The Yeats quote today is taken from ‘The Rose of the World’.
‘Troy passed away in one high funeral gleam,
And Usna’s children died.’ W.B. Yeats
The world grows dark
They have gone into the dark and cold
All those whose stories, by the fire told,
Have walked barefoot beneath this sky.
We, the listeners by the dancing flames,
Had thought to hear the battle’s roar,
And wept to share a woman’s grief.
No regrets, we say to soothe the loss,
For those days when life hung by a thread,
Or rolling dice, a sword thrust missed,
A handful of bright berries red.
So we walk with uniformed step,
The roadways paved in dullest grey,
And never raise eyes to the sky,
To see the hawk with yellow eye,
Plunge for the mouse about to die.
This gave me goosebumps, Jane.
I wonder where we’re going.
Yes, it’s frightening.
Horribly.
Putting our screens between. We are the ones who have broken the thread.
Your words stark and chilling and true. (K)
We don’t seem to see anything or want anything that we haven’t created. We worship crap.
And we produce and then discard plenty of it too…
Ah, the wastefulness. We’re champion at that.
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
Thanks Michael 🙂
have a lovely day, Jane 🙂
https://ladyleemanilablog.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/a-month-with-yeats-day-nine/
Thank you 🙂
A bit of futility here.
Not futility. At least the branches remain and we can make up new stories.
Dust in the wind
https://rivrvlogr.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/forgotten/
This one’s not bright and cheery either.
https://merrildsmith.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/from-the-ashes-a-month-with-yeats-day-nine/
No, but it’s good 🙂
Thank you. 🙂
🙂
I did not read the story of the Children Of Usna, so I had to research this a bit. First part, before the tragedy hit, reminded me more of wonder woman but the later part definitely proves the stupidity of religion, pagan or not. What a self fulfilling prophesy and a story of lust and sacrifice.
Deirdre of the Sorrows. One of history’s wronged women, and she was regarded as wronged even at the time.
I am sure the druid was in cahoots with Connor (the barbarian?).
Conchubhair? He was the high king so Cathbad was bound to take his side. But Deirdre killed herself rather than let the old goat have her;
https://fmmewritespoems.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/a-month-with-yeats-9/
What an interesting quotation to choose. I love your poem…the greyness of a world where there are no stories left…
I feel that way. We don’t regard stories in the same way. They’re not real. What’s real is FB and snapchat…
Well…this is a dark verse to prompt us with Jane. Apparently I needed to get a few things off my chest. For that, I thank you. 🙂
https://katmyrman.com/2017/11/09/now-is-not-the-time/
You blend the spirit of the Yeats quote so well in these exquisite lines of yours, Jane! Haunting, and admonititive!
Here’s my humble offering:
https://frankjtassone.wordpress.com/2017/11/09/a-tanka-for-a-month-with-keats-day-nine-haiku-poetry/
Thank you, Frank!
My pleasure 😇
Jane, here is the shortlink to my post today: https://wp.me/p73yZZ-3O9
I think Yeats would have been proud of this one! It’s a powerhouse Jane!
Sorry I’m running behind again at trying to catch up with everyone’s poems- time is far to fleeting!
Mine for yesterday:
https://deuxiemepeau.blog/2017/11/09/the-legend-time-will-tell-of-us-day-9-of-a-month-with-yeats/
I think he would have been proud that his words are still inspiring new poetry. There are never enough hours in the day 🙂
I’ve used this quote as my inspiration for my post today.
https://methodtwomadness.wordpress.com/2017/11/11/passing/
I think we are trolling along the same lines here. I love the feel of your poem, prime-evil bit relevant too.
💜💜
Our world is so self-satisfied. Nothing before was any good, nothing was admirable. We worship what is new, chuck the old, and can’t see that life, real life, hasn’t changed, we just can’t see it any more.
Never heard of Deirdre of the Sorrows so will look her up. And you mention we can’t see that real life hasn’t changed … I agree wholeheartedly. People think we live in a progressive age!
Yes, we have this stupid belief that we have invented everything that’s any good. Nobody knew anything before our generation, they were all barbarians—they didn’t even have Internet!