Wednesday, September 27, 2006

How long 'til my soul gets it right?

Sudden Light

I have been here before,
But when or how I cannot tell:
I know the grass beyond the door,
The sweet keen smell,
The sighing sound, the lights around the shore.

You have been mine before,—
How long ago I may not know:
But just when at that swallow's soar
Your neck turned so,
Some veil did fall,—I knew it all of yore.

Has this been thus before?
And shall not thus time's eddying flight
Still with our lives our love restore
In death's despite,
And day and night yield one delight once more?

Isn't this gorgeous? It's by Daniel Dante Rossetti (would you hate me if I named my child Dante?) and although I don't subscribe to the idea of reincarnation as an actuality, I am deeply enamored of the incredibly comforting and searingly romantic aspects of it. Sometimes a person will burst into your life, TECHNICOLOR against the sepia throng, and you just get that feeling. Not that it always end well, does it? Some of these people bedevil us, but they always make an indelible mark on our lives.

Something I'm not fond of, however, is alternate endings. I won't watch them on DVDs. Flat out refuse. OK, I watched the alternate ending of Layer Cake* and, ick, that only reinforced my loathing. So it was with trepidation that I read this other version of Rossetti's poem, but as it turns out it's "alternate" for me, but the original as published. This replaces the final stanza above:

Then, now,—perchance again! . . . .
O round mine eyes your tresses shake!
Shall we not lie as we have lain
Thus for Love's sake,
And sleep, and wake, yet never break the chain?

Dreamy either way, no?

*To the haters who are boycotting Daniel Craig as Bond: y'all crazy. He is gonna pull that shit off in fine style. FOO-INE style. And he makes my mouth water.

6 comments:

Ur-spo said...

I like a good poem; and that one was lovely.
Thanks for posting it.
I hope to see more!

Michael said...

Lovely, isn't it? So romantic.

But just when at that swallow's soar
Your neck turned so...


::sigh::

Michael Guy said...

Curious here: am I falling under "bedevil" or "indelible." I'd be okay with either option.

Beautiful poem. 'And sleep, and wake, yet never break the chain' Indeed.

Michael said...

FG,
OK, scratch that. I guess I'll stick with Jem and Scout. You know, cuz I already used Boo Radley for the dog.

MG,
It never entered your mind that you weren't one of the TECHNICOLOR ones, did it? Rightly so! From your artfully mussed hair to the tips of your Prada encased toes, you're indelible, my dear, but it's your heart (and acid tongue) that most bewitch.

The Other Andrew said...

Lovely.

PS. Daniel Craig in those Bond movie teaser photos? The ones in the surf, with the square cut and oh so snug swimming costume? Equally lovely, and oh so delicious. Non? The perfect yang to my yin.

Michael Guy said...

ANDREW: I can see your stiffie "yin" all the way up here.

MICHAEL: Just checking; you know I loves me some PIPEDREAMS. "Acid tongue?" The better to lick you with my dear.