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Oct 2020
10:35am, 9 Oct 2020
16,664 posts
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Chrisull
Ali Smith is a big fan...
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Oct 2020
10:38am, 9 Oct 2020
53,688 posts
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Diogenes
...one of the places I've been reading about Rilke. I'm just coming to the end of Summer today.
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Oct 2020
5:49pm, 9 Oct 2020
41,418 posts
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LindsD
Rilke is beautiful.
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Dec 2020
8:54pm, 19 Dec 2020
24,307 posts
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Lizzie Whizzmas
Last Christmas, your mum came to ours
and the very next day, we saw uncle Ray.
This year, we’re in the third tier,
so we’re not doing anything special (special).
- Brian Bilston
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Dec 2020
9:09pm, 19 Dec 2020
55,912 posts
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Diogenes
Brian’s been busy today
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Feb 2021
9:38pm, 6 Feb 2021
800 posts
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Peregrinator
Suburb (Stevie Smith)
How nice it is to slink the streets at night
and taste the slight
Flavour of acrity that comes
From pavements throwing off the dross
Of human tread.
Each paving stone sardonic
Grins to its fellow citizen masonic:
"Thank God they're gone," each to the other cries
"Now there is nothing between us and the skies".
Joy at this state transports the hanging heavens
And down to earth they rain celestial dew
The pavement darkly gleams beneath the lamp.
Forgetful now of daylight's weary tramp.
Round about the streets I slink
Suburbs are not so bad I think
When their inhabitants can not be seen,
Even Palmers Green.
Nobody loves the hissing rain as I
And round about I slink
and presently
Turn from the sleek wet pavement to the utter slime
Where jerrybuilders building against time
Pursue their storied way,
Foundations and a pram,
Four walls and a pot of jam,
They have their sentries now
Upon a hundred hillocks.
Night watchmen bad and old
Take rheumatism in exchange for gold.
Do you see that pub between the trees
Which advertises gin and cyclists’ teas?
Down there I know a lane
Under the padding rain
Where leaves are born again
Every night
And reach maturity
In a remote futurity
Before dawn's light.
I have never seen
Anything quite so green
So close to dark so bright
As the green leaves at night.
I will not show you yet
Lest you should forget,
But when the time is come for your dismembering
I'll show you that you may die remembering.
Stevie Smith – better known for swimming than for running. This time of year involves much padding round suburban pavements in the dark and damp, although hopefully nothing quite as sinister as this.
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Feb 2021
9:58pm, 6 Feb 2021
57,343 posts
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Diogenes
That’s, well, superb
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Feb 2021
10:21pm, 6 Feb 2021
20,746 posts
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Serendippily
Good stuff
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Feb 2021
10:36pm, 6 Feb 2021
801 posts
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Peregrinator
The curse of the random carriage return.....
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Feb 2021
11:25pm, 6 Feb 2021
44,852 posts
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LindsD
It's wonderful
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Haiku of 2024
Jan 2025