-

-
Although this could very well be a picture of me finding a new treasure at a favorite nursery, it's actually an illustration by David Catrow for a children's book called Plantzilla.

Sunday, December 31, 2017

Happy New Year's Eve


Ring Out Wild Bells (from In Memoriam  by Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892)


Ring out, wild bells, to the wild sky,
     The flying cloud, the frosty light:
     The year is dying in the night;
Ring out, wild bells, and let him die.

Ring out the old, ring in the new,
     Ring, happy bells, across the snow:
     The year is going, let him go;
Ring out the false, ring in the true.

Ring out the grief that saps the mind
     For those that here we see no more;
     Ring out the feud of rich and poor,
Ring in redress to all mankind.

Ring out a slowly dying cause,
     And ancient forms of party strife;
     Ring in the nobler modes of life,
With sweeter manners, purer laws.

Ring out the want, the care, the sin,
     The faithless coldness of the times;
     Ring out, ring out my mournful rhymes
But ring the fuller minstrel in.

Ring out false pride in place and blood,
     The civic slander and the spite;
     Ring in the love of truth and right,
Ring in the common love of good.

Ring out old shapes of foul disease;
     Ring out the narrowing lust for gold;
     Ring out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of peace.



7 comments:

  1. Oh, those words hit a chord (no pun intended). Sometimes, despite me being an English major, the meaning of poetry escapes my understanding, but I love this. Yes, I know it's a song lyric, but it's also poetry. Happy New Year's Eve to you too!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gorgeous. I needed that. Happy New Year...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Those words still ring true, makes one wonder if lasting change among humans will ever occur? One always hopes for a better tomorrow regardless! Happy 2018 to you Peter!

    ReplyDelete
  4. those words are wonderful and so appropriate for our present times too.
    Happy New year!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Hope you have a great 2018, Peter!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks so much for taking the time to comment! I love to hear your thoughts.