Friday Poetry

Morning everyone!

After an amazing dog walk yesterday, I decided to choose a poem with a dog theme. Coco went on her biggest walk since her operation yesterday and managed to get to the top of Kinver Edge. She also dragged my husband and myself at top speed around the route that should of taken 45mins and we did it in 30mins. Not bad for a woof woof with three legs!

The chosen poem is by Ogden Nash. Frederic Ogden Nash (1902-1971) was an American poet known for his unconventional rhyming schemes. He wrote over 500 pieces in his lifetime.

“The Dog”

The Truth I do not stretch or shove

When I state that the dog is full of love.

I’ve also found, by actual test,

A wet dog is the lovingest.

Ogden Nash

Happy Friday Everyone!

May 2019 Wrap Up

Well another month is over and a new one has begun, so I thought I had better reflect on May. In my reflection of May I realise just how little reading I did. No wonder I’ve felt stressed, if I don’t read enough I always get grumpy. June I must read more!

Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you for all the likes and comments in May and also a big hello to my new followers, I hope you will enjoy reading my blog.

There were good elements of May on the blog, for one thing we celebrated Star Wars Day and I have decided to tackle my first every reading challenge over the Summer, which I am very excited about.

Sadly, I only managed to read 5 rather short books over May. Here they are (if you click the picture it will take you to the review):-

Star Sullivan by Maeve Binchy

128 pages

3/5 Dragons

Under the Garden by Graham Greene

87 pages

3/5 Dragons

The Brontesaurus: An A-Z of Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte (and Branwell) by John Sutherland

176 pages

5/5 Dragons

The Immortal City by Amy Kuivalainen

324 pages

5/5 Dragons

Too Many Coincidences by Jeffrey Archer

40 pages

1/5 Dragons

Total pages:- 755

Total pages this year so far: 7420

Rather disappointing I know but fingers crossed for a better month in June.

Poems Celebrated in May 2019

Desiderata by Max Ehrmann

Life by Charlotte Bronte

There Is No Frigate Like A Book by Emily Dickinson

Mary Celeste by Judith Nicholls

The Throstle by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Quotes Celebrated in May 2019

So that is my month of May, hopefully June will be better on the reading front. I hope you all had a good May and have some exciting plans for June.

Please drop me a link to your May Wrap Ups I would love to read them.

Happy Reading.

Friday Poetry

Happy Friday!

I am very sorry this post is a little late today, I’ve fallen rather behind with my blogging and reading but plan on getting back on form in June.

With all the lovely sunshine we have been having I decided on an appropriate poem to celebrate and what better poet to choose but the longest serving Poet Laureate in history. Can you guess who it is? He served as Poet Laureate from 1850 to his death in 1892. He was also a favourite poet of Queen Victoria, who found his poems soothing after the death of her husband Prince Albert.

Lets see if you can work out who it is by the end of the poem.

The Throstle

‘Summer is coming, summer is coming.

I know it, I know it, I know it.

Light again, leaf again, life again, love again,’

Yes, my wild little Poet.

Sing the new year in under the blue.

Last year you sang it as gladly.

‘New, new, new, new! Is it then so new

That you should carol so madly?

‘Love again, song again, nest again, young again,’

Never a prophet so crazy!

And hardly a daisy as yet, little friend,

See, there is hardly a daisy.

‘Here again, here, here, here, happy year!’

O warble unchidden, unbidden!

Summer is coming, is coming, my dear,

And all the winters are hidden.

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Hope you managed to work it out.

Have a good weekend everyone and I hope you all have some wonderful sunshine to sit and read in.

Photo was taken at a recent day out at Daniel’s Mill Bridgnorth.

Friday Poetry

Today’s chosen poem was chosen because I have always been interested in the mystery of Mary Celeste. The Mary Celeste washed up on the shores of the Azores islands on the 5th December 1872, the crew were nowhere to be seen, the cargo was undisturbed and the ship was completely unscathed and still able to sail. The mystery still remains unsolved.

Mary Celeste

Only the wind sings
in the riggings,
the hull creaks a lullaby;
a sail lifts gently
like a message
pinned to a vacant sky.
The wheel turns
over bare decks,
shirts flap on a line;
only the song of the lapping waves
beats steady time…

First mate,
off-duty from
the long dawn watch, begins
a letter to his wife, daydreams
of home.

The Captain’s wife is late;
the child did not sleep
and breakfast has passed…
She, too, is missing home;
sits down at last to eat,
but can’t quite force
the porridge down.
She swallows hard,
slices the top from her egg.

The second mate
is happy
A four-hour sleep,
full stomach
and a quiet sea
are all he craves

The child now sleeps, at last,
head firmly pressed into her pillow
in a deep sea-dream.

Then why are the gulls wheeling
like vultures in the sky?
Why was the child snatched
from her sleep? What drew
the Captain’s cry?

Only the wind replies
in the rigging,
and the hull creaks and sighs,
a sail spells out its message
over silent skies.
The wheel still turns
over bare decks,
shirts blow on the line;
the siren-song of lapping waves
still echoes over time.

Judith Nicholls

Happy Friday! I hope everyone has a fab weekend planned.

Friday Poetry

Happy Friday Everyone!

I hope everyone has bookish plans for the weekend.

My chosen poem for this week celebrates books, so it is a brilliant poem obviously.

There Is No Frigate Like A Book

There is no Frigate like a Book
To take us Lands away,
Nor any Coursers like a Page
Of prancing Poetry –
This Travel may the poorest take
Without offence of Toll –
How frugal is the Chariot
That bears the Human soul.

Emily Dickinson

Emily Dickinson 1830-1886 and was an American poet. While Dickinson was a prolific poet, fewer than a dozen of her nearly 1800 poems were published during her lifetime. The poems published then, were usually edited significantly to fit conventional poetic rules. Her poems were unique for her era.

Mid Week Quote: Robert Frost

I hope everyone’s week is going well so far. I can’t quite believe we are already half way through May! Slow down 2019 you are going too fast.

This week my chosen quote is influenced by poetry.

“Poetry is a way of taking life by the throat.”

Attributed to Robert Frost (1960)

Robert Frost was one of the United States’ best loved poets and playwrights. He had four Pulitzer Prizes for Poetry and a Congressional Gold Medal.

Have a great week!

Friday Poetry

Happy Friday Everyone!

I hope you all have a good weekend planned.

This weeks poem has been chosen because I am currently reading a book about the Brontë’s and I am thoroughly enjoying it. So I decided to choose a poem by Charlotte Brontë.

Life

Life, believe, is not a dream

So dark as sages say;

Oft a little morning rain

Foretells a pleasant day.

Sometimes there are clouds of gloom,

But these are transient all;

If the shower will make the roses bloom,

O why lament its fall?

Rapidly, merrily,

Life’s sunny hours flit by,

Gratefully, cheerily

Enjoy them as they fly!

What though Death at times steps in,

And calls our Best away?

What though sorrow seems to win,

O’er hope, a heavy sway?

Yet Hope again elastic springs,

Unconquered, though she fell;

Still buoyant are her golden wings,

Still strong to bear us well.

Manfully, fearlessly,

The day of trial bear,

For gloriously, victoriously,

Can courage quell despair!

Charlotte Brontë

Lady Book Dragon.

Friday Poetry

I read this poem a few days ago and it has really stuck with me. I think I am becoming a real fan of prose poems, I just really enjoy reading them. Maybe I don’t like rhyming? Who knows?

Anyway my chosen poem is by Max Ehrmann. The poem offers words of advice and encouragement and at its core is the message ‘Be yourself’.

Desiderata

Go placidly amid the noise and haste,

and remember what peace there may be in silence.

As far as possible without surrender

be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly;

and listen to others,

even the dull and the ignorant;

they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggresive persons,

they are vexations to the spirit.

If you compare yourself with others,

you may become vain and bitter;

for always there will be greater and lesser persons than

yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.

Keep interested in your own career, however humble;

it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs;

for the world is full of trickery.

But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;

many persons strive for high ideals;

and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself.

Especially, do not feign affection.

Neither be cynical about love;

for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment

it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years,

gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden

misfortune.

But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.

Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline,

be gentle with yourself.

You are a child of the universe,

no less than the trees and the stars;

you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you,

no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.

Therefore be at peace with God,

whatever you conceive Him to be,

and whatever your labors and aspirations,

in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.

With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,

it is still a beautiful world.

Be cheerful.

Strive to be happy.

Max Ehrmann

Words to live by I think. Photo is from my walk yesterday after the rain had finished.

Happy Friday!

Lady Book Dragon.

New Books (25/04/2019)

Yesterday on our way back from Wells we visited the National Trust property Tyntesfield, which was stunning, possibly one of the best National Trust properties I have visited so far.

A brief history before we get to the books. Tyntesfield was purchased in 1844 by the merchant William Gibbs as a country retreat for his family. The Gibbs family made their fotunes from Guano, or dried bird poo, which the Victorians used as fertiliser. The house was in the family for three generations and each generation made their mark on the house by expanding it and adding extras. Richard Gibbs was the last Gibb in residence and sadly passed away in 2001, the National Trust then bought the house in 2002.

Whilst we were there we checked out the second hand book shop and the main National Trust shop and I managed to buy quite a few books. In my defense some are very small books.

New Books

In the second hand book shop I started off inside and to be honest I was not that impressed. However as I went outside my husband spotted a complete set of Penguin 60’s. These little books were published in 1995 for Penguin’s 60th Anniversary. After some research I discovered this set with the orange spines are based on 20th century writting and that the black set which I am now hunting down is based on classic writing. The whole set cost me £25, well my husband £15 and myself £10, I only had change and I didn’t think at the time the lady taking the money would be impressed with £25 in change of varying sizes.

The set is gorgeous and in rather good condition. I certainly can not wait to start reading them.

The next two books I bought were in the main shop.

I bought:-

A Poem for Every Day of the Year Edited by Allie Esiri

I’ve seen this book a few times and after having a little look through I thought I would buy it and read a poem a day. Still trying to further my knowledge and understanding of poetry.

Tyntesfield

This is the guidebook done by the National Trust. When I visit new places I always like to get the guidebook and read it when I get home. It helps me absorb more about the visit and helps me remember for the future.

So here is my book haul, I hope you like it.

Happy Reading

Lady Book Dragon.

Friday Poetry

This weeks poem is in honour of St George as it was St George’s day this week.

I chose an old favourite poem from my childhood, which appeaeled to me no end because I loved the idea of having a pet dragon when I was a child and to be honest I still do.

St George and the Dragon

St George looked at the dragon

And much to his surprise,

He noticed that the dragon

Had large appealing eyes.

‘Pardon me,’ said brave St George,

‘I hear you’re cruel and sly.’

‘Oh no, not me,’ the dragon said,

‘I wouldn’t hurt a fly.’

‘I’ve come to slay you,’ said St George,

‘And save the maiden fair

That you have captured, and no doubt

Imprisoned in your lair.’

‘I used to be both cruel and sly,

Of that there is no doubt,’

Replied the dragon, ‘but not now,

My fire has all burnt out.

The maiden you have come to save

Has made a pet of me.

She takes me walkies on a lead

And feeds me cups of tea.

So if you want to do brave deeds

The like of which I’ve read,

Please take the maiden home with you,

And so save me instead.’

Finola Akister

Lady Book Dragon