Doubt thou the stars are fire,
Doubt that the sun doth move,
Doubt truth to be a liar,
But never doubt I love.
Hamlet Act 2 Scene 2
The More Loving One
One of my favourite poems which I would like to share with you, kind reader.
Looking up at the stars, I know quite well That, for all they care, I can go to hell, But on earth indifference is the least We have to dread from man or beast. How should we like it were stars to burn With a passion for us we could not return? If equal affection cannot be, Let the more loving one be me. Admirer as I think I am Of stars that do not give a damn, I cannot, now I see them, say I missed one terribly all day. Were all stars to disappear or die, I should learn to look at an empty sky And feel its total dark sublime, Though this might take me a little time.
W.H. Auden 1907 – 1973
True courage
“You have plenty of courage, I am sure,” answered Oz. “All you need is confidence in yourself. There is no living thing that is not afraid when it faces danger. The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.”
L. Frank Baum – The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
A Sonnet from the Bard
My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun;
Coral is far more red than her lips’ red;
If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
And in some perfumes is there more delight
Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
I grant I never saw a goddess go;
My mistress when she walks treads on the ground.
And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
As any she belied with false compare.
Sonnet 130
William Shakespeare 1564 – 1616
Remembering the Elephant Man
With today’s post I’d like to pay tribute to Joseph Merrick, the Elephant Man, born on this day 5 August in 1862.
I would like to share a poem Merrick used to end his letters – adapted from “False Greatness” by Isaac Watts – which has touched me deeply:
‘Tis true my form is something odd,
But blaming me is blaming God;
Could I create myself anew
I would not fail in pleasing you.
If I could reach from pole to pole
Or grasp the ocean with a span,
I would be measured by the soul;
The mind’s the standard of the man.
The darkest night will end …
Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise.
Victor Hugo – Les Miserables
I shall not live in vain
If I can stop one heart from breaking,
I shall not live in vain.
If I can ease one life the aching,
Or cool one pain,
Or help one fainting robin
Unto his nest again,
I shall not live in vain.
Emily Dickinson
Copyright – Mike Walker
When all hope seems to be lost …
… no one except Lucy knew that as the albatross circled the mast it had whispered to her, “Courage, dear heart,” and the voice, she felt sure, was Aslan’s and with the voice a delicious smell breathed in her face.
C.S. Lewis – The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Blackadder Chronicles … to be continued?
A new series of Blackadder could be happening 26 years – aye, my goodness, 26 years! – after “Goodbyeee”, and I am super excited at such a prospect! * True, I have a couple of doubts – Mr Atkinson and co. will be under a lot of pressure not to disappoint fans after all; there is still the issue of Hugh Laurie’s wages to sort out; and there will be no Rik Mayall this time *sob*. But I’m pretty sure that if this series does happen, we fans will enjoy it enough to offer the cast our contrafibularatories!
Meanwhile, here is one of my favourite clips from Blackadder the Third: Sense and Senility, featuring Blackadder, two actors and Mac…the Scottish Play:
* In truth, Kind Reader, I am as happy as a Frenchman who’s invented a pair of self-removing trousers … *cough* moving on …
The Luckiest Girl …
Kind Reader, you may remember my ‘gratitude list’ a couple of months ago. It’s amazing how this list just keeps on growing. You will, I’m sure, forgive me for rambling for the next couple of seconds. Only there’s no other way of saying it – I really am the luckiest girl ever.
The past 2 months have been emotional for me, to say the least. My gorgeous niece Chiara was born in March and a little over a month later – that is just 3 days ago – we said ‘hello’ to my handsome nephew George. Gracious heavens! I’m an aunt! An aunt to a beautiful little girl and a beautiful little boy. Words simply cannot express how I feel right now. But my nan is right whenever she says, “Kemm hu kbir Alla!” Aye, He truly is!
