Even if you sit at the bottom of the stream, you cannot be a fish.
I'd like you to hold that thought for a moment....
Most cultures are awash with watery proverbs and we dipped our toes into quite a few of them. We wrote about taking horses to water and many others and then drew further inspiration from the well of poetry:
This week's poems/songs: 1. Bridge over Troubled Water by Simon and Garfunkel
Still one of the best pop songs ever and it includes the lines:
When you're down and out
When you're on the street
When evening falls so hard, I will comfort you
I'll take your part
Oh, when darkness comes
And pain is all around
Out of that came this rather lovely poem from Hilary -
Silver Girl
Little moon-girl, silver-girl, sweet scrap
Going alone is the big cold world.
Alone like a tinker-child begging
On the hard, black street with small, bare feet
Ragged shawl wrapped tightly round you
In shadows near Liffey’s dark water
Cuddled so tiny under the lamp posts.
I am here. Dream me and I’ll be there
2. Water by George Szirtes
The hard beautiful rules of water are these:
That it shall rise with displacement
As a man does not, nor his family,
That it shall have no plan or subterfuge....
If you don't know this poem it's well worth searching out.
Of course Bridge over Troubled Water ends in a very uplifting way so that's have that too:
Sail on silver girl, sail on by
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
Oh, if you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Your time has come to shine
All your dreams are on their way
See how they shine
Oh, if you need a friend
I'm sailing right behind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will ease your mind
And here's a little gem in haiku form from Siriol -
Fear overtakes
me
I walk into the
darkness
Courage rewards
me
End note:
One may lead a horse to water,
Twenty cannot make him drink.
Though the goblins cuffed and caught her,
Coaxed and fought her,
Bullied and besought her,
Scratched her, pinched her black as ink,
Kicked and knocked her,
Mauled and mocked her,
Lizzie uttered not a word;
Would not open lip from lip
Goblin Market by Christina Georgina Rossetti (1830-1894)
A heartwarming tale of sisterly love!
Arthur Rackham illustration
