The DayPoems Poetry Collection Timothy Bovee, editor www.daypoems.net Click on the bonsai for the next poem. DayPoems Forum Click to submit poems to DayPoems, comment on DayPoems or a poem within, comment on other poetry sites, update links, or simply get in touch. DayPoems Forum. Poetry Whirl
Indexes
Poetry Places
Nodes powered by
|
D a y P o e m s * D a y P o e m s * D a y P o e m s * D a y P o e m s * D a y P o e m s * D a y P o e m s * D a y P o e m s |
Won't you help support DayPoems? The Bough of Nonsense: An IdyllBy Robert Graves1895.7.24-1985.12.7Back from the Somme two Fusiliers Limped painfully home; the elder said, S. "Robert, I've lived three thousand years This Summer, and I'm nine parts dead." R. "But if that's truly so," I cried, "quick, now, Through these great oaks and see the famous bough "Where once a nonsense built her nest With skulls and flowers and all things queer, In an old boot, with patient breast Hatching three eggs; and the next year ..." S. "Foaled thirteen squamous young beneath, and rid Wales of drink, melancholy, and psalms, she did." Said he, "Before this quaint mood fails, We'll sit and weave a nonsense hymn," R. "Hanging it up with monkey tails In a deep grove all hushed and dim...." S. "To glorious yellow-bunched banana-trees," R. "Planted in dreams by pious Portuguese," S. "Which men are wise beyond their time, And worship nonsense, no one more." R. "Hard by, among old quince and lime, They've built a temple with no floor," S. "And whosoever worships in that place, He disappears from sight and leaves no trace." R. "Once the Galatians built a fane To Sense: what duller God than that?" S. "But the first day of autumn rain The roof fell in and crushed them flat." R. "Ay, for a roof of subtlest logic falls When nonsense is foundation for the walls." I tell him old Galatian tales; He caps them in quick Portuguese, While phantom creatures with green scales Scramble and roll among the trees. The hymn swells; on a bough above us sings A row of bright pink birds, flapping their wings. DayPoems Poem No. 2745 Comment on DayPoems? If you are like us, you have strong feelings about poetry, and about each poem you read. Let it all out! Comment on this poem, any poem, DayPoems, other poetry places or the art of poetry at DayPoems Feedback. Won't you help support DayPoems? Click here to learn more about how you can keep DayPoems on the Web . . . Copyright The DayPoems web site, www.daypoems.net, is copyright 2001-2005 by Timothy K. Bovee. All rights reserved. The authors of poetry and other material appearing on DayPoems retain full rights to their work. Any requests for publication in other venues must be negotiated separately with the authors. The editor of DayPoems will gladly assist in putting interested parties in contact with the authors. |
The Online Bonsai Icon Collection http://www.hav.com/tobic.html |