As I Walked Out One Evening...

Felt slightly "literary" this weekend. Browsing some of my old favourites to share, although may not be consistent with the rest of my entries. The following, entitled "Funeral Blues" was featured in the movie 'Four Weddings and A Funeral' and most exquisitely recited by John Hannah in his Irish accent befitting this brilliant Anglo-American poet. Although it is slightly dark in tones and overtures, I remembered being so moved by the scene that I scoured immediately to find this poem and have since memorised it, particularly the third stanza :-)

Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,

Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone.

Silence the pianos and with muffled drum

Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead

Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead,

Put crépe bows round the white necks of the public doves,

Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,

My working week and my Sunday rest,

My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song,

I thought that love would last forever: 'I was wrong'

The stars are not wanted now, put out every one;

Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;

Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood.

For nothing now can ever come to any good.

... Funeral Blues, Wystan Hugh Auden