in need of an autumn muse

[tismyself]

Last November I toasted my friends at the local pub with cognac and a bit from Proust's Remembrance of Things Past.

The news, economy, and the election has me so whacked out that I can't find a good toast or poem for my November toast.

Any suggestions?

[frogmarch]

1. Maybe something by Loren Eiseley?

Maybe an essay or poem?

This excerpt from Eiseley's The Immense Journey doesn't pertain to autumn, but I like it.


Lights come and go in the night sky.
Men,
troubled at last by the things they build,
may toss in their sleep and dream bad dreams,
or lie awake
while the meteors whisper greenly overhead.

But nowhere in all space or on a thousand worlds
will there be men to share our loneliness.

There may be wisdom;
there may be power.

Somewhere across space
there may be great instruments,
handled by strange, manipulative organs.
They may stare vainly at our floating cloud wrack,
their owners yearning as we yearn.

Nevertheless,
in the nature of life and in principles of evolution
we have had our answer.

Of men,
as are known on earth,
elsewhere,
and beyond,
there will be none,
forever.

~~

Amazon link to books by Loren Eiseley:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_ss_b?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=loren+eiseley&x=0&y=0

[tismyself]

3. ~oh wow~

And I mean WOW too - good grief, how I have missed Loren Eiseley all these years I do not know. I really really like that - and with this group at the pub, it is so appropriate.

Thank you a million times for this and I will be reading more Eiseley too. Thanks!!!! I have a feeling I have got my November toast now!

[tigereye]

2. there are some really nice passages in Obama's book Dreams From my Father

or is that too topical?


or the woman who just became the US poet laureate sounds like someone who might be appropriate for these odd times... I can't think of her name at the moment.

[tismyself]

4. heh heh

One of the guys in the gang at the pub ambled in about a year ago, plopped down (these guys have brass plaques on the booth with their names engraved) and said: "Learn how to pronounce Barack Obama for he will be our next president."

These guys are all retired military, Viet Nam and Cold War era, and they just don't talk about politics. We talk about literature, fine booze, great moments under the pine trees by a roaring fire... things like that.

Sigh, they are all the best husbands I never had.

I should look at what the new poet laureate has out, and I'm not sure who it is either. I used to know our state poet laureate's brother (the poet was Fred Chappell - and gawd he was wonderful) and then recently Fred himself spoke at my sister's graduation, so that was really cool. I need to get my head more in this century is what!!

Thank you so much for the suggestions!

[PittPoliSci]

5. WB Yeats - "A Drinking Song"

Wine comes in at the mouth
And love comes in at the eye;
That's all we shall know for truth
Before we grow old and die.
I lift the glass to my mouth,
I look at you, and I sigh.

[tismyself]

6. LOVE IT!!!

Oh gawd I just love that! I'd have to change the last line to "I look at you all, and I sigh."

Great, great, thanks for sharing that!!