Your Favorite Poem.

[bec]

this poem was read at my grandfathers funeral and i recently seen it again posted on a IMDB tribute to heath message board.
Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.

I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.

When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.

Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
(Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!
- Mary Frye (1932)

this one was also posted as a tribute,tho both made me cry when i read them.


I'll lend him for a little while
A child of mine, God said
For you to love him while he lives
And mourn for when he's dead

It may be six or seven years
Or twenty two or three
But will you, til I call him back
Take care of him for me

He'll bring his charms to gladden you
And shall his stay be brief
You'll have his lovely memories
As solace for your grief

I cannot promise he will stay
Since all from earth return
But there are lessons taught down there
I want this child to learn

Ive looked the wide world over
In my search for teachers true
And from the throngs, that crowd life's lane
I have selected you

Now will you give him all your love
Nor think the labour vain
Nor hate me when I come to call
To take him back again

I fancy that, I heard him say
Dear Lord thy will be done
For all the joy this child shall bring
The risk of grief will run

We'll shelter him with tenderness
We'll love him while we may
And for the promises we've known
Forever grateful stay

And shall the angels call for him
Much sooner than we've planned
We'll brave the bitter grief that comes
And try to understand.

Dont mean to be depressing 

[Anya_Angie]

My all-time FAVORITE:

JABBERWOCKY
by Lewis Carroll
First found in "Through The Looking-glass (And What Alice Found There)" which is the continuing story of "Alice's Adventures In Wonderland."

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe.
"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought--
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arm, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the mome raths outgrabe

[Kerry]

Green Carnations

Noel Coward

Pretty boys, witty boys,
You may sneer
At our disintegration.
Haughty boys, naughty boys,
Dear, dear, dear!
Swooning with affectation ...
And as we are the reason
For the Nineties being gay,
We all wear a green carnation.

[Mandy21]

Sue, I was always moved by that Richard Cory poem as well.  If you haven't heard of it, but I'm guessing you have, check out the book Spoon River Anthology, by Edgar Lee Masters.  It's from 1915, I picked it up as a paperback at a used bookstore 20 years ago.  It's all epitaphs of people, similar to the Richard Cory theme.  It's quite horribly depressing to read, so pick one of your happier days to delve into it:)  Now that I've got it in my hands, I think I'll go out to my patio and re-read it.  Will post my fave of them later.

Wish we could have spent more time talking and getting to know each other at Fiona's in December.  You're quite an interesting, multi-layered character, who never ceases to surprise me.  Take care.

[Mandy21]

Okay, Sue, here's my fave from that book.  I couldn't in a bazillion years pic a fave poem of all time, as I've got about 11 notebooks filled with them, so I'll just pass on my fave from this particular book, kinda reminds me of Ennis:

George Gray

I have studied many times
The marble which was chiseled for me --
A boat with a furled sail at rest in a harbor.
In truth it pictures not my destination
But my life.
For love was offered me and I shrank from its disillusionment;
Sorrow knocked at my door, but I was afraid;
Ambition called to me, but I dreaded the chances.
Yet all the while I hungered for meaning in my life.
And now I know that we must lift the sail
And catch the winds of destiny
Wherever they drive the boat.
To put meaning in one's life may end in madness,
But life without meaning is the torture
Of restlessness and vague desire --
It is a boat longing for the sea and yet afraid.