The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Thu 11/27/2008)

[RetroLounge]

After Apple-Picking

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing dear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.
And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

Robert Frost

****************

:hi:

RL

[Chorophyll]

1. Aah.

Reading Robert Frost is like listening to that old guy on the front porch. If you can hang in there long enough, it's totally worth it.

Happy Thanksgiving, Retro!

:pals:

[RetroLounge]

2. Happy Thanksgiving to you too!

:pals:

RL

[YankeyMCC]

3. Happy Thanksgiving RL

and great selection for today.

[RetroLounge]

5. You too!

:hi:

RL

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear Retro!

Ah, I knew it was Frost before I finished reading it!

He has such a distinctive style...

Really wonderful, and perfect for today...

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

:hug:

[RetroLounge]

6. I did! Hope you did too...

:hi:

RL

[EFerrari]

7. "Magnified apples appear and disappear" --

how can anyone possibly think Frost is stogy?

Have you ever heard him read, Retro? I had a tape that wore out. He's a very fine reader.

[RetroLounge]

9. I have now

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dDOxSu87elE

:hi:

RL

[EFerrari]

11. I admit, I didn't "like" him until I heard his voice.

There was something too solid, too blocky, too alien culture, iambic, male and northeaster about him. All of that ended when I heard him read. The verse really is the voice in writing -- and there's so much wicked humor in it.

"Stay where you are until our backs are turned."

[EFerrari]

15. Check it out -- audio link:

http://town.hall.org/radio/HarperAudio/012294_harp_ITH.html

[lizziegrace]

8. Nice choice

:hug:

[RetroLounge]

10. Thanks

Have a good day today?

:hug:

RL

[lizziegrace]

12. ...

it was fine. Did you survive the afternoon with family? ;)

[RetroLounge]

13. Yes, it was quite nice..

argued with my older bro about politics a bit just for fun.

Told him "you lost, get over it..." :D

RL

[lizziegrace]

14. Isn't it great

to finally be able to say that?? :bounce:

WE WON!!