The poem meme.

[panik]

Who started this one? I have no idea whatsoever, but here is/are mine. I'm giving 2 because one is very short and I'm greedy and it's my birthday so I'm cutting myself a massive slab of slack.

By Guillaume Apollinaire.
Come to the edge, he said.
They said: We are afraid.
Come to the edge, he said.
They came. He pushed them and they flew.

And  Rudyard Kipling; If.

IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: 'Hold on!'

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
' Or walk with Kings - nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man, my son!

Comments

[omphalos.livejournal.com]

I have the first one hung on my door. I've always loved it. :) Happy birthday!

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

I love it so much I used it in a fic. *g* I have it on a paperweight too.

[polly-b.livejournal.com]

I hope you have a wonderful birthday! *hugs* I like both of those poems, btw.

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Thanks hon. They're wonderful, aren't they?

[elmyraemilie.livejournal.com]

Hope you have a slab of cake equal in size to that slab of slack. Happy birthday! And I like your poems.

Thanks hon!

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

No cake but I have some delicious chocolate, almond and hazelnut panpepato, wonderful cheeses and wine chilling. Life be good. XXX

[mab-browne.livejournal.com]

Always have been fond of Mr Kipling. And happy birthday! :-)

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

He bakes exceedingly good cakes.

:o)

It is a stonking good pram and no mistake. We used to have to know it by heart at school - long forgotten, alas.

And happy birthday! :-)

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Thankee kindly!

[sallymn.livejournal.com]

I love that Kipling (mind you, as I read I can always hear the parody set to music by the Hoffnung folk)... and the Recessional.

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

We had to learn it by heart at school. Very stirring. Makes one want to go out and found an empire. Or something. Mostly the something I think. In my case, 'something' = drinking gin. :o)

[betagoddess.livejournal.com]

I've never seen the first one. It's cool. "If" has always been one of my favourites. We found a hanging of it once and gave it to our son. =>}

Happy birthday again! *g*

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

I used the first one in Wind Whispering. It's always been a fave.

Thanks. Again!

[betagoddess.livejournal.com]

I didn't know it before. It's a good one. =>}

You're welcome! *g*

PS!

[betagoddess.livejournal.com]

Did you by any chance see my b'day greeting to you today? Just wondering. =>}

[ledh.livejournal.com]

Happy Birthday :D

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

THANK YOU!

[gillo]

Many happy returns - and thanks for sharing the poems!

Many happy returns...

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much. I'm not a big poetry type but I have a few favourites.

[miwahni.livejournal.com]

I like the first poem - I've not read it before. And "If" has long been a favourite.
Howzat - it's your birthday and you're giving us the presents! Best wishes to you.

If...

[gillyp.livejournal.com]

Is just a spanking good poem. The Guillaume Apollinaire's been a favourite of mine since (of all people *g*) Charles Saatchi reccd it as his favourite many moons ago. I used it in Wind Whispering. I think it's terrific.

Thanks so much for the birthday wishes! I'm just trying to gee myself back to work after the revels. heh (and best wishes to you, too!)