The song of life
I’m more tired than I’m sick
But sick and tired go hand in glove
Like the cult of I and phoney
Our germ free adolescence
A distant memory
Memories a choice of truth
Repeating itself across
The swings the random roundabouts
Neon crept in the sulphur glow
Fight for nothing
Nothing is worth dying for
Love to have hate tattooed
on my knuckles
wherefore art though art
without the pounds shilling and sense
the coppers in the greasy tills washed
up on the beach
the blind blade of youth
preserved us, naïve knife,
as if we could change the
tide by swimming against it
waving while we were drowning
in the ticking of the clock
and everything else grows in the heaps
of bullshit poet to politician to priest
in a change of tie
the blink of an eye
fooling everyone and no-one
my equal measure.
The tide goes in the tide goes out
The hard rains fall
And nothing but nothing
Will ever change.
I’m more tired than I’m sick
But sick and tired go hand in glove
Like the cult of I and phoney
Our germ free adolescence
A distant memory
Memories a choice of truth
Repeating itself across
The swings the random roundabouts
Neon crept in the sulphur glow
Fight for nothing
Nothing is worth dying for
Love to have hate tattooed
on my knuckles
wherefore art though art
without the pounds shilling and sense
the coppers in the greasy tills washed
up on the beach
the blind blade of youth
preserved us, naïve knife,
as if we could change the
tide by swimming against it
waving while we were drowning
in the ticking of the clock
and everything else grows in the heaps
of bullshit poet to politician to priest
in a change of tie
the blink of an eye
fooling everyone and no-one
my equal measure.
The tide goes in the tide goes out
The hard rains fall
And nothing but nothing
Will ever change.
20 comments:
Your poem is rather cynical TFE but I agree with much of it. I'm sorry if life is giving you strife right now, and hope something will soon turn up to lift your mood.
Fuck that for a game of poetry!
Like the title TFE, feeling a tad fed up?
particularly like
bullshit poet to politician to priest
in a change of tie
the blink of an eye
had to reread, a great little summary of a broad scope
A dynamic poem! I admire you for writing it. In the words of Mahatma Gandhi, “Be the change you want to see in the world.”
Today, in a discussion with a grad student about Virginia Woolf, concepts of human consciousness and innovation led to a similar dialogue as evidenced in this 'song.' Harmony of the Spheres (of intellect) lives!
It's good exercise, though, swimming against the tide. Going with the flow is being kind of half alive. Aplologies to Erwin Schroedinger.
Thanks Heather, a bit like a Jack Russell passing a bowling ball, I feel a lot better when I get it out.
Thank you, your Camelness.
Thanks, Mrs Niamh, it is indeed great isn't it?
Mahat ma coat ma umbrella, I need them all Jeanne,it's pissing down.I like that quote ,Jeanne, too and it's good advice but I ain't got no gun and I'm a hypocrite and pacifist (spelled C.O.W.A.R.D.Old stripey that's me)
:)
I'm interested in Virginia Wolf, someone recommended a biography, can't remember, but I'd like to get it.Woolf and Emily Dickinson for next year!
Nice one Sparkey,tis hard and often lonely, especially when you can't swim!
Must look up Schroedinger.
These were the lines that really did it for me:
"the blind blade of youth
preserved us, naïve knife,
as if we could change the
tide by swimming against it"
quite beautiful.
Love the dark tones and cynicism myself, but on a much cheerier note, I was at a party in Barnet with Poly Styrene once!
Thanks Titus,I might keep and use that bit and the bit Mrs Niamh mentioned. And MORE famous people.I loved X Ray Spex as a teenager and still play their vinyl(i never grew up)I've such a poor memory but I'm sure you've mentioned/met loads of famous people on yer blog.Didn't Keith Floyd try to marry you or something? Or was it Pink Floyd?
Keith. Who was always rather pink around the nose.
A poem here that resonates for me in its powerful insistence on the dark side of hopelessness, despair but also some sense of not going gracefully into that state and belief that nothing changes. When we all know nothing stays the same. I love it.
In a way, not much to argue with from where I am, at least it's been feeling that way here in the good ol' us of a ; (
Cheers!
Tee Hee ,Titus.
Thanks,Elisabeth.A nice synopsis!Glad you liked it.
Thanks Coffee Messiah, good to know others feel similar things sometimes!
That poem really strikes a chord with me, to the extent that I can't come up with my usual level of silly remark. Cracking stuff!
"the blind blade of youth
preserved us,"....
love it!
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