For World Poetry Day

Dylan Thomas Under Milk Wood

I spent some time this morning looking for a suitable poem about spring or blossom to mark today's World Poetry Day and the first day of spring. For some reason nothing seemed quite right, so I set off on my daily walk to help clear my head and come back refreshed.

Little did I know I'd find some quite different inspiration towards the end of my walk.

We must have a Dylan Thomas fan amongst our midst, who has hung up various covers of his works along the path by Hardenhuish Brook. A quick look at the pictured work online, and at last I have my poem - albeit nothing to do with spring or blossom - in the form of the extract below. It's the line about seeing the best side of people, not their worst which stands out for me. I readily admit I don't always manage that, but I do strive to see the best in a situation, and that resonates particularly in these strange times...

"Every morning when I wake,
Dear Lord, a little prayer I make,
O please do keep Thy lovely eye
On all creatures born to die

And every evening at sun-down
I ask a blessing on the town,
For whether we last the night or no
I’m sure is always touch-and-go.

We are not wholly bad or good
Who live our lives under Milk Wood,
And Thou, I know, wilt be the first
To see our best side, not our worst.

O let us see another day!
Bless us all this night, I pray,
And to the sun we all will bow
And say, good-bye – but just for now!"

Comments

  1. Anna22 March 2021 at 07:19

    A most lovely Dylan Thomas snippet VP. I still have a couple of books of his poetry that I chose as a school prize many moons ago 😂 Have you listened to Richard Burton's recording of 'Under Milk Wood'? I have listened to it time and time again and always pick up something new.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP30 March 2021 at 16:11

      That's a magic pairing isn't it? Richard Burton's voice and Dylan Thomas's voice :)

      Delete
  2. The bike shed22 March 2021 at 11:26

    That's the reverend's Eli Jenkin's poem from Under Milk Wood. It goes on something like.. We are not wholly bad or good/ Who live our lives under Milk Wood/ And you, I know will be the first/ To see our best side not our worst... I know huge sections of UMW almost by heart - years of playing it on CD in the car when travelling west...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. VP30 March 2021 at 16:12

      Glad you saw this Mark - I was thinking of you and your high regard for Dylan Thomas when I wrote this!

      Delete

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