Spanish is far from fluent, I love reading Pablo Neruda in the original. It whispers so beautifully
Must. Resist. Urge. To. Click. Onto. Qantas. Website…
Dear Hannah,
I think I like you in your natural curls.
Far across the horizon
I seek for a reason
And there you are
My shining star
Teehee, thank you! The curls are back now, so I’m glad I’m not being made to feel uglier with them
That poem is utterly gorgeous. Did you write it? So lovely.
Perhaps not as poignant as others but I do love “The Road Goes Ever On” by JRR Tolkien.
P.S. Was the Bulgarian Rock really ‘ChewiLea tasty!’ as promised (I swear a little piece of me died when I read that …).
I can recite Aragorn’s poem from LOTR by heart, so I fully support your LOTR choice
Ugh, I know, isn’t that awful? If by “chewilea” they mean “at risk of ripping your teeth out whilst blinding your taste buds with acrid overpowering almond extract”, then yes.
I’m going to totally brag, my favourite poet is my Dad. He really is wonderful and every year my best birthday present is always a poem from him. Last year he reworked “Mulga Bill’s Bicycle” for me, but the year before was completely original I blogged it here: http://blithemoments.blogspot.com.au/2010/10/happy-birthday.html
I should add that he isn’t actually a poet by profession. He runs companies, but he has this amazing poetic side to him that surprises a lot of people. I’m trying to get him to write a poetry blog when he retires.
P.S. Hair looks great, but I want a curly photo too, I’m imagining it really is going to be very short!
Oh Lisa, that is so wonderful! A true poet in the family – what an honour
I’d love to read his poetry blog, so you get on him about that. I’m too nervous to share my own poetry publically!
P.S. Aaaaah, it really is quite short! As much as I dread photos of myself most of the time, I’ll see what I can do for you sometime. Not right now, though. I am currently not a fan of my face.
We visited Pablo Neruda’s house in Santiago, Chile recently. He’s SUCH a cool dude. Love the haircut, but let’s have some curls as well, huh?
Oh, I am so deeply, deeply envious! I have wanted to visit Chile for years to pay homage to Pablo Neruda (also Isabel Allende)
Teehee, curls are back. I’ll try and find the courage to take more photos of my face sometime soon
Oh Hannah – you know my thoughts on your lovely naturally curly hair. In this photo you look like all the other girls you see – uniform (except for that cheeky little smile of yours). My only consolation is that nature won’t be denied and you will very quickly look your usual pretty, distinguishable, outstanding self.
Love your poetry quote, too – especially the lines about keeping our lives in motion (remember to have those mini-holidays). Do you remember the time in Reston that we started reading a Shakespeare play together when you were about five or six – was it Midsummer Night’s Dream? We never did get to finish it – pity.
*laughs* I knew you’d disapprove, Grandma! Mum huffed at me too
Never you fear, my hair is most certainly back to its naturally curly self, and is in fact behaving particularly so on account of how much was chopped off. It’s very bouncy right now, but I think I’m okay with that 
Oh Grandma, I never would have remembered that on my own but as I read your words a faint memory has come back! I can’t remember anything about Reston, but I do think it was Midsummer. I think you chose that one because of the magical element
Oh good! How about a photo with your short curly head in your next post – next weekend is too long to wait.
Teehee! Next post is likely to be chocolatey, so perhaps not the best place for hair stylin’, but I’ll see what I can do after that
xo
Gah! That dragon head cake looks amazing. & yay for calcium fortified almond milk, I’d LOVE to try it. LOVE to. LOVE to. I’m tired, sorry. Your hair is puuuuuuurtty.
Heidi xo
Here’s a deal: I’ll send you a carton of Almond Breeze, and you mail me a Tasti D’Lite franchise. Deal?
SQUEALLLLLLLLLLLLLL
I found the Almond Breeze too!!! Oh gosh! I was in the Coles with my brother and he couldn’t understand why I got so excited when I found it!!!! 
))))))))))) I’ve tried the So Good almond milk and can’t stand the taste! So glad some people realized that we’re lacking good almond milk here in aus! btw, your hair is gorgeous!!! 
hehe I take pictures of myself too after I cut my hair.. it’s only natural to do so….
Bahahaha! I can’t stop giggling at your level of enthusiasm. I think Almond Breeze has its number one fan
And thank you!
Never too old to scream to One Direction songs (and if you are THIS twenty something you are never too old to buy the whole CD……….).
P.S. I love your hair cut!!!
Thank you Tracy! Ah well, I guess we all have our own, erm, interests.
I honestly just have no idea who One Direction are or where they came from. But s’all good!
You look so grown up with your hair straightened!
The cake looks more alligatory to me!
And now I look like a ten year old again
Never smile at a crocodile, no you can’t get friendly with a crocodile…
i love pablo neruda’s poems
. usually when they are translated, the beauty of the poem is lost, but this translation turned out pretty well. and i love the hair straighten! i’ve been thinking about perming my hair on the contrary haha!
The whole translation issue is a tricky one, as I will admit to comparing translations until I find a style that I like, and yet I have no idea if it’s closer in tone to the original than the translations I don’t like… ah well.
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I must admit I read very little poetry. Boo. But I love this verse by Nietzsche:
“One must still have chaos in oneself to give birth to a dancing star.”
I also like Goethe’s Faust a lot and okay, that’s rather a novel, but it’s rhymed and really cool.
That’s gorgeous, Kath, thank you for sharing. I’m going to keep that one close to my heart.
That poem is, as I would say (yes, quoting myself here) so important. I’ve been meaning to read back through some of your posts that I’ve missed, but perhaps I was just not meant to read this poem till right now when I needed it.
Also: I’m always pro-curls, but slammin’ hair do there! The head massage and scented shampoo is about 70% of my motivation for haircuts, nothing compares to it.
What I most love about that is that you talked of quoting yourself before you’d even said the thing to be quoted. Now that is a level of self-confidence I can get behind
Oh, Laura, that’s so beautiful; I love, love the thought that the universe positioned us both with its bejewelled fingers to ensure I found this poem when I needed it, and then you found my post when you needed it. *hugs*
Thanks heavens everyone likes the curls; ’cause they’re what’s on my head 99% of the year.
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I got my hair did on the very same day you posted this! Cosmic. Favorite poet? Probably someone French, though I am also a huge fan of Edgar Allan Poe. Nd yet, if you asked me right now to quote a poem from memory, this is what I’d say:
I’m hungry!
So I think I’ll take
A bite or two of lunch.
A pizza and some chocolate cake,
Some peanut butter crunch.
A healthy slice of apple pie,
A pound or so of ham,
A stack of waffles two feet high
With boysenberry jam.
I’ll follow with a dozen eggs
(I’ll scramble them I guess)
And six or seven turkey legs
(I could not do with less)
A rhino roast and hippo stew
And fresh fillet of horse,
Then rest a minute, maybe two,
And start the second course.
This made my day. Thank you darling cross-world sister! I think the first stanza is more my style (mmmmm chocolate and peanut butter); my brother can take the second, as he indeed ate raw horse in Japan.
P.S. I embarrassingly don’t know much of Poe’s beyond The Raven (and not just from The Simpsons, I swear), even though I went to UVA. Oops.