General Chat

One of my favourites, short and rather sweet :))

In A Bath Teashop by John Betjeman

"Let us not speak, for the love we bear one another—
Let us hold hands and look."
She such a very ordinary little woman;
He such a thumping crook;
But both, for a moment, little lower than the angels
In the teashop's ingle-nook. "

Thought you may like this by Thomas Hardy.

I am the family face
Flesh perishes I live on
Projecting trait and trace
Through time yo time anon
And leaping from place to place
Over oblivion

The years - heired feature that can
In curve and voice and eye
Despise the human span
Of durance - - that is I
The eternal thing in man
That heeds no call to die

Terence
What beautiful messages you found to be treasured forever and thank you for sharing them with us.
i have turned to poetry for much of my life but sadly have never had the skills to write a poem.
Perhaps you will peep in here from time to time and see if there is anything you would like to comment on. It is always a pleasure to have a gentleman's view and after all men are 50 % of our population.
I have five sons and one daughter so used to having male opinions!

Take care

Bridget

If you insist Spanish Eyes. I have two special pieces borne out of sadness that are particularly meaningful to me. The first are the words from a little card that I found soon after my wife died in January, 2008. It was at the bottom of a box with other papers:

If I should die and
leave you here awhile,
be not like others sore,
who keep long vigils
by the silent dust, and weep.
For my sake turn again
to life and smile,
nerving thy heart
and trembling hand to do
something to comfort
other hearts than thine.
Complete these dear
unfinished tasks of mine,
and I perchance
may therein comfort you.

The second one is also as a result of the passing of my wife. It too was on a card from my two grandchildren for Christmas 2008.

Memories of a Special Grandma at Christmas
---------------------------------------------------------------

Christmas isn't quite the same and there's a clear reason
Without you Grandma it's very hard to celebrate this season
But you'll never be forgotten you'll live on for evermore
One very special lady who was easy to adore
The memories always bring a smile and real appreciation
Of all the Christmas times we've shared in joyful celebration.
Your kindness was amazing, such a pleasure to behold
You were such a ray of sunshine with a heart of solid gold,
The Christmas scene seems empty now a scene that once you graced
For something's lost forever that can never be replaced.

Yes, they are tinged with sadness but they mean so much to me.

Regards

Terence

Fringed Gentian

God made a little gentian;
It tried to be a rose
And failed, and all the summer laughed.
But just before the snows
There came a purple creature
That ravished all the hill;
And summer hid her forehead,
And mockery was still.
The frosts were her condition;
The Tyrian would not come
Until the North evoked it,
"Creator! shall I bloom?"

Emily Dickinson 1830-1886

This was one of the poems I had to recite for my first elocution lesson. do people still have elocution lessons, it certainly helped me to overcome my lisp unless I am anxious when back it comes!

Terence
It is rather refreshing to have a chap add to the thread and yet i dare say that there are many who enjoy poetry and who have favourite sayings. do you have any more special pieces you could share with us and I am sure that there must be some sayings that you know.?

Nigglynellie.
My mother never really recovered from this very traumatic time for several reasons,
1.She needed her husband and the army would not let him home apart from the funeral itself, it was of course war time and he was in the UK but rules are rules.
2. Her GP decided it was not right for her to attend the funeral so heavily sedated her and she did not know until the following day that her son had been buried. Things have changed since then thank goodness.

I think this poem is quite beautiful and poingnant. How hard it was then, that an unbaptised person couldn't be buried in cosecrated ground. I know of this, because I was very ill when I was a baby, and my mother, in case I died, had me christened in hospital at three weeks old. Obviously I survived, but I know this was a very real concern at the time. Nowadays, this isn't the case, at least not in the Church of England, my stepfather who had not been baptised, was buried with my mother without any question or comment in their Village Graveyard in 1987.

I am so glad that you appreciated the poem which has meant so much in the past. I just thought that it might mean something to others. Thanks.

Terence

What a beautiful entry, and thank you for sharing why it is so special to you. I would like to print this and leep it with my brothers records. He died at only 3 hours old and before I was born but knew all about him from a very young age, and try to visit his resting place each year in Fingrinhoe Essex, As i do not live in the UK it is not always possible. because he died before he was christened he was not allowed to be buried in concecrated ground but the vicar allowed him to be buried against the church wall.

HEAVEN'S VERY SPECIAL CHILD

A meeting was held quite far from earth,
"It's time again for another birth,"
Said the Angels to the Lord above
"This Special Child will need much love."

His progress may seem very slow,
Accomplishments he may not show;
And he'll require extra care
From the folks he meets down there.

He may not run or laugh or play.
His thoughts may seem quite far away.
I many ways he won't adapt,
And he'll be known as handicapped.

S let's be careful where he' sent,
We want his llife to be content.
Please, Lord, find the parents who,
Will do this special job for you.

They will not realise right away
The leading role they're asked to play,
But with this child sent from above
Come stronger faith and richer love.

And soon they'll know the privilege given
I caring for the gift from Heaven,
Their precious child so meek and mild,
Is HEAVEN'S VERY SPECIAL CHILD.

The above was attributed to one E Massimilla and proved to be very meaningful to my wife and I whilst we had our handicapped son Simon who was born in 1966 and died in 1998.

I found this on a headstone years ago, I can't remember exactly where!! but it has always stuck in my mind.

Remember friend as you walk by,
As you are now, so once was I,
As I am now you will surely be,
Prepare thyself to follow me.

A bit sombre maybe, but certainly thought provoking!

What a wonderful response from people, I am so glad that I came back to this thread.

I am thinking of printing all these poems and making a book out of them to keep as a reminder of how popular poetry remains. If anyone objects to their piece(s0 being downloaded then please just let me know. I will not be doing this for at least a month so plenty of time.

Now I shall go and think which poem or saying I can think of to add on here latter today.

Nigglenellie, what a wonderful personal piece you have and thank you for sharing it. I found it particularly poignant considering where many of our children, brothers & sisters, nephews and nieces, boyfriends and girl friends are currently deployed, including one of my children who has been there and will be going again but hopefully not this year.

Burton. Thank you for clarifying the position about "The life that I Have" I could remember from school days that this was written by someone called Leo but that was all and having been so very busy in the last few months and not to well I simply left it for someone else ....

Have a good day everyone

Sorry to contradict you Jeanette but whilst it is true that the "Life that I have" poem was used by Violette Szabo, it was not written especially for her.
The understanding came about due to the film "Carve her name with pride" which claimed that the poem was the creation of Violette's husband Etienne, but this is not true. The original poem was composed on Christmas Eve 1943 by Leo Marks in memory of his girlfriend Ruth, who had just died in a plane crash in Canada. Marks was a cryptographer and on 24 March 1944, he gave it to Violette Szabo for her personal use as an SOE Agent.

Hope this puts the record straight. This in no way detracts from the bravery of a courageous lady and a very good film.

I found this quotation written by my mother on the back of a photo of my father which I found very moving.

Bill: Oct 1942.

For life is eternal
and love is immortal
and death is only a horizon,
and a horizon is nothing save the
limit of our sight.

My father was killed two months after this was written, I was born five weeks later.

Yes ,now that rings a bell ....The Littlest One !!

Thank you Janet

This is from a book called 'The Littlest One' by Marion St John Adcock, published by George G Harrap in 1919.
.....oh that internet........jle

I remember learning this one years ago .

I'am sitting on the door step and i'am eating bread and jam
and i arn't a crying really tho i specks you think i am,

I'am feeling rather lonely and i don't know what to do
cos there's no one here to play with and i've broke my hoop into,

I can hear the others playing but they says they don't want me
cos my legs are rather little and i run so slow you see,

So i'am sitting on the door step and i'am eating bread and jam
and i arn't a crying really tho it feels as if i am .

By ??

Wow! what a great response from everyone, thank you. Jeanette please post you two favourite poetry pieces to share with us all.

I have just come home from shopping and having lunch out, the weather has improved quite a lot and the sun is shining. We had a typical Spanish lunch of 4 or 5 courses and I admit to having 2 large G&Ts as well.

I will look through my books of favourite poems and see what I can post before the day ends.
Bye for now from

B

I love Nigglynellies favourie poem The Life That I have,I expect she knows that it was written for Violette Szabo a British spy who was executed by the Nazis which makes it even more sad,sorry folks.
I love poetry and two of my favourites are I Remember,I Remember by Thomas Hood and The Late Passenger by C.S.Lewis

Three weeks ago I became a grandma again to my first grand daughter and this poem kept going through my mind. I wrote it in a school book when I was about 6. With the benefit of the internet I have found it again as I didn't know who had written it.
As a child it seemed such a lovely thought that this grandma would have lollipops ( not that I would be allowed to give them, thinking about the teeth- lol-) and Banbury Cakes, not that I know what they are, but they sounded very nice to me as a child.


The Cupboard

by

Walter de la Mare (1873 -1956)



I know a little cupboard
With a teeny tiny key,
And there's a jar of Lollypops
For me, me, me.

It has a little shelf, my dear,
As dark as dark can be,
And there's a dish of Banbury Cakes
For me, me, me.

I have a small fat grandmama
With a very slippery knee,
And she's the Keeper of the Cupboard
With the key, key, key.

And when I'm very good my dear
As good as good can be,
There's Banbury Cakes and Lollypops
For me, me, me.