A Poem for Dangerous Times
With all the scary news that is about, I was reminded of a little poem I have always liked. It is a poem of hope, defiance, and empowerment. Or at least it is to me. It is by A.E. Houseman, and I hope readers get as much from it as I do.
Untitled by A.E. Houseman.
I to my perils
Of cheat and charmer
Came clad in armour
By stars benign.
Hope lies to mortals
And most believe her,
But Man’s deceiver
Was never mine.
The thoughts of others
Were light and fleeting,
Of lovers’ meeting
Or luck or fame.
But mine were of trouble,
And mine were steady,
So I was ready
When trouble came.
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This poem reminds me of one of the prime sentiments of the Hagakure: “If by setting one’s heart right every morning and evening, one is able to live as though his body were already dead, he pains freedom in the Way. His whole life will be without blame, and he will succeed in his calling.”
Living a life of hope amongst the onslaught of trouble is real work and it requires great perseverance. Thanks for the reminder.
Thanks for the comment Jim. You have intrigued me to find out more about the “Hagakure”. I had never come across this term before, and I hate having my ignorance highlighted! lol
Go in Peace
No need to be humbled; I learned about Hagakure from a Jim Jarmusch movie, Ghost Dog (starring Forest Whittaker). It is also called “The Way of the Samurai” if that helps you find a copy. You can also get the full text here: http://users.tkk.fi/~renko/hag1.html