Joshua's Poetry Megathread

I wrote this on April 1st of last year after Matt 's announcement of his newborn child. His recent thread on life changes made me think of it again. The four stanzas represent the cycle of seasons of years, and of human life. Into the poetry-heap it goes!

______________________

Echoes of Monadnock

A fresh wind rises in the west

And springs on hills and valleys dressed

In green and gold with flowers blest,

But through your eyes I see it best–

Monadnock

In early summer, when you've grown

We'll clamber up the ancient stone

And make a little spot our own

And gaze out from a starlit throne

Monadnock

And as the years and seasons turn

We'll wander back o'er moss and fern

By little streams that fall and churn

And hear our calling voice return

Monadnock

When winter snows drift on the lea

And waning moon sinks o'er the bay

And all the rest has worn away–

Come back, and hear the mountains say

Monadnock

Two Kinds of Pleasure

There are, according to Epicurus-

's letter,

Two kinds (if I understand the schematic)

Of pleasure;

The first kind is kinetic, and happens-

(It'd better!)

When it happens to you. That's one, and

The other

Happens, or rather doesn't (it's katastematic);

Like atar-

Axia, it's something of a state or condition.

Think eta 'r

Epsilon: for the difference, by his verdict

Is pleasure

Active or pleasure passive. If this all seems drastic,

Or you forget 'er,

Then maybe you can just try to be phlegmatic.

But what I think

Is that the pleasure you seize and treasure

Is better

Than the pleasure you seek to measure.

There's another one I planned on finishing ages ago, but didn't...might as well post it.

You are very kind, Pacatus, thank you!