Billy Collins:    I’m the kind of hopeless optimist.  And there’s a Turkish proverb that I think sums up my philosophy.  And the proverb is, or the saying is, “Every time the ax goes into the forest, all the trees think, ‘At least the handle is one of us.’”  You know?  So it’s hopeless, but it’s cheery for the moment.

July 4, 2007