General Chat

"I'm selfish, impatient and a little insecure. I make mistakes, I am out of control and at times hard to handle. But if you can't handle me at my worst, then you sure as hell don't deserve me at my best."
— Marilyn Monroe

I do hope this poem doesn't take up too much space. For anyone who has been to see Cats the musical they will know this but I remember learning it at school many, many years before it went to the West End-jle


Macavity - The Mystery Cat
a poem by T S Eliot


Macavity's a Mystery Cat: he's called the Hidden Paw--
For he's the master criminal who can defy the Law.
He's the bafflement of Scotland Yard, the Flying Squad's despair:
For when they reach the scene of crime--Macavity's not there!

Macavity, Macavity, there's no on like Macavity,
He's broken every human law, he breaks the law of gravity.
His powers of levitation would make a fakir stare,
And when you reach the scene of crime--Macavity's not there!
You may seek him in the basement, you may look up in the air--
But I tell you once and once again, Macavity's not there!

Macavity's a ginger cat, he's very tall and thin;
You would know him if you saw him, for his eyes are sunken in.
His brow is deeply lined with thought, his head is highly doomed;
His coat is dusty from neglect, his whiskers are uncombed.
He sways his head from side to side, with movements like a snake;
And when you think he's half asleep, he's always wide awake.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macavity,
For he's a fiend in feline shape, a monster of depravity.
You may meet him in a by-street, you may see him in the square--
But when a crime's discovered, then Macavity's not there!

He's outwardly respectable. (They say he cheats at cards.)
And his footprints are not found in any file of Scotland Yard's.
And when the larder's looted, or the jewel-case is rifled,
Or when the milk is missing, or another Peke's been stifled,
Or the greenhouse glass is broken, and the trellis past repair--
Ay, there's the wonder of the thing! Macavity's not there!

And when the Foreign Office finds a Treaty's gone astray,
Or the Admiralty lose some plans and drawings by the way,
There may be a scap of paper in the hall or on the stair--
But it's useless of investigate--Macavity's not there!
And when the loss has been disclosed, the Secret Service say:
"It must have been Macavity!"--but he's a mile away.
You'll be sure to find him resting, or a-licking of his thumbs,
Or engaged in doing complicated long division sums.

Macavity, Macavity, there's no one like Macacity,
There never was a Cat of such deceitfulness and suavity.
He always has an alibi, or one or two to spare:
And whatever time the deed took place--MACAVITY WASN'T THERE!
And they say that all the Cats whose wicked deeds are widely known
(I might mention Mungojerrie, I might mention Griddlebone)
Are nothing more than agents for the Cat who all the time
Just controls their operations: the Napoleon of Crime!

Another favorite I've unearthed!

Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
is hung with bloom along the bough,
and stands about the woodland ride
wearing white for Eastertide.

Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
it only leaves me fifty more.

And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.

A.E Houseman: 'A Shropshire Lad.'

Quotes of the Day

If you could only love enough, you could be the most powerful person in the world.
Emmet Fox


Do all things with love.
Og Mandino


An artist is not paid for his labor but for his vision.
James Whistler

The lake and the mountains have become my landscape, my real world.

Jillian
Welcome to this thread and I hope that you stay with us. We are a mixed bunch of people with one passion in common, poetry. I also like unusual sayings which is why I added it to the heading.
Thank you for telling us about the author of the poem and also mentioning the Space Shuttle Crew. How could we ever forget. I recall it so clearly and can recall the terrible feeling as these brave adventurers left this planet.

I hope to read another poem or saying from you in the near future

B

I love poetry. How about this one

High Flight

John Gillespie Magee, Jr


Oh! I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
Sunward I've climbed, and joined the tumbling mirth
Of sun-split clouds, --and done a hundred things
You have not dreamed of --Wheeled and soared and swung
High in the sunlit silence. Hov'ring there
I've chased the shouting wind along, and flung
My eager craft through footless halls of air...
Up, up the long, delirious, burning blue
I've topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace
Where never lark or even eagle flew --
And, while with silent lifting mind I've trod
The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
Put out my hand, and touched the face of God.

This poem was apparently composed September 3rd 1941 whilst he was actually in the air. Magee was a pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He flew Spitfires and was killed December 11, 1941 whist on a training mission.

And if anyone remembers the memorial for the crew of the Space Shuttle Challenger which exploded in January 1986, this was what Ronald Reagan used within his address.

Thank you welshbird201....a much better day than I had first imagined.-j

Can anyone help me? My husband has just gone out and bought a really good quality book case for me to keep all my records etc. Given that he has no interest whatsoever in family history, he lives for today not yesterday or tomorrow is his favourite reply if asked about family history so this token of his feeling for me is very precious, therefore I would like to write / give him a Thank You. As he is rather romantic I know that he would like this but i cannot think due to the surprise!!!!

Happy birthday for yesterday, Janet. I love your poem, absolutley brilliant.
I hope you had a great day.

Thank you SpanishEyes and niggglynellie-j

Oh Janet, that is quite brilliant, a potentially unhappy day turned into a really happy one, that has made me feel good too!!! Happy Birthday from me as well!! I have one or two very old friends from 'way back' and I always love hearing from them, it's so nice to feel remembered. Liz x

Janet, first I must wish you a Happy Birthday even if it is a little late in the day.
Sometimes we all need to be reminded that "someone " is thinking of us even if only for a brief amount of time. Enjoy your flowers and why not press one of them so that you can treasure it forever.
Bridget

Today is my birthday and to be quite honest I wasn't feeling too happy with the world and decided that it was going to be the worst one ever. I opened my cards and a school friend of fifty years sent me a card with this verse:-

Friends don't need to talk every day to know that they are close
But there are times in life when it's a friend we need the most
And when I think of friendship it's you I think of first
Someone to share life's ups and downs,the best days and the worst
Because you've always been someone with whom I can really share
And it makes me feel so deeply glad, just knowing you are there.

... a short time later some flowers were delivered , I had absolutely no idea who had sent them but they came from another friend who has never sent me flowers ......think someone is looking after me..jl

Your job is to awaken to the levels inside you that are asleep, to awaken to the consciousness of love, Light, and Sound.

- John-Roger

I found this whilst trawling the internet this morning about Anxiety disorder

I hope you like it

Here's another 'saying' that might help world peace if the 'world' would heed it!


Never, never let your gun
pointed be at anyone,
That it may unloaded be,
matters not a jot to me!

It is delightful isn't it, check him out on the web he has written some lovely poems.

nigglynellie, I love the Rememberance Day Poem its very poignant.

WelshBird
I have never read or seen this before, it is delightful
Bridget

Thanks for the welcome SpanishEyes...nigglynellie I would like to wish you and your OH all the best.
This is one of my favourite poems by Robert Frost
Stopping by Woods on a snowy evening.

Whose woods these are I think I know
His house is in the village though
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
to stopp without a farmhouse near
between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep
And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep

I have this poem framed and hanging in my utility room 'welshbird201.' There are times when it rings very true especially at the moment as my OH is recovering from major surgery for Prostate Cancer, so things have been a bit stressful for us. I find this thread very restful and soothing. Thankyou everyone for your contributions.

welshbird
Thank you for joining us, it is always pleasing to see a new name.
I suspect that many of us will find this entry very close to our hearts at times.
I look forward to reading more pieces from you
B