“The mind is its own place and in itself, can make a Heaven of Hell, a Hell of Heaven.”— Milton
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| SOURCE |
“Mathematics has beauty and romance. It’s not a
boring place to be, the mathematical world. It’s an extraordinary place; it’s
worth spending time there.”— Marcus du Sautoy
Midweek
Motif ~ The World Is A Beautiful Place
The world is a beautiful place is the title and the first line of one of the poems of
Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
Whether the world is truly beautiful or not so
depends on an individual’s perspectives of the world. It’s an open ended line.
Either support or invalidate it. Be sarcastic
if you please J
The world might refer to the planet of ours. It
might be our own home or a place we love. A person might become our world or
books. When everything is going right anything has the chance of becoming our
world.
What if when it’s not so?
Our Motif for today is: The World Is A
Beautiful Place:
The World Is A Beautiful Place
by Lawrence Ferlinghetti
The world is a
beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't mind happiness
not always being
so very much fun
if you don't mind a touch of hell
now and then
just when everything is fine
because even in heaven
they don't sing
all the time
to be born into
if you don't mind happiness
not always being
so very much fun
if you don't mind a touch of hell
now and then
just when everything is fine
because even in heaven
they don't sing
all the time
The world is a
beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't mind some people dying
all the time
or maybe only starving
some of the time
which isn't half bad
if it isn't you
to be born into
if you don't mind some people dying
all the time
or maybe only starving
some of the time
which isn't half bad
if it isn't you
Oh the world is a
beautiful place
to be born into
if you don't much mind
a few dead minds
in the higher places
or a bomb or two
now and then
in your upturned faces
or such other improprieties
as our Name Brand society
is prey to
with its men of distinction
and its men of extinction
and its priests
and other patrolmen
to be born into
if you don't much mind
a few dead minds
in the higher places
or a bomb or two
now and then
in your upturned faces
or such other improprieties
as our Name Brand society
is prey to
with its men of distinction
and its men of extinction
and its priests
and other patrolmen
and its various
segregations
and congressional investigations
and other constipations
that our fool flesh
is heir to
and congressional investigations
and other constipations
that our fool flesh
is heir to
Yes the world is the
best place of all
for a lot of such things as
making the fun scene
and making the love scene
and making the sad scene
and singing low songs and having inspirations
and walking around
looking at everything
and smelling flowers
and goosing statues
and even thinking
and kissing people and
making babies and wearing pants
for a lot of such things as
making the fun scene
and making the love scene
and making the sad scene
and singing low songs and having inspirations
and walking around
looking at everything
and smelling flowers
and goosing statues
and even thinking
and kissing people and
making babies and wearing pants
and waving hats and
dancing
and going swimming in rivers
on picnics
in the middle of the summer
and just generally
'living it up'
Yes
but then right in the middle of it
comes the smiling
mortician
dancing
and going swimming in rivers
on picnics
in the middle of the summer
and just generally
'living it up'
Yes
but then right in the middle of it
comes the smiling
mortician
Please share your
new poem using Mr. Linky below and visit others in the spirit of the community—
(Next week Susan’s Midweek
Motif will be ~ "What if?")
I really love the sarcastic tone of Lawrence's poem. I relate to it a little bit too much, because yes, there is a lot of beauty, but it's hard to enjoy it with all of the other negative things swirling around in the pool. But I would argue that it is impossible to fully appreciate beauty without acknowledging that the negative exists, because it is just as much a part of the picture.
ReplyDeleteGreat poem. Thanks for writing.
Thank you so much for joining us with your beautiful words.
DeleteHello everyone! Happy writing :)
ReplyDeletePerfect. I love the Ferlinghetti poem! This prompt gave me pause and pause, but, listening, I tried to see as someone who denies the ecological disasters and the threat to all life. May the world pull through!
ReplyDeleteThanks. Yes, I'll repeat too, may the world pull through.
DeleteI love that Ferlinghetti poem.
ReplyDeleteThanks for an interesting prompt, Sumana. I went the confessional route.
Happy Writing!
-HA
Thank you Anmol. Yours was a fantastic route.
DeleteI love this prompt Sumana, as much as I love Ferlinghetti's poem - a lot!
ReplyDelete(I think he man after my own heart.)
Cheers Sumana.
Anna :o]
Thank you Anna :)
DeleteI'm safe; after a very violent earthquake of yesterday. I have not read or heard of injuries to people, but buildings and landslides yes. Still shaking and jumping at the slightest noise.
ReplyDeleteWhile i was preparing this post there was an aftershock. So i'm trembling even more.
Best wishes for a good day to all my poet friends
much love...
Dear Gillena, that's the first I've heard of this earthquake. I'm very glad you are safe. May you remain so!
DeleteThank god, you're all safe, Gillena.
DeleteGillena, how terrifying. I am glad you are safe. I hope there is nothing further.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the prompt. Sumana. I have been in love with earth's beauty my whole life, so it is not hard to write of that. But the pain of what is happening to this beautiful planet runs deep. I may try to focus on the beauty today.
The poem itself was a Beauty Sherry. Thank you :)
DeleteThank you Sumana for this wonderful prompt. I will be in and out reading and making comments.
ReplyDeleteThanks Toni :)
DeleteAfternoon, Poets! Thank you, Sumana, for the insightful post! Glad you are alright, Gillena! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Frank :)
DeleteNot sure if I will get time to write to this prompt. Maybe. But oh, thanks for the Ferlinghetti poem. He's one of my great favourites, and I didn't know this particular poem before. I love it so much that if I'd encountered it anywhere else I'd have been using it in one of my columns for PU some time soon. (Smile.)
ReplyDeleteI so love this poem. Its very first line gave me this prompt idea :)
DeleteI'm a day behind and catching up slowly! Thank you for sharing the Ferlinghetti poem, Sumana, it's one I haven't read before.
ReplyDeleteThanks Kim :)
DeleteOne of my favorite poets and one of my big early influences. I have carried "Coney Island Of The Mind" around with me since I was 20.
ReplyDeleteNice to see you @ PU. Yeah...It's wonderful to discover Lawrence Ferlinghetti; it's a kind of "a rebirth of wonder".
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