Sunday, July 4, 2010

If


CARRY ON TUESDAY
http://carryontuesdayprompt.blogspot.com/


The words in blue are from the opening to Rupert Brooke's famous poem
IF

'If I should die'...... well, let's change that to 'when'!
*
The ''If' referred to a world of fighting men,
Men who went off to fight for an ideal
Which, nowadays, seems evermore unreal!
We think of them as full of youthful beauty
All signing-up and off to do their duty.
We think of them dying in a wretched mess
Of mud and blood and other awfulness.
And Rupert Brooke was lovliest of all,
A godlike boy but destined for a fall.
*
*
He wrote 'If I should die' and then he died
And since then he's been all but deified.
*
But
When I shall die 'think only this of me'
That I fulfilled my human destiny,
To tread my time upon the stage, then leave it.
(Though it seems strange; I simply can't believe it!)
I'm eighty now, so soon I must depart
And dying is a rather tricky art!
I'll try to do it well, but who can say,
What trials will beset my dying day?
But, after the dying's over, where to then?
I simply don't believe I'll live again.
But I get comfort from the thought that I
Will spiral up as smoke into the sky.
For the sky is where I came from, so did you.
'Star-stuff' is what we're made of! Yes, that's true.
Every particle and cell of us is found
In stars and planets shining all around!
I'll have been here a while to write my verse,
But soon the process will go back into reverse.
Living for ever hasn't much appeal
And Heaven, well, that whole idea's unreal,
But 'Star Stuff' ........there's a concept to embrace!
The Universe! A very special place!
*
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HELLO BLOGGERS!
(A parody on the well-known song.)

Hello Bloggers!
Well, hello Bloggers.
It's so nice to have your company once more!
I feel you're there, Bloggers,
In the air, Bloggers!
Once again we'll meet in cyberspace and know what for.
You do the trick, Bloggers,
When I click, Bloggers,
And this Blogging business thrills me through and through!
You
Make my day, Bloggers,
In such a charming way, Bloggers!
Isn't it good that we can meet,
Happily in Computer Street.
This is my little daily treat
HALLO!

6 comments:

Gemma Wiseman said...

Enjoyed how you turned a poet's words from afar into your own reflections of "star stuff"! A beautiful idea! And then, a little walk on Computer Street with you was so much fun!

Stan Ski said...

It must be a good feeling to know your destiny has been fulfilled.

jennyfreckles said...

Hallo! I'm newly come by your blog but I'm thrilled by your poems - such clever comments on your photos. Somehow, poems draw me on to think further than a simple textual comment tends to do. I particularly love the one of the stained glass colours beneath the little chairs.

George S Batty said...

beautiful...and I already hava a place waiting for me. "Ursa Major" is obviously my place in the sky. When you finally get there oome on by.

Anonymous said...

What a lovely, thoughtful tribute and poem.

I really like the idea of being made of "star stuff"

Julie Jordan Scott said...

I love hearing more about Rupert Brooke as a part of your poem. Yay!

My Carry On Tuesday