Sunset Hails a Rising by Clive James

[saare_snowqueen]

This poem about endings and death moved me so, I wanted to share it with you

O lente, lente currite noctis equi!
- Marlowe, after Ovid.

La mer, la mer, toujours recommencée.
-Valéry.

Dying by inches, I can hear the sound
Of all the fine words for the flow of things
The poets and philosophers have used
To mark the path into the killing ground.

Comments

[cmcmck]

People aren't always aware just what a fine poet Clive James is- I first ran into his stuff back in the seventies when he was working with Pete Atkin.

[saare_snowqueen]

I've only just discovered him and am blown away by it.

[cmcmck]

http://www.peteatkin.com/pa.htm

The first two or three albums on Pete's site contain Clive's material.

'The Road of Silk' is, I think some of the best of all.

I love 'The Hollow and the Fluted Night'

[ms_cataclysm]

Lovely poem. Thanks for sharing.