Today’s program, and programs to come, will focus on randomly chosen topics, ranging from elements of the natural world to particular ideas. In programs to come I also plan to read poems I just happen to like. So there might be a little bit less of a scholarly and academic overview in my coming programs and more of a celebration of good work within a defined context. Because it’s raining in Connecticut as I write this program, I’d like to read some poems today that together present varied symbolic perspectives and representations of rain. Today’s poems are by William Butler Yeats, Daniel Bowman, David Breeden, and Jerry Craven. I end the program with excerpts from my book St. Brigid’s Well.