Whether we pick up the paper, log on to the internet, or turn on our radios and television sets, we are constantly bombarded with images of killings, bombings, war, and terror. We can become so saturated and overwhelmed with these images that we forget there is still much good and much beauty in our world and universe. It is important that we turn to literature, music, the arts, and even nature itself to find beauty, assurance, and tranquility in this violence-ridden world.

When I become filled with dread and hopelessness, I like to turn to the great poets. I have a particular affinity to the poetry of John Keats. He had the uncanny ability to make a link between the beauty of nature and the needs of the human soul.

We are about to enter the transition between the hot, lazy days of summer and the cool beauty of autumn. This is a time of year when the late summer flowers such as Zinnias, Geraniums, and Chrysanthemums are in full show. Soon the leaves will turn to flaming yellows and reds. It is a time when we can again become aware of the beauty all around us. Let me share one of John Keats' poems with you:

A Flowery Hand to Bind Us to the Earth