Lines Written At an Inn At Henley.

To thee fair freedom, i retire,

From flattery, cards and dice, and din,

Nor art thou found in mansions higher

Than the low cot or humble inn.

'Tis here with boundless power i reign,

and every health which i begin

Converts dull port to bright champagne,

such freedom crowns it at an inn!

I fly from pomp, i fly from plate,

I fly from fashions specious grin,

Freedom i love, form i hate,

and choose my lodging at an inn

Here waiter take my sordid ore,

which lackeys else where might hope to win,-

it buys what courts have not in store,

It buys me freedom at an inn.

Whoe'er has travelled lifes dull round,

where'er his stages might be found,

May sigh to think he still has found,

The warmest welcome at an inn!!

William Shenstone

                          1714~1763

Should prob be called ode to the british pub! ten points to the person who spots the joke....

just wanted to share this lovely poem i found...

Well, then, i now do plainly see,

This busy world and i will ne'er agree:

The very honey, of earthly joy,

Does of all meats the soonest cloy;

  And they, methinks, deserve my pity

Who for it endure the stings,

The crowd, the buzz, the murmurings

  of this great hive, the City.

Ah, yet ere i descend to the grave,

May i a small house and a large garden have!

And a few freinds and many books both true,

Both wise and delightful too!

And since love ne'er will from me flee,

A mistress moderately fair,

And good as guardian angels are

Only beloved and loving me.

~Abraham Cowley (1618-1667)

This is my old street last year during the floods, as you can see a river ran through it!. The weather today reminded me of this picture, which i took hanging out the window. Probably river side would be a more appropriate tag. A lesson in the power of nature!

i murmur under moon and stars

in brambly wildernesses;

i linger by my shingly bars;

i loiter round my cresses;

and out again i curve and flow

this joyous brimming river.

for men may come and men may go,

but i go on forever.

-Tennyson.

(and if you don't treat me with respect i will invade your house and blow up your computer!!)

I get to thinking about us sometimes,

All of us on line.

so far away yet so close

connected by silver fire

we laugh, we love, we talk

of things trival

and of great import

so shout and sing 'cause heres the thing,

with the world not against,

we change it,

by using cyber space.

Here i sit, fag and glass of wine

watching as the sun fades

wondering what to write

knowing that words are not enough

to describe this wonderful dusk

how to say, that the birds shout

to be heard above the evening rush

that the stillness still descends

despite the urban noise,

how to say this moment is still sacred

still frozen in time

there are no words

so these will have to do. 

a chilled ditty, from me to you my friends..