'A condition, not a profession'

 "To be a poet is a conditionrather than a profession."    –  RobertGraves

 

Born in Wimbledon, England on July24, 1895 Graves was a second-generation poet, the son of the celebrated Irish poet AlfredPercival Graves.  He wrote more than 140poetic works, some for adults and some for children, as well as several award-winningnovels, including I, Claudius and Claudius The God, still bestsellers.

 

For Saturday’s Poem here are twoshort Graves’ poems – the first for adults; the second for children– or both for adults depending on how childlike you feel.  Cheers!

 

     Symptoms of Love

Loveis universal migraine,
bright stain on the vision
Blotting out reason.

Symptoms of true love
Are leanness, jealousy,
Laggard dawns;

Are omens and nightmares -
Listening for a knock,
Waiting for a sign:

For a touch of her fingers
In a darkened room,
For a searching look.

Take courage, lover!
Could you endure such pain
At any hand but hers?

  

       I’d Love To BeA Fairy’s Child

Childrenborn of fairy stock
Never need for shirt or frock,
Never want for food or fire,
Always get their hearts desire:
Jingle pockets full of gold,
Marry when they're seven years old.
Every fairy child may keep
Two ponies and ten sheep;
All have houses, each his own,
Built of brick or granite stone;
They live on cherries, they run wild--
I'd love to be a Fairy's child.