The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Thu 12/8/05)

[RetroLounge]

Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

W.H. Auden

************************************************

Seems appropriate, as I have to go to a funeral today...

RL

[bicentennial_baby]

1. one of my all time favorites, yet again!

and imho, the best funeral poem...other than Frost's 'Nothing Gold Can Stay'

[RetroLounge]

5. I keep picking your favorite poems

great minds think alike I guess :D

How are you doing today? Better I hope...

:hug:

RL

[wildhorses]

2. I am sorry for your loss

thanks for the posting of this poem...I had forgotten it

[RetroLounge]

4. Thanks

The funeral is for a friend's mom.

:hug:

RL

[Callalily]

3. Yes, this poem is

most appropriate for you and for me too. I just found out a friend of mines uncle died last night. Sadness abounds.

[RetroLounge]

6. Sadness abounds

Yet beauty is here too.

I decided today to look at all the beauty and wonder in my life and all around me and see if I could sustain having a good day today.

:hi:

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Ah, my dear RetroLounge.....

As soon as I saw the first line of your poem today, I recognized it...

It was read most beautifully in the movie "Four Weddings and a Funeral." Did you see that? Worth catching, for sure........

The character reading it there was a young gay gentleman whose lover had just died. It was the most heartbreaking reading I had EVER heard......

I'm sorry about your friend's mom....hopefully she was very old and ready to die.....and went easily, too...

Blessings on you for this one.....as for all of them.....


:hug: :loveya:

[RetroLounge]

8. Thank you

Yes, she was 81 and had Alzheimers for the past few years.

Prayers appreciated for my friend Terry and his family...

RL

[jane_pippin]

9. Oh I love this poem. It's so simple and elegant.

Thanks for posting it RL.

[RetroLounge]

11. Yes, it is heartbreaking and beautiful

:hi:

RL

[SeattleGirl]

10. Like an ode to a broken heart

But very lovely, RL. Thank you,

[RetroLounge]

12. Yes, very lovely...

:hi:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

13. I'm sorry for your loss

Auden is one of my favorites.

[djeseru]

14. And this one still makes me cry.

Truly, I can't think of anything more appropriate as well. Auden nailed this one...

[RetroLounge]

15. yes, he truly did...

RL