WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.530 align:middle line:90% 00:00:06.530 --> 00:00:09.770 align:middle line:90% "Litany," by Billy Collins. 00:00:09.770 --> 00:00:14.360 align:middle line:84% "You are the bread and the knife, the crystal goblet 00:00:14.360 --> 00:00:15.770 align:middle line:90% and the wine. 00:00:15.770 --> 00:00:19.310 align:middle line:84% You are the dew on the morning grass, 00:00:19.310 --> 00:00:22.310 align:middle line:90% and burning wheel of the sun. 00:00:22.310 --> 00:00:27.050 align:middle line:84% You are white apron of the baker-- oh, uh oh. 00:00:27.050 --> 00:00:31.110 align:middle line:84% The marsh birds suddenly in flight. 00:00:31.110 --> 00:00:34.950 align:middle line:84% However, you are not the wind in the orchard, 00:00:34.950 --> 00:00:38.180 align:middle line:84% plums on the counter, that the house of cards. 00:00:38.180 --> 00:00:41.720 align:middle line:84% And you are certainly not the pine-scented air. 00:00:41.720 --> 00:00:46.610 align:middle line:84% There is just no way you are the pine-scented air. 00:00:46.610 --> 00:00:49.940 align:middle line:84% It is possible that you are the fish under the bridge. 00:00:49.940 --> 00:00:52.955 align:middle line:84% Maybe even the pigeon on the general's head. 00:00:52.955 --> 00:01:00.250 align:middle line:84% But you're not even close to being the field of cornflowers 00:01:00.250 --> 00:01:01.446 align:middle line:90% at dusk. 00:01:01.446 --> 00:01:04.250 align:middle line:84% And a quick look in the mirror will show you 00:01:04.250 --> 00:01:07.232 align:middle line:84% that you are neither the boots in the corner 00:01:07.232 --> 00:01:09.830 align:middle line:84% nor the boat asleep in its boathouse. 00:01:09.830 --> 00:01:15.150 align:middle line:84% It might be good to know, speaking of the plentiful 00:01:15.150 --> 00:01:22.530 align:middle line:84% imagery for the world, that I am the sound the rain on the roof. 00:01:22.530 --> 00:01:29.296 align:middle line:84% I also happen to be the shooting star, the evening paper blowing 00:01:29.296 --> 00:01:34.565 align:middle line:84% down an alley, and the basket of chestnuts, 00:01:34.565 --> 00:01:36.680 align:middle line:90% nuts on the kitchen table. 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:42.415 align:middle line:84% I am also the moon in the trees, and the blind woman's tea cup. 00:01:42.415 --> 00:01:47.150 align:middle line:84% But don't worry, I am not the bread and the knife. 00:01:47.150 --> 00:01:49.990 align:middle line:84% You are still the bread and the knife. 00:01:49.990 --> 00:01:53.740 align:middle line:84% You will always be the bread and the knife, 00:01:53.740 --> 00:01:56.810 align:middle line:84% not to mention the crystal goblet and-- 00:01:56.810 --> 00:01:58.775 align:middle line:90% somehow-- the wine. 00:01:58.775 --> 00:02:02.036 align:middle line:90% [APPLAUSE] 00:02:02.036 --> 00:02:14.830 align:middle line:90% 00:02:14.830 --> 00:02:19.690 align:middle line:84% WC Fields said never follow an animal act or a child act, 00:02:19.690 --> 00:02:22.960 align:middle line:84% and that is a really hard act to follow. 00:02:22.960 --> 00:02:27.160 align:middle line:84% That is Samuel Tylka, and he's here tonight with his parents. 00:02:27.160 --> 00:02:30.310 align:middle line:84% And maybe we'll get to see him afterwards. 00:02:30.310 --> 00:02:33.410 align:middle line:84% He's actually memorized a number of poems. 00:02:33.410 --> 00:02:35.770 align:middle line:84% Some of them, three of them by me, at least. 00:02:35.770 --> 00:02:40.870 align:middle line:84% And he has an ingenious talent for kind 00:02:40.870 --> 00:02:43.540 align:middle line:90% of imitating what he hears. 00:02:43.540 --> 00:02:45.310 align:middle line:84% So I'm very flattered by that reading, 00:02:45.310 --> 00:02:50.060 align:middle line:84% and I'm sure it's much better than my version. 00:02:50.060 --> 00:02:54.795 align:middle line:84% I now feel like I should have some toys up here 00:02:54.795 --> 00:02:57.500 align:middle line:90% to play with to keep my focus. 00:02:57.500 --> 00:03:00.842 align:middle line:90% 00:03:00.842 --> 00:03:04.490 align:middle line:84% What Samuel seems to do is read the poems to his toys, 00:03:04.490 --> 00:03:07.091 align:middle line:90% so he has an audience there. 00:03:07.091 --> 00:03:09.710 align:middle line:90% But I have you, so.