Today's poet

[Hes]

Merry Christmas Machgirl and thanks for posting one of my favourites too. Coincidentally, I nearly posted this the other day when Plodding Bear wanted some lines about love for his daughter.

Wishing everyone a peaceful Christmas whatever you are doing and the hope that 2011 will be a fulfilling and happy part of all our journies.xxx

Wow , it's officially christmas day and I'm still wrapping presents in stealth mode. My eldest daughter Jasmine ( aged 8 ) is determined to make this year ( much to my dismay ) the year she officially stops believing in Santa .and is fighting going to sleep, in the most frustratingly impressive way !

Anyway Merry Christmas everyone .... decided against something seasonal ... Cavafy's ' Ithaka' which is actually my favourite poem of all time .



Ithaca

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)

[Harry H Howgill]

Cracking choice MachGirl. It looks like a classic but the first time I've read it.

Happy Christmas to Fell Poets one and all.

Wow , it's officially christmas day and I'm still wrapping presents in stealth mode. My eldest daughter Jasmine ( aged 8 ) is determined to make this year ( much to my dismay ) the year she officially stops believing in Santa .and is fighting going to sleep, in the most frustratingly impressive way !

Anyway Merry Christmas everyone .... decided against something seasonal ... Cavafy's ' Ithaka' which is actually my favourite poem of all time .



Ithaca

When you set out on your journey to Ithaca,
pray that the road is long,
full of adventure, full of knowledge.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the angry Poseidon -- do not fear them:
You will never find such as these on your path,
if your thoughts remain lofty, if a fine
emotion touches your spirit and your body.
The Lestrygonians and the Cyclops,
the fierce Poseidon you will never encounter,
if you do not carry them within your soul,
if your soul does not set them up before you.

Pray that the road is long.
That the summer mornings are many, when,
with such pleasure, with such joy
you will enter ports seen for the first time;
stop at Phoenician markets,
and purchase fine merchandise,
mother-of-pearl and coral, amber and ebony,
and sensual perfumes of all kinds,
as many sensual perfumes as you can;
visit many Egyptian cities,
to learn and learn from scholars.

Always keep Ithaca in your mind.
To arrive there is your ultimate goal.
But do not hurry the voyage at all.
It is better to let it last for many years;
and to anchor at the island when you are old,
rich with all you have gained on the way,
not expecting that Ithaca will offer you riches.

Ithaca has given you the beautiful voyage.
Without her you would have never set out on the road.
She has nothing more to give you.

And if you find her poor, Ithaca has not deceived you.
Wise as you have become, with so much experience,
you must already have understood what Ithacas mean.

Constantine P. Cavafy (1911)

[Harry H Howgill]

Happy Christmas Hes. x

Merry Christmas Machgirl and thanks for posting one of my favourites too. Coincidentally, I nearly posted this the other day when Plodding Bear wanted some lines about love for his daughter.

Wishing everyone a peaceful Christmas whatever you are doing and the hope that 2011 will be a fulfilling and happy part of all our journies.xxx

[Harry H Howgill]

Happy Christmas to you too Freckle. x

Evening fell poets...wishing you all a lovely Christmas what ever shape or form that takes, from the hectic family scenarios, to quiet snowy runs away from it all....and wishing you all a wonderful 2011....

Love Comes Quietly - Robert Creeley

Love comes quietly,
finally, drops
about me, on me,
in the old ways.

What did I know
thinking myself
able to go
alone all the way.

[MachGirl]

Hi everyone , just to say Merry Christmas x and thank all of you on this thread for being so nice and generally encouraging since I joined ! I'm not exactly the social type , but joining this group has been really good for me , connecting with you all just through words ..... so thankyou x

Before you all either throw up or cry , here is a cool little poem I found last night ......

Risk

And then the day came,
when the risk
to remain tight
in a bud
was more painful
than the risk
it took
to blossom.

Anais Nin

[freckle]

Hi everyone , just to say Merry Christmas x and thank all of you on this thread for being so nice and generally encouraging since I joined ! I'm not exactly the social type , but joining this group has been really good for me , connecting with you all just through words ..... so thankyou x

Before you all either throw up or cry , here is a cool little poem I found last night ......

Risk

And then the day came,
when the risk
to remain tight
in a bud
was more painful
than the risk
it took
to blossom.

Anais Nin

Now this is a little gem Machgirl! It is always nice to have new inflyences on this thread and you have made some beautiful choices! anyhoo, did we ever find out what DT read out? oh wrong thread!

[Roy Scott]

Hi everyone , just to say Merry Christmas x and thank all of you on this thread for being so nice and generally encouraging since I joined ! I'm not exactly the social type , but joining this group has been really good for me , connecting with you all just through words ..... so thankyou x

Before you all either throw up or cry , here is a cool little poem I found last night ......

Risk

And then the day came,
when the risk
to remain tight
in a bud
was more painful
than the risk
it took
to blossom.

Anais Nin

I think we can all relate to that. Great Poem MG2

[Alf]

Hi everyone , just to say Merry Christmas x and thank all of you on this thread for being so nice and generally encouraging since I joined ! I'm not exactly the social type , but joining this group has been really good for me , connecting with you all just through words ..... so thankyou x

Before you all either throw up or cry , here is a cool little poem I found last night ......

Risk

And then the day came,
when the risk
to remain tight
in a bud
was more painful
than the risk
it took
to blossom.

Anais Nin

Great choice of poem that MachGirl It brings to mind some lines from Gray's Elegy in a country churchyard.

"Full many a gem of purest ray serene
The dark unfathom'd caves of ocean bear:
Full many a flower is born to blush unseen,
And waste its sweetness on the desert air."

[Stolly]

Don't do it George - there's still time to throw yourself off the bridge instead

[freckle]

Don't do it George - there's still time to throw yourself off the bridge instead

HA HA HA HA HA ! had to delete it! never post when under the influence of cava!