27 December 2009

noughties

Before this decade runs out of time I want to wish all the regular and occasional readers of my witterings all the very best for a peaceful, happy and healthy new year, and a fruitful and joyful growing season to come. Have fun. Be healthy. Be Happy.

I do not want to be reflective any more
Envying and despising unreflective things
Finding pathos in dogs and undeveloped handwriting
And young girls doing their hair and all the castles of sand
Flushed by the children’s bedtime, level with the shore.

The tide comes in and goes out again, I do not want
To be always stressing either its flux or its permanence,
I do not want to be a tragic or philosophic chorus
But to keep my eye only on the nearer future
And after that let the sea flow over us.

Come then all of you, come closer, form a circle,
Join hands and make believe that joined
Hands will keep away the wolves of water
Who howl along our coast. And be it assumed
That no one hears them among the talk and laughter.
[louis macneice]





7 comments:

loobyloo said...

What an excellent puncturing of hyperbole. Reminds me of a time years ago when a friend of mine said "I don't want to be *moved* by music all the time."

Jack said...

The place where I live is almost rainy everyday. But, it is so lucky that I see the sunshine on the last two days of 2009 and the first day of 2010.
Everybody, good luck and happy new year.

Simon said...

Cheers Clodhopper, all the best to you too.

Petunia's Gardener said...

Best wishes to you for 2010! Upon returning to town, I found the seed catalog for our regional source. Here's to some happy garden dreaming all around.

h said...

A (Belated - although personally I think that all New Year's should start on a Monday, anything else is just untidy!) Happy New Year!

Wishing Health, Wealth and Happiness to you and your family!

helena said...

PS. h is me!

clodhopper said...

Thanks all. I knew it was you Helena. All the best to you n yours too. At least one post this year neh????