*to Hanlon's razor: Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
Κυνόσαργες

Saturday 12 July 2014

"Altogether elsewhere, vast herds of reindeer..."

The Fall of Rome

W. H. Auden, 1907 - 1973
(for Cyril Connolly)
The piers are pummelled by the waves;
In a lonely field the rain
Lashes an abandoned train;
Outlaws fill the mountain caves.

Fantastic grow the evening gowns;
Agents of the Fisc pursue
Absconding tax-defaulters through
The sewers of provincial towns.

Private rites of magic send
The temple prostitutes to sleep;
All the literati keep
An imaginary friend.

Cerebrotonic Cato may
Extol the Ancient Disciplines,
But the muscle-bound Marines
Mutiny for food and pay.

Caesar’s double-bed is warm
As an unimportant clerk
Writes I DO NOT LIKE MY WORK
On a pink official form.

Unendowed with wealth or pity,
Little birds with scarlet legs,
Sitting on their speckled eggs,
Eye each flu-infected city.

Altogether elsewhere, vast
Herds of reindeer move across
Miles and miles of golden moss,
Silently and very fast.

5 comments:

  1. "Unendowed with wealth or pity,
    Little birds with scarlet legs,
    Sitting on their speckled eggs,
    Eye each flu-infected city."

    Some say human consciousness is a tragic misstep in evolution...

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    Replies
    1. Whether talking about species, or individuals of ours, I'm never sure if consciousness is ubiquitous or anomalous. You should read this.

      http://www.tor.com/blogs/2010/12/the-consciousness-glitch-peter-wattss-blindsight
      http://rifters.com/real/Blindsight.htm

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    2. Scarlet makes me think of cardinal's robes, except they were endowed with wealth, if not pity.

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    3. Downloaded the free e-book. Looking forward to reading it...

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