Today's poet

[freckle]

Like it. Glad to see you're back Freckle.

Morning

We are what we repeatedly do.
—Aristotle

You know how it is waking
from a dream certain you can fly
and that someone, long gone, returned

and you are filled with longing,
for a brief moment, to drive off
the road and feel nothing

or to see the loved one and feel
everything. Perhaps one morning,
taking brush to hair you'll wonder

how much of your life you've spent
at this task or signing your name
or rising in fog in near darkness

to ready for work. Day begins
with other people's needs first
and your thoughts disperse like breath.

In the in-between hour, the solitary hour,
before day begins all the world
gradually reappears car by car.

Deborah Ager

thanks Mossy...

This puts me in mind of my return to work after a lovely Xmas break...I had been craving some peace and quiet, and time to collect my thoughts...I loved the line "and your thoughts disperse like breath"...not sure what it means but it made me think about how the self becomes semi permeable in day to day routines...

[that_fjell_guy]

"...not sure what it means but it made me think about how the self becomes semi permeable in day to day routines... "

God! Thats poetry in itself!!

[Mossdog]

"...not sure what it means but it made me think about how the self becomes semi permeable in day to day routines... "

God! Thats poetry in itself!!

It sure is..

[Alf]

The Garden of Love

I went to the Garden of Love,
And saw what I never had seen:
A Chapel was built in the midst,
Where I used to play on the green.

And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
And “Thou shalt not” writ over the door;
So I turned to the Garden of Love,
That so many sweet flowers bore;

And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tombstones where flowers should be;
And Priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briers my joys and desires.

William Blake

[Alf]

I Speak Not

I speak not, I trace not, I breathe not thy name;
There is grief in the sound, there is guilt in the fame;
But the tear that now burns on my cheek may impart
The deep thoughts that dwell in that silence of heart.
Too brief for our passion, too long for our peace,
Were those hours - can their joy or their bitterness cease?
We repent, we abjure, we will break from our chain, -
We will part, we will fly to - unite it again!
Oh! thine be the gladness, and mine be the guilt!
Forgive me, adored one! - forsake if thou wilt;
But the heart which is thine shall expire undebased,
And man shall not break it - whatever thou may'st.
And stern to the haughty, but humble to thee,
This soul in its bitterest blackness shall be;
And our days seem as swift, and our moments more sweet,
With thee at my side, than with worlds at our feet.
One sigh of thy sorrow, one look of thy love,
Shall turn me or fix, shall reward or reprove.
And the heartless may wonder at all I resign -
Thy lips shall reply, not to them, but to mine.

Lord Byron

[Richard Shlong]

I Speak Not

I speak not, I trace not, I breathe not thy name;
There is grief in the sound, there is guilt in the fame;
But the tear that now burns on my cheek may impart
The deep thoughts that dwell in that silence of heart.
Too brief for our passion, too long for our peace,
Were those hours - can their joy or their bitterness cease?
We repent, we abjure, we will break from our chain, -
We will part, we will fly to - unite it again!
Oh! thine be the gladness, and mine be the guilt!
Forgive me, adored one! - forsake if thou wilt;
But the heart which is thine shall expire undebased,
And man shall not break it - whatever thou may'st.
And stern to the haughty, but humble to thee,
This soul in its bitterest blackness shall be;
And our days seem as swift, and our moments more sweet,
With thee at my side, than with worlds at our feet.
One sigh of thy sorrow, one look of thy love,
Shall turn me or fix, shall reward or reprove.
And the heartless may wonder at all I resign -
Thy lips shall reply, not to them, but to mine.

Lord Byron

That's quite moving actually.
You see, I am able to connect with the words, both emotionally and physically. I feel like I understand what its about, and bring on my past experiences.
I can't always follow the correct path, but at least I know I tried to find my way on my own.
Nice. Well done.

[Mossdog]

Winter Ride

Who shall declare the joy of the running!
Who shall tell of the pleasures of flight!
Springing and spurning the tufts of wild heather,
Sweeping, wide-winged, through the blue dome of light.
Everything mortal has moments immortal,
Swift and God-gifted, immeasurably bright.

So with the stretch of the white road before me,
Shining snowcrystals rainbowed by the sun,
Fields that are white, stained with long, cool, blue shadows,
Strong with the strength of my horse as we run.
Joy in the touch of the wind and the sunlight!
Joy! With the vigorous earth I am one.

Amy Lowell

[Mossdog]

I Speak Not

I speak not, I trace not, I breathe not thy name;
There is grief in the sound, there is guilt in the fame;
But the tear that now burns on my cheek may impart
The deep thoughts that dwell in that silence of heart.
Too brief for our passion, too long for our peace,
Were those hours - can their joy or their bitterness cease?
We repent, we abjure, we will break from our chain, -
We will part, we will fly to - unite it again!
Oh! thine be the gladness, and mine be the guilt!
Forgive me, adored one! - forsake if thou wilt;
But the heart which is thine shall expire undebased,
And man shall not break it - whatever thou may'st.
And stern to the haughty, but humble to thee,
This soul in its bitterest blackness shall be;
And our days seem as swift, and our moments more sweet,
With thee at my side, than with worlds at our feet.
One sigh of thy sorrow, one look of thy love,
Shall turn me or fix, shall reward or reprove.
And the heartless may wonder at all I resign -
Thy lips shall reply, not to them, but to mine.

Lord Byron

Magnificent - thanks for posting Alf.

[Jaspopmax]

Hi guys !

It's Machgirl ! ha ...

I'm a little giddy ... having not visited this site for almost 2 years now . Just seeing all the ' todays poet ' regulars still posting away made me smile xxx

I'm going to try and catch up on as many posts as I can over next couple of days , before I start posting any little pearlers I've been waiting to share.

MACHGIRL

[Mossdog]

Hi guys !

It's Machgirl ! ha ...

I'm a little giddy ... having not visited this site for almost 2 years now . Just seeing all the ' todays poet ' regulars still posting away made me smile xxx

I'm going to try and catch up on as many posts as I can over next couple of days , before I start posting any little pearlers I've been waiting to share.

MACHGIRL

Hi Machgirl. Very glad to hear you're back. Mmmmmmmm.....maybe a bit sad that the 'regulars' haven't moved on tho! (Note to self...'get a life')