ASF Poetry Thread

http://www.enotes.com/shakespeare-quotes/we-such-stuff-dreams-made

Prospero:
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits, and
Are melted into air, into thin air:
And like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capp'd tow'rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on; and our little life
Is rounded with a sleep.

The Tempest Act 4, scene 1, 148–158

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Anticipating his daughter's wedding to the Prince of Naples, Prospero has staged a short entertainment, with spirits taking the parts of Roman gods. But he abruptly cuts the fun short when he remembers some pressing business. He tries to calm the startled couple by explaining, somewhat off the point, that the "revels" (performance) they've witnessed were simply an illusion, bound sooner or later to melt into "thin air"—a phrase he coins.

Prospero's metaphor applies not just to the pageant he's created on his fictional island, but also to the pageant Shakespeare presents in his Globe Theater—the "great globe itself." Dramatic illusion in turn becomes a metaphor for the "real" world outside the Globe, which is equally fleeting. Towers, palaces, temples, the Globe theater, the Earth—all will crumble and dissolve, leaving not even a wisp of cloud (a "rack") behind. Prospero's "pageant" is the innermost Chinese box: a play within a play (The Tempest) within a play (the so-called "real" world).

Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream, and people are the "stuff" dreams are "made on" (built of)—just as characters might be called the "stuff' plays are "built on." "Our little life" is like a brief dream in some divine mind, "rounded with a sleep"—that is, either "surrounded" by sleep or "rounded off" (completed) by sleep ...

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I personally like the former concept, i.e. of our lives being a dream surrounded by pure sleep both before and after.

Why do they rant and rave over Shakespeare?
the man who could not write English I hear,
soldiers they speak as though not understanding
is it not drivel hidden by the facts, not standing.

Blow Shakespeare, his facts, story and fantasies
that belay the story as true, and it be best by sea,
floating away and be it lost, out of sight indeed,
no more Shakespeare, a place for rich to poster, to read.

Shakespeare - by noirua

Why do they rant and rave over Shakespeare?
the man who could not write English I hear,
soldiers they speak as though not understanding
is it not drivel hidden by the facts, not standing.

Blow Shakespeare, his facts, story and fantasies
that belay the story as true, and it be best by sea,
floating away and be it lost, out of sight indeed,
no more Shakespeare, a place for rich to posture, to read.

Shakespeare - by noirua

noirua said:

Why do they rant and rave over Shakespeare?
the man who could not write English I hear,
soldiers they speak as though not understanding
is it not drivel hidden by the facts, not standing.

Blow Shakespeare, his facts, story and fantasies
that belay the story as true, and it be best by sea,
floating away and be it lost, out of sight indeed,
no more Shakespeare, a place for rich to posture, to read.

Shakespeare - by noirua

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'Tis a blasphemy uttered, from that Aussie in Kent
For it's true that William was a talented gent
Great gangs of actors, bemused
Will wish you exceedingly bruised
Such an insult you will surely lament

Have you not seen the Merchant of Venice?
It's only a Jew who could possibly grimace
Shakespeare was so bold
With the story he told
That the manuscript was save from the furnace

It was Shakespeare who Tamed the Shrew
And many others from which his fame did accrue
You really should be quelling
Criticisms of his spelling
He is famous from here to Timbuktu

Do you remember the playwrites of the day?
It's only Shakespeare we remember to play
In Stratford Upon Avon
Pay homage to the legend
To his likeness, which is made up of clay.

Hilaire Belloc and Ogden Nash

"I call you bad, my little child.
upon the title page.
Because a manner rude and wild
is common at your age."

"I shoot the hippopotamus
with bullets made of platinum.
Because if I use leaden ones,
his hide is sure to flatten 'em."

"The one-l lama, he's a beast.
The two-l llama, he's a priest.
But I will bet a silk pyjama,
you've never seen a three-l lllama."

johenmo said:

"The one-l lama, he's a beast.
The two-l llama, he's a priest.
But I will bet a silk pyjama,
you've never seen a three-l lllama."

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lol - good one.. maybe :-

He went to bed one honest farmer
having watched some two bit drama
went to bed three beers the calmer
- set the clock for four a -llllama.

To the bloke whose hindsight is clear
And a propensity for Obama to cheer
Will you hang your head in shame
When the sea level is the same
In the future, when you look to the rear

:batman:

will the ones who wish lesser pollutin's
of all kinds – not just raping and lootin’s
and trees in expanse !
give the planet a chance !
dont enjoy putting planetary bootins

off to work

At times, Australia the so far away land
whilst sitting and watching grey skies,
no wind today, but rain, I see no sand,
dark at three, lights on, not homeward bound.

Forecast of rain, wind, damp, dark, horrible,
not just today but many, rain, sleet and snow,
honour I must this debacle, right to the end
and now the Australian summer forecast is sad.

Now I have a winter cough, that stays and stays
and still struggling on, dark now and still rain,
one thought remains, yes, they do, pay me well
suitcase at the ready, soon to retire finally at home.

Deep thoughts - by noirua

wayneL said:

To the bloke whose hindsight is clear
And a propensity for Obama to cheer
Will you hang your head in shame
When the sea level is the same
In the future, when you look to the rear

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EVEN IF THERE’S NO "A" (ANTHROPOGENIC) IN AGW, (AGAINST ALL THE PEER-REVIEWED EVIDENCE) -
... LET’S VOTE FOR ACTION IRRESPECTIVE

King Canute couldn’t turn back the tide
Nor Can ‘oo? – or can I, I’ll confide
as his ankles got wet
it’s a pretty safe bet
the canary was carked on it’s side.

So the planet is warming? true / false?
EVEN IF there’s no “A” in this waltz
Is there GW or not?
(Leave out talk of mad plot
and without allocating whose faults.)

So when ice melts on land or falls seaward
due to warmth whether solar or treewood
throw some ice in a cup
does the level go up ?
(What IQ pisses upwind not leeward?)

Hey as if the sea level’s alone
in effects that we shouldn’t condone
there are millions of things
which a warmer clime brings
that we know 'bout a warmer unknown.

There are reefs that are dying – a fact
fewer polars and fat that is lacked
whether drier or wetter
it’s no time to feel better
blaming “God”, - treating science as whacked.

There are vertical trees that we’re felling
(while the breeze-carried carbon is swelling
but ignoring that point)
Let’s just CLEAN UP the joint!
IRRESPECTIVE of what IPCC's telling.

There are critters in dire distress
as mankind just keeps fuelling this mess
Heres a chance for PROACTION !
that can HELP ! (if a fraction)
we should vote for MORE action not less.

Cardinal Pell, he who never has sinned
he who preaches more carbon in the wind
yet he talks of the pill
as an agent from Hell
(or who bans anti-HIV condoms prey tell)
or bans "third world birthrates should be thinned."

When Bolt grinning sings to his throng
he who preaches an incautious song
I just wish he would add
that he’d pick up the tab
if the IPCC’s right, and he’s wrong.

Irrespective he has or not kids,
Irrespective the world’s on its skids,
he prefers his grandstanding
watch the planet’s hard landing
while he exits the side door with quids.

Even if stumbling man’s not to blame
(you believe that, you’re mentally lame)
Let’s accept risk-averse
Here’s a cliff ! try reverse !
and let critters and forests and corals immersed
and refugee numbers get better not worse
and let’s sign – and not play silly games.

http://www.wunderground.com/climate/

PS
For those who thinks warming’s "just theory"
it’s "unproven"; it’s "making you weary",
for a bit of quick levity
test the theory of gravity
(just try jumping off cliffs without making a cavity)...
praps you’ll float down to earth feeling cheery.

If the life you have created
Has buried you with luxuries out-dated
And you ask what is the purpose
Too weak to claw your way up to the surface

You resent all of your trophies
They belittle human spirit like a timepiece
That is ticking in your breast pocket
And so you long to reach in and stop it

Then your heart it will be broken
And every sour word that you have spoken
About everybody else
Will return to act upon yourself

If the life you have created
Is founded on jealousy and hatred
Its too late to ask questions
For youre much too old to take any suggestions

Its the life you have created


Grant Lee Phillips



This one is an old friend of mine.. All played in D with arpegio

http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/rn/podcast/archive/enhanced/lawson_in_bourke.mp4

BOURKE by Henry Lawson (podcast) - takes a while to download.

THOUGHTS WHILST LEADING THE DOG THROUGH THE BUSH

When some weekends in the bushland I go walking with the dog
I insist on walking first in line in case of snakes and logs
It’s because the bludy vet bills have gone skyward like a joke
and if one of us gets bitten – well it’s better it’s the bloke.

THE PROBLEM AHEAD FOR CCS CARBON CAPTURE AND STORAGE

How much CO2 was made today ?
65 million tonnes to the devil ?
at 2 grammes per litre that works out at nearly
33 billion cubic metres at sea level.

There's 33 cubic metres of internal space
in one of those 20 foot containers
so we've made a billion containers today
and no God - just our greed to restrain us.

Suppose just for fun you compress to dry ice
that's a 400 times lesser number
you can only half-fill 2.5 million containers
and you take to the arctic to slumber

That's 400 Emma Maersks container ships
that daily are loaded and depart
when the arctic was used up - what then would we do?
maybe think of our grandkids? - and get a heart?

Of course if you leave it CO2gas
that's 15000 containers per passage
so you'd need 66,666 Emma Maersks!
now doesn't that send a clear message.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emma_Mærsk
Emma Maersk is the biggest container ship in the world
I make it
11000 containers at 14T each,
or 6000 containers at 26T each
or 15000 containers at 10T each.

PS E&OE

NOVEMBER JACARANDAS - TO KIDS AT EXAM TIME

You cannot count the flowering jacarandas
whose Buddhist petals resonate to mantras
and purple drift down to the ground
make mattressed patches all around
you lie there without hint of sound
like a fantasy.

You wonder for these kids what fate will reason
who studied for this jacaranda season
as heralded by nature
what is out there to await ya
will they win or will life “mate ya”
like a chesspiece.

One can only pray that with this splash of colour
they will all do well in life as well as dollar
no more purple patches hide
in a future lived with pride
may they take it in their stride
- may joy follow.

...

HELL HATH NO FURY LIKE A SPURNED PLANET

It won’t be a gentle lapping , "let me in at this door, I’m the tide"
with the bulk of the people still napping, or enjoying a surfboard ride,
no lullabys of some gambler-pseudo-scientist, who just gives the sick world a brief pat,
more … the claws of a changing tidal FIST – with the teeth of a cornered cat.

add the rising storms to the rising mean - THEN we'll know where the sea level is at. !

... this one by a beautiful neice of mine

A POSY FOR A GRANDMOTHER WHO LOVED FLOWERS - AT HER FUNERAL SERVICE

If I were to arrange the perfect posy, to remember my Gran, it would comprise of :-

* a background of roses, pink roses to represent happiness,
* and red to represent love,
* I’d add some lily of the valley because they are my favourite and so is she,
* they also mean fun and happiness which is appropriate for Gran
* I’d add an orchid, because they mean beautiful lady
* and a chrysanthemum to say you’re a beautiful friend
* one pink carnation which means I'll never forget you
* ferns would fill the gaps and complete the balance, because they represent magic.

So there you are Gran, you taught me well.

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This one written on some old letterhead stationery I used when I was importing solar cells in the 80's. (too much too early as they say)