written and posted by members of Lancashire Dead Good Poets' Society

Thursday 22 December 2011

In The Bleak


After Lara’s inspirational collage of poetry some months ago, I decided to use this week’s post to treat myself. So, this isn’t inspired by Christmas but rather the Winter Equinox. The office diary at work told me it was on the 22nd December this year. It seems rather presumptuous of Banner to change the date of a celebration which is thousands of years old but who am I to argue with the gods of stationery?

I’m looking backwards today. Looking back to the darkness. Midwinter brings a hush. It brings stillness. Night-time gains prominence and voices are hushed against a backdrop of stark contrast and inactivity. As someone who loves to walk at night this season is a treat. Footsteps echo on the street and curtains divide the two worlds: one gaudy and manufactured, the other infinite and haloed.

Celebrate the darkness in yourself. Take a walk in Winter’s quiet streets and know that sleep and death is as much a part of you as Summer’s heady surfeit of life. If you don’t want to walk try taking a glass of whisky and a warm coat and sitting in your garden. If you have a cigar, even better. Inhale the smoke, sip the spirit and know Midwinter in all her intoxicating beauty.

Here is the poem. It is composed of fragments of songs. I followed a YouTube path starting with Kryie Eleison. I followed my nose. But perhaps your nose is frozen by the frost…


Midwinter

The wind blows hard against this mountain side
Across the sea into my soul
You can have my isolation
You can have the hate that it brings
You could have it all
My empire of dirt

Running back through the fire
When there's nothing left to say

I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems

So you think you can tell
Heaven from Hell,
Blue skies from pain.

But never is a promise and you can't afford to lie

I wake up scared
I wake up strange

Can you tell a green field
From a cold steel rail?




Contributions embezzled from:
Mr Mister – Kyrie Eleison
Nine Inch Nails – Closer and Hurt
Barenaked Ladies – What a Good Boy
James Morrison and Nelly Furtado – Broken Strings
Evanescence – Bring Me to Life
Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here
Fiona Apple – Never is a Promise

4 comments:

Standard said...

Loved this - it got me doing my own little thing with Nine Inch Nails lyrics - too long to post as a comment here but I've stuck it on your facebook ;)

Ashley Lister said...

This blog goes from strength to strength.

But why is there a picture of young Severus Snape on here?

Ash

Damp incendiary device said...

Turns out the winter solstice is on the 22nd December sometimes. Who knew? Well, Banner - obviously...

Damp incendiary device said...

Ash - I would actually accept Alan Rickman tied up in glittery ribbons :)