Today's poet

[Alf]

I first heard some lines from this poem quoted by G'Kar on Babylon 5 (great prog ) many years ago so I went and looked it up then and found it was Yeats.

THE SECOND COMING

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

W.B. Yeats

[Derby Tup]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zEVZGuU3BU

For Steve, who loved this and recited it often

[N-dubya]

a fair morrow

Nice one freckle, very intense!

Cheers for the link DT I forgot how good a film that was.

[freckle]

Absolutely bl**dy brilliant freckle .. made my day that has

Aw you are so sweet thank you so much, you just made my day too!

[freckle]

I first heard some lines from this poem quoted by G'Kar on Babylon 5 (great prog ) many years ago so I went and looked it up then and found it was Yeats.

THE SECOND COMING

Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;
Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold;
Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,
The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere
The ceremony of innocence is drowned;
The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.

Surely some revelation is at hand;
Surely the Second Coming is at hand.
The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out
When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi
Troubles my sight: a waste of desert sand;
A shape with lion body and the head of a man,
A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun,
Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it
Wind shadows of the indignant desert birds.
The darkness drops again but now I know
That twenty centuries of stony sleep
Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle,
And what rough beast, its hour come round at last,
Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?

W.B. Yeats

Things fall apart the centre cannot hold.......what a gorgeous line i really wish i had written that! thanks for posting

[freckle]

a fair morrow

Nice one freckle, very intense!

Cheers for the link DT I forgot how good a film that was.

indeed n dubya...thank you DT for posting i love that film and when i listened to that clip it made me very glad to be in a band of fell poets who share such things!...your friend steve sounds like a very likeable fellow :-)

[Nathaniel Lee]

Failure.

He stares into his glass,
Failure looks him right in the eye,
Twenty years of smelting steel,
Feeling hades breath on his back,
And what for nowt,
They threw him aside,
His health failing,
Nobody cared for the,
Broken northern working man,
Days now spent in the,
Working mens club,
Drowning his sorrows,
Then off home,
He opens a can and,
Looks around to,
The wife and kids,
Once were wishing this,
Hopeless nightmare,
Could be over,
He falls asleep,
In his chair alone.

By Herakles

[Nathaniel Lee]

Benefit culture.

Boy and girl,
Fumbling in the back,
Of the stolen escort,
He nicked to,
Impress his bird,
There all fingers and,
Thumbs not really,
Knowing what to do,
But knowing she his kid,
Cos' the house and,
The benefits good,
At least that's what,
Chelsea says,
He's done and,
They get back,
Into the front,
He hotwires it,
She squeals with joy,
Back to hang out on,
The square,
Nine months later,
She can't remember,
His name but she's got,
Loads of benefits,
And a three bed semi,
Result !.

By Herakles

[Nathaniel Lee]

Love and death.

I look down,
Murky brown,
Broken reflections,
Stare back,
The wind buffets me,
I feel myself,
Slip,
She said no,
All those times,
She wanted my,
Friendship,
Needed a shoulder,
She said no,
Why would,
She do that,
I can't face,
Her again,
I jump,
I feel free flying,
Suddenly i hit,
The water,
Its icy grip holds me,
Takes my breath,
I open my eyes i,
Can't see i don't,
Care sleep taking,
Over,
Goodbye my love,
Next morning,
A girl reads,
A note and cries,
Quietly taking,
The contents,
Of the medicine,
Cabinet she drifts,
Slowly away,
Easing the pain,
Then it's over.

By Herakles

[Nathaniel Lee]

Night life.

Walklng through the,
Seedy part of town,
Watching the hooligans,
With their sharp suits,
Chelsea boots and
Switchblades,
All the girls in there,
High heeled shoes,
Wanting to know,
If i'd like to go,
Where only the bad,
Boys go,
I say no but maybe,
Tomorrow i love it,
Here all of life,
Passes me by,
Just don't look the,
Wrong cat in the eye,
If you don't want,
Hospital food,
I reach where i'm going,
Gino holds me close,
And whispers,
Ill not charge,
Tonight you are,
My favourite lover,
I blush and close,
The door.

By Herakles