War and the Mind

Dear Diary,

Much Madness is Divinest Sense


Much Madness is divinest Sense
To a discerning Eye-
Much Sense—the starkest Madness-
‘Tis the Majority
In this, as All, prevail-
Assent—and you are sane
Demur—you’re straightway dangerous-
And handled with a Chain-

Emily Dickinson

Before I start I would ask of you - if you read nothing else today, read this blog extract, it is called Who/What/When/Will They/Get Help written by Bollinger Byrd, a fellow purplecooer.

Don't forget to come back here though, when you have read it
and watch this video.



James Blunt

No Bravery




*

Today is Sunday. No writing from me, I am stricken with a migrainous head but I am shamelessly treasure hunting for delights to share with you.

A friend recommended this first poem to me yesterday and reading it set me off on the search for others.


Counting the Mad

This one was put in a jacket,
This one was sent home,
This one was given bread and meat
But would eat none,
And this one cried No No No No
All day long.

This one looked at the window
As though it were a wall,
This one saw things that were not there,
And this one cried No No No No
All day long.

This one thought himself a bird,
This one a dog,
And this one thought himself a man,
An ordinary man,
And cried and cried No No No No
All day long.

Donald Justice


Somehow, to my mind, all my poems today (and the video) link up with Bollinger’s post.

On this theme, of war and the mind, my next posting will feature two Very Special People, I’ve only featured one or two so far in previous blogs; I have been pondering on who to feature next, what a sad reflection on we humans that is; there seem to be so few that spring immediately to mind. Well known people that is. Send me your suggestions please!

On a lighter note.

An Irish rainbow

I meant to do my work today

I meant to do my work today
But a brown bird sang in the apple tree,
And a butterfly flitted across the field,
And all the leaves were calling me.
And the wind went sighing over the land,
Tossing the grasses to and fro,
And a rainbow held out its shining hand..
So what could I do but laugh and go?

Richard le Gallienne

A selection of birds on one of our feeders outside the kitchen window

My blueberries

Out There

Do they ever meet out there,
The dolphins I counted,
The otter I wait for?
I should have spent my life
Listening to the waves.

Michael Longley

Bye for now,
Go mbeannai Dia duit
Caitx

There is always hope