In which a poem is too entirely wonderful not to share
A friend sent me this poem, which I love. But it started me thinking: what would I use to illustrate such a wonderful poem?
What do you want to add to the poem?
I decided to leave it unadorned, and invite readers to illustrate it themselves.
Copy it to your website or blog, and add some pictures. Photos? Drawings?
Let me know!
Keep me from going to sleep too soon
Or if I go to sleep too soon
Come wake me up. Come any hour
Of night. Come whistling up the road.
Stomp on the porch. Bang on the door.
Make me get out of bed and come
And let you in and light a light.
Tell me the northern lights are on
And make me look. Or tell me clouds
Are doing something to the moon
They never did before, and show me.
See that I see. Talk to me till
I’m half as wide-awake as you
And start to dress wondering why
I ever went to bed at all.
Tell me the walking is superb.
Not only tell me but persuade me.
You know I am not too hard persuaded.
What do you want to add to the poem?
I decided to leave it unadorned, and invite readers to illustrate it themselves.
Copy it to your website or blog, and add some pictures. Photos? Drawings?
Let me know!
"Summons" by Robert Francis
Keep me from going to sleep too soon
Or if I go to sleep too soon
Come wake me up. Come any hour
Of night. Come whistling up the road.
Stomp on the porch. Bang on the door.
Make me get out of bed and come
And let you in and light a light.
Tell me the northern lights are on
And make me look. Or tell me clouds
Are doing something to the moon
They never did before, and show me.
See that I see. Talk to me till
I’m half as wide-awake as you
And start to dress wondering why
I ever went to bed at all.
Tell me the walking is superb.
Not only tell me but persuade me.
You know I am not too hard persuaded.
I'm no good at the illustration part, but that is indeed a lovely poem.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the photos at http://morningbrayfarm.com/2010/12/22/winter-solstice-sunrise/ -- they sure fit! I'll have to see what I've got in my archives... We're totally socked in here.
ReplyDeleteI would use one of these two photos:
ReplyDeletehttp://fc08.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2010/064/d/8/d89c6e5cee4b7ba5055b9ee3d5abb50d.jpg
taken from my dad's boat at night
or
http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs10/i/2006/081/b/e/Moon_rise_by_Goodbye_kitty975.jpg
taken over the horse pastures at the breeding farm I used to work at
When I first read the poem, I thought of the way I call Jim when I leave work, and how we almost always discuss the sky and stars and moon, because I'm usually coming home in the dark. If there's even an above-average moon, I tell him to go outside to see it, and he usually does (although sometimes he has to wait 20 minutes, because there are no mountains blocking my view from work as there are from the farm!).
ReplyDeleteThen the poem made me think of Fiddle, and how she always has to be "persuaded" to do new things, but it doesn't take much persuading >g<.