Comments on: Poetry Sunday: Credo http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html NIGHTTIME IS FOR DREAMING. DAYLIGHT IS FOR ACTION. Sat, 30 Aug 2008 12:22:42 +0000 By: norman ravitch http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-24094 norman ravitch Tue, 22 May 2007 16:37:49 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-24094 I once believed; Nothingness could not be blessedness. I now concede: Blessedness is nothingness. I once believed;
Nothingness could not be blessedness.
I now concede:
Blessedness is nothingness.

]]> By: terrence http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23887 terrence Mon, 14 May 2007 23:52:11 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23887 Well, since tbis wonderful site has now become The Poetry Corner, and since I am assuming there may be 1) some of us in the community who love cats and b) some of us who apprehend that wild drunkard Welsh crown prince of the English language, I give you: Do Not Go Peaceable to That Damn Vet by Dylan Thomas's Cat Do not go peaceable to that damn vet, A cat can always tell a trip is due, Hide, hide, when your appointment time is set. Wise cats who watched, and learned the alphabet, And never let men know how much they knew, Do not go peaceable to that damn vet. Young cats who want to keep their claws to whet On sofa legs, and save their privates, too, Hide, hide when your appointment time is set. Sick cats, poor things, whose stomachs are upset, But hate to eat some vile-smelling goo, Do not go peaceable to that damn vet. Old cats who ahve no wish to sleep just yet, And plan to live another year or two, Hide, hide when your appointment time is set. And though your human sweetly calls his pet, Or rants and raves until his face is blue, Do not go peaceable to that damn vet, Hide, hide when your appointment time is set. From the book: Poetry for Cats: The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse by Henry Beard Well, since tbis wonderful site has now become The Poetry Corner, and since I am assuming there may be 1) some of us in the community who love cats and b) some of us who apprehend that wild drunkard Welsh crown prince of the English language, I give you:

Do Not Go Peaceable to That Damn Vet
by Dylan Thomas's Cat

Do not go peaceable to that damn vet,
A cat can always tell a trip is due,
Hide, hide, when your appointment time is set.
Wise cats who watched, and learned the alphabet,
And never let men know how much they knew,
Do not go peaceable to that damn vet.

Young cats who want to keep their claws to whet
On sofa legs, and save their privates, too,
Hide, hide when your appointment time is set.

Sick cats, poor things, whose stomachs are upset,
But hate to eat some vile-smelling goo,
Do not go peaceable to that damn vet.

Old cats who ahve no wish to sleep just yet,
And plan to live another year or two,
Hide, hide when your appointment time is set.

And though your human sweetly calls his pet,
Or rants and raves until his face is blue,
Do not go peaceable to that damn vet,
Hide, hide when your appointment time is set.

From the book: Poetry for Cats:
The Definitive Anthology of Distinguished Feline Verse
by Henry Beard

]]> By: Lynet http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23886 Lynet Mon, 14 May 2007 23:38:12 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23886 I may be dragging this post off topic, but when it comes to me, I found that poetry became much, much easier once I read <i>The Ode Less Travelled</i> by Stephen Fry and started using form. Any form will do, but I work best with strict ones: sonnet, sestina, villanelle. You see, no matter what you do, to write a good poem you need to be thinking about the overall structure as well as the individual lines. If you're writing within a set form, that aspect of it comes naturally. Besides which, there are no many things you can <i>do</i> with rhyme and metre! Even when you don't have a set metre to the poem (like in most sestinas), having worked with metre before means that you end up hearing the beat of the poem and using it even when it's irregular. It's a really great way to learn. I reckon maybe one day in the future I might be good enough to write free verse. For now, though, it's form, form and occasionally messed-about-with form all the way. I may be dragging this post off topic, but when it comes to me, I found that poetry became much, much easier once I read The Ode Less Travelled by Stephen Fry and started using form. Any form will do, but I work best with strict ones: sonnet, sestina, villanelle. You see, no matter what you do, to write a good poem you need to be thinking about the overall structure as well as the individual lines. If you're writing within a set form, that aspect of it comes naturally. Besides which, there are no many things you can do with rhyme and metre! Even when you don't have a set metre to the poem (like in most sestinas), having worked with metre before means that you end up hearing the beat of the poem and using it even when it's irregular. It's a really great way to learn.

I reckon maybe one day in the future I might be good enough to write free verse. For now, though, it's form, form and occasionally messed-about-with form all the way.

]]> By: anti-nonsense http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23884 anti-nonsense Mon, 14 May 2007 20:41:16 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23884 I've got a lot of poetry in my head, but I rarely get it out on paper and I think of it once and then it goes away. I've got a lot of poetry in my head, but I rarely get it out on paper and I think of it once and then it goes away.

]]> By: terrence http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23881 terrence Mon, 14 May 2007 15:19:11 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23881 quite so..gremlins clipped off the ending. No, I can't prove they exist... quite so..gremlins clipped off the ending. No, I can't prove they exist...

]]> By: Alex Weaver http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23880 Alex Weaver Mon, 14 May 2007 04:47:11 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23880 I never could write poetry. x.x It's nice though. I never could write poetry. x.x It's nice though.

]]> By: Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23879 Ebonmuse Mon, 14 May 2007 03:56:06 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23879 I second the idea of obtaining some of Prof. Appleman's books. His poetry is truly wonderful; I plan to feature him for at least the next few Poetry Sundays (which I'll probably do one or two of per month), so people can get a better idea of the way he writes. Terrence, I believe your poem (another great one, by the way!) ends like this: "and there it was all like that, the whole earth reeking of heaven, and heavenly merchandise." I second the idea of obtaining some of Prof. Appleman's books. His poetry is truly wonderful; I plan to feature him for at least the next few Poetry Sundays (which I'll probably do one or two of per month), so people can get a better idea of the way he writes.

Terrence, I believe your poem (another great one, by the way!) ends like this:

"and there it was all like that,
the whole earth reeking of heaven,
and heavenly merchandise."

]]> By: terrence http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23876 terrence Mon, 14 May 2007 02:36:02 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/2007/05/poetry-sunday-credo.html#comment-23876 Love that poem so much I am prompted to get his books....the entry reminded me of the below, by Pablo Neruda: Religion in the East There in Rangoon I realized that the gods were enemies, just like God, of the poor human being. Gods in alabaster extended like white whales, gods gilded like spikes, serpent gods entwining the crime of being born, naked and elegant buddhas smiling at the cocktail party of empty eternity like Christ on his horrible cross, all of them capable of anything, of imposing on us their heaven, all with torture or pistol to purchase piety or burn our blood, fierce gods made by men to conceal their cowardice, Love that poem so much I am prompted to get his books....the entry reminded me of the below, by Pablo Neruda:

Religion in the East

There in Rangoon I realized that the gods
were enemies, just like God,
of the poor human being.
Gods
in alabaster extended
like white whales,
gods gilded like spikes,
serpent gods entwining
the crime of being born,
naked and elegant buddhas
smiling at the cocktail party
of empty eternity
like Christ on his horrible cross,
all of them capable of anything,
of imposing on us their heaven,
all with torture or pistol
to purchase piety or burn our blood,
fierce gods made by men
to conceal their cowardice,

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