Thursday, March 01, 2007
"You are going to ask: and where are the lilacs?"
And while we're speaking of poetry, I find many reasons these days to think about the poem "I'm explaining a few things" by Pablo Neruda.
I first came accross the poem when Harold Pinter used it in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, which is also well worth reading.
It was hard to choose, but here's an excerpt:
"bandits with black friars spattering blessings
came through the sky to kill children
and the blood of children ran through the streets
without fuss,
like children's blood.
... and from every dead child a rifle with eyes,
and from every crime bullets are born
which will one day find
the bull's eye of your hearts.
And you'll ask: why doesn't his poetry
speak of dreams and leaves
and the great volcanoes of his native land?
Come and see the blood in the streets.
Come and see
The blood in the streets.
Come and see the blood
In the streets!"
I first came accross the poem when Harold Pinter used it in his acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2005, which is also well worth reading.
It was hard to choose, but here's an excerpt:
"bandits with black friars spattering blessings
came through the sky to kill children
and the blood of children ran through the streets
without fuss,
like children's blood.
... and from every dead child a rifle with eyes,
and from every crime bullets are born
which will one day find
the bull's eye of your hearts.
And you'll ask: why doesn't his poetry
speak of dreams and leaves
and the great volcanoes of his native land?
Come and see the blood in the streets.
Come and see
The blood in the streets.
Come and see the blood
In the streets!"
