CCBC-Net Archives
RE: POETRY - Gathering Flowers
- Contemporary messages sorted: [ by date ] [ by subject ] [ by author ]
From: Charles Bayless <charles.bayless_at_gmail.com>
Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 12:16:20 -0400
British Field-Marshall Lord Wavell, WWII Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East in which role he defeated the Italians in Libya, and later Viceroy of India, compiled an anthology of poetry titled, Other Men’s Flowers. It was published in 1944, as if he did not have enough on his hands governing India, dealing with a famine, and fighting the Japanese in Burma. Touchingly, he included at the end a poem of his own (about a painting) and a note. It serves as a reminder when poetry was much more central to more people’s lives.
Sonnet for the Madonna of the Cherries
Dear Lady of the Cherries, cool, serene,
Untroubled by the follies, strife and fears,
Clad in soft reds and blues and mantle green
Your memory has been with me all these years.
Long years of battle, bitterness and waste,
Dry years of sun and dust and Eastern skies,
Hard years of ceaseless struggle, endless haste,
Fighting 'gainst greed for power and hate and lies.
Your red-gold hair, your slowly smiling face
For pride in your dear son, your King of Kings,
Fruits of the kindly earth, and truth and grace,
Colour and light, and all warm lovely things -
For all that loveliness, that warmth, that light,
Blessed Madonna, I go back to fight.
Written Northwick Park April 29th 1943
Note
At the end of my garden of other men's flowers. outside the gate I have put this little wayside dandelion of my own. It has no business here even outside the garden, but the owner of the lady for whom it was written is anxious for it to be included. She is a beautiful lady designed though not actually painted by Leonardo da Vinci, and I have loved her ever since I saw her.
The sonnet was written when I visited her last April after nearly four years of war. I was not allowed, after all, to go back and fight as a soldier against the powers of darkness, as I had hoped and intended. But the Lady of the Cherries smiles not for soldier or for Viceroy, only for her small son playing with the bunch of cherries. A blessing to you, my Lady, and to all beautiful things that help us to forget the dreariness of war. – A.P.W.
From: gchez [mailto:gchez_at_sbcglobal.net] Sent: Friday, April 04, 2014 11:00 AM To: janet_at_janetwong.com; CCBC-Net Network Subject: Re: [ccbc-net] POETRY
I recently read somewhere that the word "anthology" comes from Greek and means "a gathering of flowers." How apt to describe some of the wonderful poetry anthologies available for children.
==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu.
To post to the list, send message to...
ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to...
digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to...
leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at...
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp
To access the archives, go to...
http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net
...and enter the following when prompted...
username: ccbc-net
password: Look4Posts
Received on Fri 04 Apr 2014 11:17:01 AM CDT
Date: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 12:16:20 -0400
British Field-Marshall Lord Wavell, WWII Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East in which role he defeated the Italians in Libya, and later Viceroy of India, compiled an anthology of poetry titled, Other Men’s Flowers. It was published in 1944, as if he did not have enough on his hands governing India, dealing with a famine, and fighting the Japanese in Burma. Touchingly, he included at the end a poem of his own (about a painting) and a note. It serves as a reminder when poetry was much more central to more people’s lives.
Sonnet for the Madonna of the Cherries
Dear Lady of the Cherries, cool, serene,
Untroubled by the follies, strife and fears,
Clad in soft reds and blues and mantle green
Your memory has been with me all these years.
Long years of battle, bitterness and waste,
Dry years of sun and dust and Eastern skies,
Hard years of ceaseless struggle, endless haste,
Fighting 'gainst greed for power and hate and lies.
Your red-gold hair, your slowly smiling face
For pride in your dear son, your King of Kings,
Fruits of the kindly earth, and truth and grace,
Colour and light, and all warm lovely things -
For all that loveliness, that warmth, that light,
Blessed Madonna, I go back to fight.
Written Northwick Park April 29th 1943
Note
At the end of my garden of other men's flowers. outside the gate I have put this little wayside dandelion of my own. It has no business here even outside the garden, but the owner of the lady for whom it was written is anxious for it to be included. She is a beautiful lady designed though not actually painted by Leonardo da Vinci, and I have loved her ever since I saw her.
The sonnet was written when I visited her last April after nearly four years of war. I was not allowed, after all, to go back and fight as a soldier against the powers of darkness, as I had hoped and intended. But the Lady of the Cherries smiles not for soldier or for Viceroy, only for her small son playing with the bunch of cherries. A blessing to you, my Lady, and to all beautiful things that help us to forget the dreariness of war. – A.P.W.
From: gchez [mailto:gchez_at_sbcglobal.net] Sent: Friday, April 04, 2014 11:00 AM To: janet_at_janetwong.com; CCBC-Net Network Subject: Re: [ccbc-net] POETRY
I recently read somewhere that the word "anthology" comes from Greek and means "a gathering of flowers." How apt to describe some of the wonderful poetry anthologies available for children.
==== CCBC-Net Use ==== You are currently subscribed to ccbc-net as: ccbc-archive_at_post.education.wisc.edu.
To post to the list, send message to...
ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To receive messages in digest format, send a blank message to...
digest-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
To unsubscribe, send a blank message to...
leave-ccbc-net_at_lists.wisc.edu
==== CCBC-Net Archives ==== The CCBC-Net archives are available to all CCBC-Net listserv members. The archives are organized by month and year. A list of discussion topics (including month/year) is available at...
http://www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/ccbcnet/archives.asp
To access the archives, go to...
http://ccbc.education.wisc.edu/ccbc-net
...and enter the following when prompted...
username: ccbc-net
password: Look4Posts
Received on Fri 04 Apr 2014 11:17:01 AM CDT
