I was importing old bookmarks into the new Earthlink (and wondering why I thought a link to Soupy Sales was worth saving) when I struck gold. Robert Herrick (1591-1674 ) is one of my favorite poets. Some scholars say that his poems were actually song lyrics of the day and that may very well be true but they read, at least to my 21st century eyes, like the purest poetry. I'll admit to a fondness for most 17th century poets but Herrick's work speaks to me in a way I can't explain. Herrick wrote many poems for and about Julia and it was this poem, A Ring Presented to Julia, which was presented to me on my wedding day by a very dear friend, Kathy Callahan, who somehow always managed to find the words that would mean the most to me.



And that the poem is presented next to Van Eyck's "Marriage of Arnolfini" -- well, it just doesn't get any better than that.