By The Fire

A poem by Aldous Huxley (1894 – 1963)

We who are lovers sit by the fire,

Cradled warm ‘twixt thought and will,

Sit and drowse like sleeping dogs

In the equipoise of all desire,

Sit and listen to the still

Small hiss and whisper of green logs

That burn away, that burn away

With the sound of a far-off falling stream

Of threaded water blown to steam,

Grey ghost in the mountain world of grey.

Vapours blue as distance rise

Between the hissing logs that show

A glimpse of rosy heat below;

And candles watch with tireless eyes

While we sit drowsing here. I know,

Dimly, that there exists a world,

That there is time perhaps, and space

Other and wider than this place,

Where at the fireside drowsily curled

We hear the whisper and watch the flame

Burn blinkless and inscrutable.

And then I know those other names

That through my brain from cell to cell

Echo–reverberated shout

Of waiters mournful along corridors:

But nobody carries the orders out,

And the names (dear friends, your name and yours)

Evoke no sign. But here I sit

On the wide hearth, and there are you:

That is enough and only true.

The world and the friends that lived in it

Are shadows: you alone remain

Real in this drowsing room,

Full of the whispers of distant rain

And candles staring into the gloom.

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Bat’s Poetry Page – more poetry by Fledermaus

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Batty Writing – the bat’s idle chatter, thoughts, ideas and observations, all original, all fresh

Poems in English 

• Иннокентий Анненский – Еврипид. Ифигения в Авлиде («Ифигения-жертва») (перевод) by Иннокентий Анненский
• Иннокентий Анненский – Еврипид. Геракл (перевод) by Иннокентий Анненский
• Илья Зданевич – Пабло Пикассо by Поэзия На Русском
• Илья Зданевич – Ослиный Бох by Поэзия На Русском
• Илья Зданевич – Опять на жизненную скуку by Поэзия На Русском
• Илья Зданевич – Галоша by Поэзия На Русском
• Илья Зданевич – Экспромт by Поэзия На Русском
• Илья Эренбург – Жилье в горах, как всякое жилье by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Я знаю, будет золотой и долгий by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Я так любил тебя, до грубых шуток by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Я слышу всё, и горестные шепоты by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Я помню, давно уже я уловил by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Я не трубач, труба by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Я бы мог прожить совсем иначе by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Взвился рыжий, ближе by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Вы приняли меня в изысканной гостиной by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Ода by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – О Москве by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Легкий сон by Илья Эренбург
• Илья Эренбург – Круг by Илья Эренбург

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Duckduckgo – the real alternative and a search engine that actually works. Without much censorship or partisan politics.

Yahoo– yes, it’s still around, amazingly, miraculously, incredibly, but now it seems to be powered by Bing.

 

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