Mum used to quote odd verses of the Rubaiyat at seemingly random times - to the point that it all seemed quite normal. Mind, she quoted odd bits of other poetry too, so maybe my perception of 'normal' in that regard was a tad off the conventional track! I didn't come to the Rubaiyat as a complete work until I was in my twenties. By then, the custom of sitting at the dinner table after the meal, discussing poetry and reading favourites with my children was beginning to become a favourite pastime.
I don't go back to this book very often these days. It surfaced a few weeks ago while I was sorting through some messy piles of books in the bookcases, and I dropped it onto my desk where it got lost under another messy pile... Now, with a morning that just changed direction, I have time to get it up here, and then it can go back to the now tidy bookcase!
