Dear Friends of Poetry,
I will miss seeing so many friends and poets at Poetry Night tonight (March 19, 2020). I thank our spring scheduled featured poets and the open mic regulars for your understanding as we postpone all Poetry Night events until we are told it is safe to reconvene. That may be months, so we will investigate holding virtual poetry readings in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!
Meanwhile, here is a little light reading by Thomas Nashe (1567-1901): “A Litany in Time of Plague.”
Adieu, farewell, earth’s bliss;
This world uncertain is;
Fond are life’s lustful joys;
Death proves them all but toys;
None from his darts can fly;
I am sick, I must die.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Rich men, trust not in wealth,
Gold cannot buy you health;
Physic himself must fade.
All things to end are made,
The plague full swift goes by;
I am sick, I must die.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Beauty is but a flower
Which wrinkles will devour;
Brightness falls from the air;
Queens have died young and fair;
Dust hath closed Helen’s eye.
I am sick, I must die.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Strength stoops unto the grave,
Worms feed on Hector brave;
Swords may not fight with fate,
Earth still holds ope her gate.
‘Come, come!’ the bells do cry.
I am sick, I must die.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Wit with his wantonness
Tasteth death’s bitterness;
Hell’s executioner
Hath no ears for to hear
What vain art can reply.
I am sick, I must die.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Haste, therefore, each degree,
To welcome destiny;
Heaven is our heritage,
Earth but a player’s stage;
Mount we unto the sky.
I am sick, I must die.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Inspired by Nashe, I wrote this poem in October, 2001.
A Litany for October
by Andy Jones
Goodbye calm, quietness.
Know that once we were blessed
With the promise of joy;
Now we return our toys,
Stay home, avoid the mall,
And nightly watch the fall.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Who would not trade his wealth,
Or any of us, health
And our rich fortunes made?
Let that stark image fade
Which brave men does appall.
We nightly watch the fall.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Fragile prey, we leave flowers
Where once stood city towers.
Airships fall from the air
On princes, young and fair.
Tourists run from the Mall
And nightly watch the fall.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Small children come of age;
We can’t turn back the page:
Airport security,
Anthrax at NBC.
Who next will hear the call?
We nightly watch the fall.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Dark terror strikes again.
In uniforms our men
Respond with rhetoric.
A match head to the wick
No rough speech will forestall.
We nightly watch the fall.
Lord, have mercy on us!
Should we impatient be
To welcome destiny?
Shocked families decry
Our return to the sky.
In the face of it all,
They nightly watch our fall.
Lord, have mercy on us!
* * * * *
I hope to see you before October!
Dr. Andy
