One Evening
As I Walked Out One Evening
As I walked out one evening,
Walking down Bristol Street,
The crowds upon the pavement
Were fields of harvest wheat.
And down by the brimming river
I heard a lover sing
Under an arch of the railway:
‘Love has no ending.
‘I’ll love you, dear, I’ll love you
Till China and Africa meet,
And the river jumps over the mountain
And the salmon sing in the street,
‘I’ll love you till the ocean
Is folded and hung up to dry
And the seven stars go squawking
Like geese about the sky.
‘The years shall run like rabbits,
For in my arms I hold
The Flower of the Ages,
And the first love of the world.’
But all the clocks in the city
Began to whirr and chime:
‘O let not Time deceive you,
You cannot conquer Time.
‘In the burrows of the Nightmare
Where Justice naked is,
Time watches from the shadow
And coughs when you would kiss.
‘In headaches and in worry
Vaguely life leaks away,
And Time will have his fancy
To-morrow or to-day.
‘Into many a green valley
Drifts the appalling snow;
Time breaks the threaded dances
And the diver’s brilliant bow.
‘O plunge your hands in water,
Plunge them in up to the wrist;
Stare, stare in the basin
And wonder what you’ve missed.
‘The glacier knocks in the cupboard,
The desert sighs in the bed,
And the crack in the tea-cup opens
A lane to the land of the dead.
‘Where the beggars raffle the banknotes
And the Giant is enchanting to Jack,
And the Lily-white Boy is a Roarer,
And Jill goes down on her back.
‘O look, look in the mirror?
O look in your distress:
Life remains a blessing
Although you cannot bless.
‘O stand, stand at the window
As the tears scald and start;
You shall love your crooked neighbour
With your crooked heart.’
It was late, late in the evening,
The lovers they were gone;
The clocks had ceased their chiming,
And the deep river ran on.
WH Auden :
Categories: Photography, Poetry
Reminds me of the lyrics from A Daisy A Day.
http://www.songlyrics.com/jud-strunk/a-daisy-a-day-lyrics/
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Yes, I agree. The sentiment and rhythm of the poetry are very similar. Thank you for sharing.
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What a lovely poem and I love the image that you took, it is perfectly matched to it! 🙂
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Thank you, Judy. W.H. Auden is one of my favorite poets. 🙂
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It is beautiful 🙂
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A favorite poem by Auden! Beautiful.
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Glad you enjoyed it!
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How I love Auden. Thank you.
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I love Auden as well, especially his style and tone. Thank you, Osyth. Have a wonderful week! 🙂 xo
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Gorgeous shot Tonya!
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Thank you for your kind compliment, Ritu. We are fortunate to have some of the most beautiful sunsets on Green Hill Farm. All I do is point and click. 🙂💛
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Lucky you! ❤
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Such a beautiful selection. No one sets romance the way Auden does. The imagery ❤
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Thanks, Joey. I agree with you about the imagery. I love it, too. 🙂
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Beautiful poem and vivid imagery. Nicely penned
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I’m happy you enjoyed Auden’s poem. He is such a master of language.
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Wonderful!
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🙂
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I love these words and the images that surround them. I’ve read it several times and will now print it out.
Thank you, Tonya…:)
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I’m so glad you enjoyed the poem. Thank you, George. 🙂
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I *love* this photo. It is absolutely gorgeous.
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Thanks so much.
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What a beautiful poem …thank you so much
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I’m glad you enjoyed it. Thank you for visiting.
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Thank you for sharing. 🙂
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