A week or so ago, I heard this poem being performed on Radio 3 (otherwise the BBC’s serious music station). I was still in bed, not quite awake, but I could see early morning gloom edging the window blind. And then came these word, read with such madcap gusto. That lit up the day.
Read them now, aloud. Go for unleashed exuberance. Then see what happens…
The sun has burst the sky
Because I love you
And the river its banks.The sea laps the great rocks
Because I love you
And takes no heed of the moon dragging it away
And saying coldly ‘Constancy is not for you’.
The blackbird fills the air
Because I love you
With spring and lawns and shadows falling on lawns.The people walk in the street and laugh
I love you
And far down the river ships sound their hooters
Crazy with joy because I love you.
copyright Jenny Joseph, English Poet (1932-2018)
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Now you’ve done the dress rehearsal, go for an all-out ‘first night’ performance. Never mind what the love object is. It could be the cat, a beloved human, an imaginary lover, the universe, a special tree, yourself…
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So what happened…a burst of sunshine perhaps – in body, mind and spirit.
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The photo was taken early one morning in Kalamata, Greece. Intervening olive tree with the Gulf of Messenia and Taygetus Mountains beyond.