Today's poet

[Old Whippet]

Well all this birthday jollyness is all well and good. But surely what any self respecting poetry type wants is a poem about death.

My favourite from Leonard

Who By Fire

New Skin For The Old Ceremony -- 1974



Who by fire? Who by water? Who in the sunshine? Who in the night time? Who by high ordeal? Who by common trial? Who in your merry, merry month of May? Who by very slow decay? And who shall I say is calling?

And who in her lonely slip? Who by barbiturate? Who in these realms of love? Who by something blunt? Who by avalanche? Who by powder? Who for his greed? Who for his hunger? And who shall I say is calling?

Who by brave assent? Who by accident? Who in solitude? Who in this mirror? Who by his lady's command? Who by his own hand? Who in mortal chains? Who in power? And who shall I say is calling?


Better still if you You-tube it and get some music with the words.

there we go. back on track.

[freckle]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQTRX23EMNk&feature=fvw

"who by her lonely slip, who by the barbituate"...hell of a line...this is pure misery even by my standards !!! off to find some spike milligan...

[freckle]

even spike got fed up sometimes and the result was good for us...regardez...

Halved

Spike Milligan

The essence of true beauty
Lingers in all-encompassing rainbows
Of your joy and laughter

You hold my hand and smile
As we ensconce ourselves in our world of fire
Our love is all there is

I touch your face
Your gentleness astounds me
I'm held in the honour of your love

Then overnight, the wrold truns suor
61 mInnIts past the ELevenTHH HouRR
I'M A L 0 N E

[Harry H Howgill]

Well all this birthday jollyness is all well and good. But surely what any self respecting poetry type wants is a poem about death.

You old misery guts! You've got to have a giggle too!

No Blues Blues

I sat down to sing the blues and everything was fine
Then I found I had a problem, no blues on my mind
I’ve got the no blues blues, can’t think of nothing bad
Got the no blues blues, best thing I’ve ever had

I want to get down and moan, holler and shout
But every time I start to groan, I find the sun’s come out
I’ve got the no blues blues, can’t think of nothing bad
Got the no blues blues, best thing I’ve ever had

My baby hasn’t left me, got no holes in my shoes
My radio is broken so I can’t hear the news
I’ve got the no blues blues, can’t think of nothing bad
Got the no blues blues, best thing I’ve ever had

Rory Motion

[freckle]

This poem was written by Ted Hughes in 1997 about Slyvia Plath, reading this and knowing this I find it very moving....the sense of loss is palpable

Your poems are like a dark city centre.
Your novel, your stories, your journals, your letters, are suburbs
Of this big city.
The hotels are lit like office blocks all night
With scholars, priests, pilgrims. It's at night
Sometimes I drive through. I just find
Myself driving through, going slow, simply
Roaming in my own darkness, pondering
What you did. Nearly always
I glimpse you - at some crossing,
Staring upwards, lost, sixty year old.
...

[Harry H Howgill]

Is it your birthday Freckle? Happy Birthday!!!! Hope you have a good one. I'll try and find you a card from India...I think they beat even HHH's poem with their 'uniqueness'. Last day in Shimla and then back to Delhi tomorrow to fly home on Friday. Not going to spend it in the internet so here is a quick offering before I go off to do battle with cheeky monkeys!

stars among the pines
up at Hanuman's temple
monkeys run amok

three soaring eagles
and rose-capped himalayas
at the setting sun

See you all soon!

They're great Hes. I hope to see the himalayas one day (from the ground) I've flown over them a few times but that isn't just the same.

More monkey trouble hey!

[freckle]

You old misery guts! You've got to have a giggle too!

No Blues Blues

I sat down to sing the blues and everything was fine
Then I found I had a problem, no blues on my mind
I’ve got the no blues blues, can’t think of nothing bad
Got the no blues blues, best thing I’ve ever had

I want to get down and moan, holler and shout
But every time I start to groan, I find the sun’s come out
I’ve got the no blues blues, can’t think of nothing bad
Got the no blues blues, best thing I’ve ever had

My baby hasn’t left me, got no holes in my shoes
My radio is broken so I can’t hear the news
I’ve got the no blues blues, can’t think of nothing bad
Got the no blues blues, best thing I’ve ever had

Rory Motion

Oooo i like this Harry

[Harry H Howgill]

This poem was written by Ted Hughes in 1997 about Slyvia Plath, reading this and knowing this I find it very moving....the sense of loss is palpable

Your poems are like a dark city centre.
Your novel, your stories, your journals, your letters, are suburbs
Of this big city.
The hotels are lit like office blocks all night
With scholars, priests, pilgrims. It's at night
Sometimes I drive through. I just find
Myself driving through, going slow, simply
Roaming in my own darkness, pondering
What you did. Nearly always
I glimpse you - at some crossing,
Staring upwards, lost, sixty year old.
...

One of my new year's resolutions was to find out more about Ted and Sylvia. A tragic, but fascinating story. I enjoyed those short YouTube pieces on them.

This poem is just beautiful.

[Harry H Howgill]

Oooo i like this Harry

I just trashed the melancholy mood mind you. Sorry

Liked the Spike Milligan too.

You've got to have some fun on your birthday!

[Harry H Howgill]

Here's one for Hes on her way back from views of the Himalayas to Yorkshire.

High Tea

Whilst on a Nepalese mountain walk
I came across two Yetis
So I took them both back home to York
And we went for tea at Betty's
We ordered toast and tea with lime
And some dainty little ices
And everything was going fine
Till the Yetis saw the prices
They ate two tourists who came from Spain
The way they were was all too horrible
So I never took them there again
Their behaviour was abominable

Rory Motion