‘O Beauty, born of lovely things that die!’
Whisper my trees, what you have seen to-day!
Sleepless I listen to the surge and drone
Confer with the shrewd breezes, and of slopes
And Birds who love the twilight of the leaves,
And glimpse the stately folk who sit at ease ,
And yellow lilies islanded in light
Weaving unconscious tapestries of life.
Gulls in a feathered fugue of wings — Outdo
Foolhardy lovers in the surge of spring
Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink
Where sun and quivering foliage meet
The birds that sing and sing — they do not see
Till beauty shines in all that we can see:
He, stood alone, in some queer sunless place,
has no direction but its own bright grace,
in any promised heaven in the sky ...
Summer, and midnight, and immensity.
Now from drenched eaves a swallow darts to skim
Earth, sky, and spirit! Let me stand within,
Up lonely, glimmering fields to find new day
While the blown beechwood streams with drifting rays.
I look within me to the edge of dark.
It is the star to every wandering bark,
To calm and brightness, havens of sweet air,
Some drowsy note that charms the listening air
in the high places swarthed with distances,
in the softest and most profound circus;
night, Earth, winds weave their fate, and already
The curve and the fragrance of your body.
You soar… Is death so bad?… I wish you’d say.
Author notes
syllabic, couplets rhymed, last line rhymes with first and final couplets
Vision
Siegfried Sasson
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12773-Siegfried-Sassoon-Vision
‘O Beauty, born of lovely things that die!’
Companions
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12747-Siegfried-Sassoon-Companions
Whisper my trees what you have seen to-day.
Parted
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12782-Siegfried-Sassoon-Parted
Sleepless I listen to the surge and drone
October
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12720-Siegfried-Sassoon-October
Confer with the shrewd breezes, and of slopes
A Child’s Prayer
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12768-Siegfried-Sassoon-A-Child-s-Prayer
And Birds who love the twilight of the leaves,
Morning Express
Siegried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12729-Siegfried-Sassoon-Morning-Express
And glimpse the stately folk who sit at ease
Before The Battle
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12752-Siegfried-Sassoon-Before-The-Battle
And yellow lilies islanded in light
Blind
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12749-Siegfried-Sassoon-Blind
Weaving unconscious tapestries of life,
Midsummer Mobile
Sylvia Plath
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/55430-Sylvia-Plath-Midsummer-Mobile
Gulls in a feathered fugue ofwings. Outdo
Waunderer
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12755-Siegfried-Sassoon-A-Wanderer
Foolhardy lovers in the surge of spring. sasoon, waunderer
When I Have Fears That I May Cease To Be
John Keats
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/804-John-Keats-Sonnet--When-I-Have-Fears-That-I-May-Cease-To-Be
Till Love and Fame to nothingness do sink.
France
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12737-Siegfried-Sassoon-France
Where sun and quivering foliage meet;
Arcady Unheeding
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12762-Siegfried-Sassoon-Arcady-Unheeding
The birds that sing and sing; they do not see
Absolution
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12770-Siegfried-Sassoon-Absolution
Till beauty shines in all that we can see.
Enemies
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12739-Siegfried-Sassoon-Enemies
He stood alone in some queer sunless place
Water
Pablo Neruda
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/9122-Pablo-Neruda-Water
has no direction but its own bright grace,
A Dog Has Died
Pablos Neruda
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/14384-Pablo-Neruda-A-Dog-Has-Died
in any promised heaven in the sky
Slumber-Song
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12778-Siegfried-Sassoon-Slumber-Song-wbr-
Summer, and midnight, and immensity
Storm And Sunlight
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12711-Siegfried-Sassoon-Storm-and-Sunlight
Now from drenched eaves a swallow darts to skim
Today
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12708-Siegfried-Sassoon-Today
Earth, sky, and spirit! Let me stand within
To His Dead Body
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12707-Siegfried-Sassoon-To-His-Dead-Body
Up lonely, glimmering fields to find new day,
Wind In The Beechwood
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12593-Siegfried-Sassoon-Wind-In-The-Beechwood
While the blown beechwood streams with drifting rays.
Wisdom
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12591-Siegfried-Sassoon-Wisdom
I look within me to the edge of dark,
Sonnet 116
William Shakespeare
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/7126-William-Shakespeare-Sonnet-116---Let-me-not-to-the-marriage-of-true-minds----
It is the star to every wandering bark,
Stretcher Case
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12710-Siegfried-Sassoon-Stretcher-Case
To calm and brightness, havens of sweet air.
Night-Piece
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12725-Siegfried-Sassoon-Night-Piece
Some drowsy note that charms the listening air;
Some Beasts
Pablo Neruda
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/8270-Pablo-Neruda-Some-Beasts
in the high places swarthed with distances,
Fleas Interest Me So Much
Pablo Neruda
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/8624-Pablo-Neruda-Fleas-Interest-Me-So-Much
in the softest and most profound circus;
Sonnet LXXXI: Rest with your dream inside my dream
Pablo Neruda
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/8575-Pablo-Neruda-Sonnet-LXXXI--Rest-with-your-dream-inside-my-dream
night, Earth, winds weave their fate, and already,
Lovely One
Pablo Neruda
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/39376-Pablo-Neruda-Lovely-One
The curve and the fragrance of your body,
To A Very Wise Man
Siegfried Sassoon
http://oldpoetry.com/opoem/12775-Siegfried-Sassoon-To-A-Very-Wise-Man
You soar… Is death so bad?… I wish you’d say.
A contest entry
- Cento Challenge by JM Kenyon.
2400 points, ended August 15, 5 entries
Honorable winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
-
I couldn't help but think of an over-optimistic reaper while reading this, which gave me a bit of a chuckle, the image of a dark-cloaked, forboding fellow, hopping and skipping around spreading rainbows and glitter over near dead souls with his sickle
I know, it's probably not the idea of the poem, but it brightened my day just the same
This write is very fluid in rhythm and meets all the rules of the contest. Great job!
s and best wishes always... ~Genie~
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