Poem for Tuesday

From 'Guilt and Sorrow, or Incidents upon Salisbury Plain'
By William Wordsworth

XIII

All, all was cheerless to the horizon's bound;
The weary eye--which, wheresoe'er it strays,
Marks nothing but the red sun's setting round,
Or on the earth strange lines, in former days
Left by gigantic arms--at length surveys
What seems an antique castle spreading wide;
Hoary and naked are its walls, and raise
Their brow sublime: in shelter there to bide
He turned, while rain poured down smoking on every side.

XIV

Pile of Stone-henge! so proud to hint yet keep
Thy secrets, thou that lov'st to stand and hear
The Plain resounding to the whirlwind's sweep,
Inmate of lonesome Nature's endless year;
Even if thou saw'st the giant wicker rear
For sacrifice its throngs of living men,
Before thy face did ever wretch appear,
Who in his heart had groaned with deadlier pain
Than he who, tempest-driven, thy shelter now would gain.

XV

Within that fabric of mysterious form,
Winds met in conflict, each by turns supreme;
And, from the perilous ground dislodged, through storm
And rain he wildered on, no moon to stream
From gulf of parting clouds one friendly beam,
Nor any friendly sound his footsteps led;
Once did the lightning's faint disastrous gleam
Disclose a naked guide-post's double head,
Sight which tho' lost at once a gleam of pleasure shed.

XVI

No swinging sign-board creaked from cottage elm
To stay his steps with faintness overcome;
'Twas dark and void as ocean's watery realm
Roaring with storms beneath night's starless gloom;
No gipsy cowered o'er fire of furze or broom;
No labourer watched his red kiln glaring bright,
Nor taper glimmered dim from sick man's room;
Along the waste no line of mournful light
From lamp of lonely toll-gate streamed athwart the night.

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I had a Monday that was far more hectic than I was anticipating, thanks to a couple of transportation disasters, a couple of miscommunications with kids and a major roadway shutdown for reasons I still do not know. Had a lovely lunch with who brought me audiocassettes and we had Indian food, then came home in what I thought was good time but there were cops everywhere. I had considered staying in Virginia and shopping a bit because my younger son had Mad Science in the afternoon, and it's a good thing I came home because I got here at the same time he did and had to remind him to go running back to school...good thing it's walking distance! Just then older son called requesting a ride home from the bus stop -- the one further from our house, not the one where he usually gets off to walk -- because his stomach felt strange. So I went tearing out to get him, passing even more police cars, only to have his bus arrive very late because it had to avoid a major road shutdown. This was apparently where all the police were headed but I still have no idea why.

Evening was thus very hectic, as I didn't get back here with both kids till late (I went to get younger one after Mad Science in case it was something like a criminal escaped from custody or another nut at the mall), and older son had fencing...rushed through dinner, got indigestion, sat around queasily for awhile. Didn't manage to finish my work because the file I needed to download wouldn't finish downloading (still hasn't, and I am shutting off the computer to go to bed...TheFandom.com can get their shit together tomorrow). Was cranky. Evening was quieter...I updated a bunch of web pages, mostly photos that anyone who reads this will already have seen here, and half-watched the Philly-Dallas game which it looks like Dallas may pull out, unfortunately. Saw this article on probable Aquaman series, not a Smallville spinoff necessarily but I bet it ends up being one, which I guess is okay with me though I hope it's true they're going to do a talent search for a lead actor because pecs alone will not carry a series.


I took this photo in April and really, really wish I could be there now. But you all are getting this photo just so I have an excuse to post this quiz...


DRUIDIC - You have to live close to nature to
survive. You dream magick. In the deep woods
you gather, bringing together mysticism and
philosophy, insight and learning. Your spirit
emerges from the the tides of the sea, the
light of the sun, the wind in the Oak, the cry
of the deer.


What is Your Magick Path?
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