Walt Whitman……The Task Ahead….. Goodness Me…. Pics. Of Scotland….
by Bernie Bell - 08:07 on 19 August 2023
Walt Whitman…
It started when Bartholomew Barker wrote about his visit to Walt Whitman’s grave….
http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=16446
…….and recommended that I read Walt Whitman’s work - BB advised BB to read WW - and I replied…
“I looked along the ‘poetry’ section in our bookcase (which includes print-outs of Led Zeppelin lyrics) and found an old paperback copy of Walt Whitman’s ‘Leaves of Grass’. It’s got a lot of bright pink post-it notes marking pages, and much under-lining in red.
The beauty of second-hand books – what’s the history?
It’s now been added to my ‘to be read’ heap – maybe I’ll follow the post-it notes.”
I did follow the pink post-its and the first one pointed to…
TO YOU
Stranger, if you passing meet me and desire to speak to me, why
should you not speak to me?
And why should I not speak to you?
Then - next post-it pointed to a section of ‘Song of Myself’ which begins…
A child said ‘What is the grass?’ fetching it to me with full
hands,
How could I answer the child? I do not know what it is any
more than he.
Then – more of ‘Song of Myself’ – it’s a long poem….
The little plentiful manikins skipping around in collars and
tail’d coats….
CITY OF ORGIES
…but as I pass O Manhattan, your frequent and swift
flash of eyes offering me love…
Puts me in mind of Bartholomew’s ‘Wednesday Night Regular’ poems…
https://bartbarkerpoet.com/2023/08/02/like-the-ocean-2/
A HAND MIRROR
Begins….
Hold it up sternly – see this it sends back, (who is it? is it you?)
…then it gets grim.
Strangely enough – reminds me of a Led Zeppelin lyric …
Why don’t you take a good look at yourself and describe what you see – and baby, baby, baby do you like it?
And finally, on the last page…
UNSEEN BUDS
Unseen buds, infinite, hidden well,
Under the snow and ice, under the darkness, in every square or
cubic inch,
Germinal, exquisite, in delicate lace, microscopic, unborn,
Like babes in wombs, latent, folded, compact, sleeping;
Billins of billions, and trillions of trillions of them waiting,
(On earth and in the sea – the universe - the stars there in the
heavens,)
Urging slowly, surely forward, forming endless,
And waiting ever more, forever more behind.
That’s more like it.
I don’t think I’ll read much more of him – he does tend to go on. I often felt like saying…..‘OK Walt – I get the message – you can stop now.’
A novel way to be introduced to a poet.
********************************************************************
The Task Ahead
Now they’re back in UHI
With boxes, bags and trays
Examining the finds will take
Years & months & days
Can’t be hurried - must take care
Not missing any ‘clues’
Trying to piece the puzzle together
Having to sift and choose
The Finds Hut Team had everything
Tagged, labelled and arrayed
Now out they come to be once more
Sorted and displayed
It will take time, and patience too
So this, my friends
Is where my rhyme
Makes an appeal to you.
Funds will be less, there’ll be no ‘Ness’
‘Til next year’s digging season
Going there, seeing it
Gave to folk a reason
To donate - to dig deep
In pockets, wallets & purses
Now ‘Out of sight is out of mind’
Except for in these verses
Please take heed
Of the Ness in need
Donate through this here link….
https://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/donate/
With funding sure
There will be more
Before there’s time to blink!
BB August ‘23
It’ll be covered by now…
https://www.nessofbrodgar.co.uk/diary-extra-the-cover-up-begins/
Someone asked me why is the Ness dig ending after next year – I tried to explain, but realised I would be best sending him something by them as knows….
https://www.northlinkferries.co.uk/orkney-blog/two-last-summers-at-the-ness-of-brodgar/
********************************************************************
Goodness Me….
I like to look at the Orkney Wildlife Facebook page - when Facebook lets me as I’m not signed up to it – and I saw a picture with a link to this….
https://www.livescience.com/fungus-flies-mate-dead-infected-females
Have a look –
https://www.facebook.com/groups/133013273445588/?locale=en_GB
PS
Then ...there was one on a Plantain flower-head in our garden!...
The Invasion of the Body-snatchers!!!!
********************************************************************
Pics. Of Scotland….
11th – 18th of August 2023…
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-66498501
Suilven memories prompted by Paul Steven’s pic….
https://theorkneynews.scot/2018/06/12/the-western-isles-or-there-and-back-again-xv/
Re. Eilidh Kerr’s froggy pic….
Tuesday evening I was getting the washing in while Mike had a stroll round the garden. He beckoned to me to come and see – there was Mick the Hedgehog in the long grass – we could hear him munching – and a wee frog hopped away before it got munched too. Mick features here…
http://www.spanglefish.com/berniesblog/blog.asp?blogid=16437
Why Mick? He reminds me of my friend Mick – a similarly stolid sort.
******************************************************************
Here’s one I made earlier…… https://theorkneynews.scot/2022/03/20/an-irish-airman-foresees-his-death/
Add your comment
