I hardly need an excuse to feature a song by Procol Harum; they've already made the list here and here and here, to say nothing about this non-Sunday Service rant (in fact, there is even a post that compares Shelley's "Ozymandias" and Keith Reid "Conquistador", dating way back to the old Lilliput blog, "Beneath Cherry Blossoms") Since it's Gary Brooks birthday today, May 29th, we'll call it excuse du jour, needed or no, and make it a fourth (or fifth) appearance.
"Pilgrim's Progress" is the last song on the seminal A Salty Dog album, a summing up of went on before. The litrock connection is to John Bunyan's book of the same, being a title shout-out and all. It continues the loose nautical theme that permeates the album, dealing with anchors, explorers, pirates, and all. The last 3 lines are not as honest as it gets with rock but, in my opinion, with literature.
We are all taking turns passing it on ...
Pilgrim's Progress
I sat me down to write a simple story
which maybe in the end became a song
In trying to find the words which might begin it
I found these were the thoughts I brought along
At first I took my weight to be an anchor
and gathered up my fears to guide me round
but then I clearly saw my own delusion
and found my struggles further bogged me down
In starting out I thought to go exploring
and set my foot upon the nearest road
In vain I looked to find the promised turning
but only saw how far I was from home
In searching I forsook the paths of learning
and sought instead to find some pirate's gold
In fighting I did hurt those dearest to me
and still no hidden truths could I unfold
I sat me down to write a simple story
which maybe in the end became a song
The words have all been writ by one before me
We're taking turns in trying to pass them on
Oh, we're taking turns in trying to pass them on
Keith Reid
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This week's poem comes from Lilliput Review #90, from which only one poem over the years has been featured on this blog. It would seem that, perhaps, #90 wasn't quite the issue I thought it to be at the time I laid it out back in July 1997. I could be wrong. Like a poet's poem, once you let something go it's out there; the same is true for an editor and her/his work. Here's one, however, I find particularly relevant. Enjoy.
For Cavafy
The poems are sad and short:
love half-remembered,
history--beautiful, closed and Greek.
But what I like best
is the blank three-quarters page,
white as a statue's marble eyes- -
a space to write or cry.
Bruce Williams
spring rain--
there's one window
per person
Issa
translated by David G. Lanoue
best,
Don
PS Really happy I got through the whole post and didn't mention the other thing.
Send a single haiku for the Wednesday Haiku feature. Here's how.
Whiter shade of pale.
ReplyDeleteIndeed, Charles, it was number 63 on the Sunday Service.
ReplyDelete