Litany of litanies

Barnacle Boy's hamster's departure from this earth left a little hole in his heart, I've discovered.

I wrote a piece for this week's Catholic Standard and Times on litanies, prodded by a spate of litanies. First there was Stratoz, praying his way through an anxious morning, then I spent an uncomfortable few minutes on an examining table praying the litany of the saints. The next morning, as we chatted over breakfast preparations, Math Man recounted the poem he'd heard on NPR. "It had this interesting structure, a back and forth...I can't quite remember what they called it." "A litany?" Got it in one. And I got the message. Maybe I should write about litanies?

You can read the piece here (and and then perhaps the photo will make sense...)

On the way home from school today I mentioned to the Boy that I'd written about him, and about Rufus. "Is it about that day?" he inquired. "The day Rufus.." He stops me. "Nope! It makes me sad."