The British
by A. S. J. Tessimond
We are a people living in shells and moving
Crablike; reticent, awkward, deeply suspicious;
Watching the world from a corner of half-closed eyelids,
Afraid lest someone show that he hates or loves us,
Afraid lest someone weep in the railway train.
We are coiled and clenched like a foetus clad in armour.
We hold our hearts for fear they fly like eagles.
We grasp our tongues for fear they cry like trumpets.
We listen to our own footsteps. We look both ways
Before we cross the silent empty road.
We are a people easily made uneasy,
Especially wary of praise, of passion, of scarlet
Cloaks, of gesturing hands, of the smiling stranger
In the alien hat who talks to all or the other
In the unfamiliar coat who talks to none.
We are afraid of too-cold thought or too-hot
Blood, of the opening of long-shut shafts or cupboards,
Of light in caves, of X-rays, probes, unclothing
Of emotion, intolerable revelation
Of lust in the light, of love in the palm of the hand.
We are afraid of, one day on a sunny morning,
Meeting ourselves or another without the usual
Outer sheath, the comfortable conversation,
And saying all, all, all we did not mean to,
All, all, all we did not know we meant.
A few random poems:
- English Poetry. Thomas Moore. From “Irish Melodies”. 85. Oh For the Swords of Former Time. Томас Мур.
- Robert Burns: To Daunton Me:
- Among the Rocks by Robert Browning
- A Great Time by William Henry Davies
- Владимир Высоцкий – В плен, приказ, не сдаваться
- On a Tree Fallen Across the Road by Robert Frost
- Done is a battle by William Dunbar
- Алексей Толстой – С тех пор как я один
- A Lover To His Mistress by William Strode
- The Rock Cries Out to Us Today by Maya Angelou
- Жан де Лафонтен – Павлин, жалующийся Юноне
- The Dawn Of American Literature
- Trio Of Love Songs by Sylvia Plath
- Николай Карамзин – К соловью
- Sunday Morning by Susan King Saunders
External links
Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus
Talking Writing Monster’s Page –
Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh
Poems in English
- CBSE Education: Teaching Creative Learning
- Trendy Madness In Fashion Meccas
- 8 Creative Tips for Clickable Video Ads
- How Do You Know when Someone is in Love with You?
- Meditation For Writing – Three Tips to Improve your Writing with Creative Meditation
- 11 Amazing Autistic Famous People
- Be Healthier, Live Longer By Being Creative!
- How To Publish Your Writing With Duotrope
- How to Survive After Losing a Loved One
- Interior Design Institutes in Dehradun
- Unrequited Love – Why Can’t You Love Me Back?
- Transsexual Children Confused by Body Image
- Youths Can Raise Funds, Fight Drug Abuse Through Education
- Passion For Light
- Love and Burgers: Compatible or Incompatible Relationship?
- Sex – Hinduism Shows the Scientific Way!
- Book Review – The Elements of Style by Strunk and White
- Poetic Vision – Heaven’s Door
- Can Sri Lankan Women Be Creative? Review From A Third World Country!
- Yoga and Love – Part I
More external links (open in a new tab):
Doska or the Board – write anything
Search engines:
Yandex – the best search engine for searches in Russian (and the best overall image search engine, in any language, anywhere)
Qwant – the best search engine for searches in French, German as well as Romance and Germanic languages.
Ecosia – a search engine that supposedly… plants trees
Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.
Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.
Parallel Translations of Poetry
The Poetry Repository – an online library of poems, poetry, verse and poetic works