fidelity to the dead
is a poem by vernon watkins
fidelity to the dead
the whithered leaf is blest, and the bird with shrunk claw in the shingle.
under the shawl of the life-yielding hand has caught the passionate thread.
immortal slience tranfigures them. o ultimate faith found single,
o light of immense meditation, from the timid you have fled.
love steals from the fortunate man and gives to the heart it bereaves.
dark thunders descend on prometheus. a light over earth is shed.
how, with love's great example, should i fear what the blind fate weaves?
love is fidelity to the unfortunate dead
vernon watkns would visit the glynn vivian galleryduring his lunch break on an almost daily basis. his friend alfed janes' portrait of vernon is displayed there. here is an exquisite nature mort by alfred janes
watkins, janes, dylan thomas, daniel jones and others would drink coffe in the kardomah cafe together and all had connections with the gower peninsula. the gower nightingale, phil tanner would sing a tune he called the manchester hornpipe when the gower reel was to be to be danced in llangennith. this tune was known by other names in other parts of the country. in port einon the following tune was used to dance the gower reel
X:8
T:Port Einon Whim / Mympwy Portheinon
M:2/4
L:1/16
K:G
B2Bc dedc|B2Bc dedc|B2G2 GABG|A2D2 D2dc|!
B2Bc dedc|B2Bc dedc|BdGB| AcFA|GFGAG4:||!
gfga gdBd|gfga gdBd|gfga b2g2|fefg afed|!
edef gece|dcde dBGB|AGAB cAFA|GFGAG4:||
the south wales version of the end of year veneration of the dead was known locally as y feri or y fari lwyd.
though vernon lived in pennard for most of his adult life he came from near maesteg and the feri would visit his house on nos galan when "judgment hangs in the balance, just after midnight, between the old year and the new"
his long poem the ballad of the outer dark begins
come to me, mother of god, come down as the old year ends, frost-mother, mother of the stars and the of the white, wave-beaten sands. i hear the sea wave fall like a knife, dividing exiles and frends
fidelity to the dead
the whithered leaf is blest, and the bird with shrunk claw in the shingle.
under the shawl of the life-yielding hand has caught the passionate thread.
immortal slience tranfigures them. o ultimate faith found single,
o light of immense meditation, from the timid you have fled.
love steals from the fortunate man and gives to the heart it bereaves.
dark thunders descend on prometheus. a light over earth is shed.
how, with love's great example, should i fear what the blind fate weaves?
love is fidelity to the unfortunate dead
vernon watkns would visit the glynn vivian galleryduring his lunch break on an almost daily basis. his friend alfed janes' portrait of vernon is displayed there. here is an exquisite nature mort by alfred janes
watkins, janes, dylan thomas, daniel jones and others would drink coffe in the kardomah cafe together and all had connections with the gower peninsula. the gower nightingale, phil tanner would sing a tune he called the manchester hornpipe when the gower reel was to be to be danced in llangennith. this tune was known by other names in other parts of the country. in port einon the following tune was used to dance the gower reel
X:8
T:Port Einon Whim / Mympwy Portheinon
M:2/4
L:1/16
K:G
B2Bc dedc|B2Bc dedc|B2G2 GABG|A2D2 D2dc|!
B2Bc dedc|B2Bc dedc|BdGB| AcFA|GFGAG4:||!
gfga gdBd|gfga gdBd|gfga b2g2|fefg afed|!
edef gece|dcde dBGB|AGAB cAFA|GFGAG4:||
the south wales version of the end of year veneration of the dead was known locally as y feri or y fari lwyd.
though vernon lived in pennard for most of his adult life he came from near maesteg and the feri would visit his house on nos galan when "judgment hangs in the balance, just after midnight, between the old year and the new"
his long poem the ballad of the outer dark begins
come to me, mother of god, come down as the old year ends, frost-mother, mother of the stars and the of the white, wave-beaten sands. i hear the sea wave fall like a knife, dividing exiles and frends
posted by yscolan at 1:24 pm
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