Monday 23 January 2012

Stop all the clocks

A very very close friend of Twin, her husband and The Blessings has very sadly and suddenly died. I looked through my books and this blog for a passage to send. It was this poem that kept running through my mind. I think I understand it now.


Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead,
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last for ever:
I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.
For nothing now can ever come to any good

W.H.Auden

7 comments:

  1. This poem is so sad. Much love to Twin and family x

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  2. So sorry to hear of their loss.

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  3. Very sad... so sorry for their loss.

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  4. So sorry to read of your loss, Auden's poem captures loss beautifully

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  5. Verity, Tonia, JoAnn & Lilac - Thank you.

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  6. Sad news - am thinking of them. Lovely poignant poem.

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  7. Sorry to hear of your loss. Beautiful poem. Sending you love and light.

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Ooh how lovely more stripes on the page...
Thank you for taking the time.