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Go and catch a falling star
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Go and catch a falling star Go and catch a falling star It's been the monsoon season here after a fairly dry spring. The weather has been warm and always muggy with little respite from the humidity. I'm hearing thunder as I write this and the rain is coming down again. There were enough breaks in the deluge yesterday that I managed to finish a new pair of gates to the back forty, but even dodging the squalls I was drenched in sweat. Finally a cool front blew in by early evening and PD, Gracie and I went out to sit by the garden. Gracie loves chasing her jolly ball outdoors and she had divots of grass torn up from tackling the ball and bringing it to bay. The air dried up considerably and we sat and talked, and occasionally heaved the soccer sized ball for Gracie. PD had been musing about making Mayapple jelly. The plant is poisonous in large amounts, in that it might cause belly ache and the trots, so naturally PD is drawn to it. She had neighbors as a girl who were half Polish and half Potawatomi. They used to collect acorns and process them for meals, and PD has been fascinated by the art of gathering ever since. I promised to help her but I never promised to eat the Mayapple jelly. Mayapple is also known as American mandrake, and I remembered a line from an old poem, "Get with a mandrake root".  The root of the mandrake often resembles a fetus, or a gnarly little man, hence "get with ". But I couldn't quite recall what poem contained the line, and the best I could dredge up was "The Lament of the Makers" by the fifteenth century Scottish poet William Dunbar, which is of course incorrect, and I knew it wasn't right but couldn't for the life of me bring up the right one. The refrain in "The Lament of the Makers", Timor mortis conturbat me- fear of death troubles me- isn't exactly one I share, but I think it expresses something echoed by Jim Morrison centuries later: "No one here gets out alive." Lament For The Makers by William Dunbar I that in heill wes and gladnes, Am trublit now with gret seiknes, And feblit with infermite; Timor mortis conturbat me. Our plesance heir is all vane glory, This fals warld is bot transitory, The flesche is brukle, the Fend is sle; Timor mortis conturbat me. The stait of man dois change and vary, Now sound, now seik, now blith, now sary, Now dansand mery, now like to dee; Timor mortis conturbat me. No stait in erd heir standis sickir; As with the wynd wavis the wickir, Wavis this warldis vanite. Timor mortis conturbat me. On to the ded gois all estatis, Princis, prelotis, and potestatis, Baith riche and pur of al degre; Timor mortis conturbat me. He takis the knychtis in to feild, Anarmit under helme and scheild; Victour he is at all mellie; Timor mortis conturbat me. That strang unmercifull tyrand Takis, on the moderis breist sowkand, The bab full of benignite; Timor mortis conturbat me. He takis the campion in the stour, The capitane closit in the tour, The lady in bour full of bewte; Timor mortis conturbat me. He sparis no lord for his piscence, Na clerk for his intelligence; His awfull strak may no man fle; Timor mortis conturbat me. Art-magicianis, and astrologgis, Rethoris, logicianis, and theologgis, Thame helpis no conclusionis sle; Timor mortis conturbat me. In medicyne the most practicianis, Lechis, surrigianis, and phisicianis, Thame self fra ded may not supple; Timor mortis conturbat me. I se that makaris amang the laif Playis heir ther pageant, syne gois to graif; Sparit is nocht ther faculte; Timor mortis conturbat me. He hes done petuously devour, The noble Chaucer, of makaris flour, The Monk of Bery, and Gower, all thre; Timor mortis conturbat me. The gude Syr Hew of Eglintoun, And eik Heryot, and Wyntoun, He hes tane out of this cuntre; Timor mortis conturbat me. That scorpion fell hes done infek Maister Johne Clerk, and Jame Afflek, Fra balat making and tragidie; Timor mortis conturbat me. Holland and Barbour he hes berevit; Allace! that he nocht with us levit Schir Mungo Lokert of the Le; Timor mortis conturbat me. Clerk of Tranent eik he has tane, That maid the Anteris of Gawane; Schir Gilbert Hay endit hes he; Timor mortis conturbat me. He hes Blind Hary and Sandy Traill Slaine with his schour of mortall haill, Quhilk Patrik Johnestoun myght nocht fle; Timor mortis conturbat me. He hes reft Merseir his endite, That did in luf so lifly write, So schort, so quyk, of sentence hie; Timor mortis conturbat me. He hes tane Roull of Aberdene, And gentill Roull of Corstorphin; Two bettir fallowis did no man se; Timor mortis conturbat me. In Dumfermelyne he hes done roune With Maister Robert Henrisoun; Schir Johne the Ros enbrast hes he; Timor mortis conturbat me. And he hes now tane, last of aw, Gud gentill Stobo and Quintyne Schaw, Of quham all wichtis hes pete: Timor mortis conturbat me. Gud Maister Walter Kennedy In poynt of dede lyis veraly, Gret reuth it wer that so suld be; Timor mortis conturbat me. Sen he hes all my brether tane, He will nocht lat me lif alane, On forse I man his nyxt pray be; Timor mortis conturbat me. Sen for the deid remeid is none, Best is that we for dede dispone, Eftir our deid that lif may we; Timor mortis conturbat me. "The Lament for the Makers is a favorite of mine, and as PD pointed out it reads like a chant and the refrain has a nice somber toll, like a heavy bell. The poem with the line about mandrake root is the song "Go and catch a falling star" by John Donne (ask not for whom the bell tolls- it tolls for thee) a hundred years later. PD also pointed out that Donne's poem is lovely but misogynistic. You can take the girl out of the philosophy department but you can't take the philosophy department out of the girl. Song: Go and catch a falling star by John Donne Go and catch a falling star, Get with a mandrake root, Tell me where all past years are, Or who cleft the devil's foot, Teach me to hear mermaids singing, Or to keep off envy's stinging, And find What wind Serves to advance an honest mind. If thou be'st born to strange sights, Things invisible to see, Ride ten thousand days and nights, Till age snow white hairs on thee, Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me, All strange wonders that befell thee, And swear, No where Lives a woman true, and fair. If thou find'st one, let me know, Such a pilgrimage were sweet; Yet do not, I would not go, Though at next door we might meet; Though she were true, when you met her, And last, till you write your letter, Yet she Will be False, ere I come, to two, or three. To me this expresses what all of us feel when unlucky in love. We have a tendency to think that all is fakery, that there is no escape from perfidy and falsehood, and that all lovers are false and untrue. It isn't so of course. This is heartache talking. If we couldn't recover from it in time there would be no "Upon Julia's Clothes"…. Upon Julia's Clothes by Robert Herrick Whenas in silks my Julia goes, Then, then (methinks) how sweetly flows That liquefaction of her clothes. Next, when I cast mine eyes, and see That brave vibration each way free, O how that glittering taketh me! Become a member now and get a free tote bag. |
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I think I'll pass on the mayapple jelly and stick to mint jelly!  
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I don't feel unlucky. usually I feel blessed beyond measure, but at this very moment I feel defeated. I still don't know what that root is supposed to do, is it eaten, and if so how does one prepare it? The root is hallucinogenic and narcotic, and was used for medicinal purposes in times pst, not so much nowadays. It was said that to pull a mandrake root would curse the puller- that the root would scream and curse its killer. The root was sometimes made into amulets and animals would be harnessed to the plant to do the pulling and avoid the curse. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Nope, no Mayapple jelly for me - I prefer chocolate. When a love affair is over and if it is his fault, I don't feel that ALL lovers are false and untrue, only the one who betrayed me. Visit my blog It's a Mad, Mad, Mad World of NaughtyInSO, leave a comment, become a watcher. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LIVE AND LET LIVE Be happy! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Wow! I find the whole post very interesting and deep! You're writing ways always capture my whole self, without leaving room for distraction.   WITHOUT PASSION LIFE IS NOTHING
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I think I'll pass on the mayapple jelly and stick to mint jelly! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Nope, no Mayapple jelly for me - I prefer chocolate. When a love affair is over and if it is his fault, I don't feel that ALL lovers are false and untrue, only the one who betrayed me. I'm voting with you and Spunky on the jelly. The dried fruits don't even look good. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Wow! I find the whole post very interesting and deep! You're writing ways always capture my whole self, without leaving room for distraction. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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KZ I am passing on this one too.. Very interesting post.. hugsssssssss V Become a blog watcher sweet_vm
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KZ I am passing on this one too.. Very interesting post.. hugsssssssss V Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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 Now you're talking! Thank you dear heart!Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Yikes! The only thing I've ever eaten that I knew would give me stomach cramps was LSD.  With all the rain we've had, NOW we have a tropical storm, soon to be a hurricane off the gulf that's headed straight for us.Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Yikes! The only thing I've ever eaten that I knew would give me stomach cramps was LSD. With all the rain we've had, NOW we have a tropical storm, soon to be a hurricane off the gulf that's headed straight for us.Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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"Go catch a falling star" is one of those poems that stuck me me, probably because of the rhythms of the way the words read. I tend to like those kinds of poems. I don't see it as misogynistic as I see it as you do; when unlucky in love, surely no lover is true! Good post, Kk The observant make the best lovers, I may not do right, but I do write, I have bliss, joy, and happiness in my life, Kitkat Come check out my blog KItkat1415 check out this post by me Adventures In Body Grooming #39 April Topic Link: What Lies Beneath If April Showers Oh Bloody Hell What Kind Of Weather Turns Me On Bloggers Symposium 40
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Oh my, Sassy, if only you knew, if only you knew! Thanks! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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"Go catch a falling star" is one of those poems that stuck me me, probably because of the rhythms of the way the words read. I tend to like those kinds of poems. I don't see it as misogynistic as I see it as you do; when unlucky in love, surely no lover is true! Good post, Kk Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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It's wonderful to see you posting here again Lola. I've missed you. I'd love it you could both hang out with us! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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I might TRY the Mayapple jelly, but I'm sure as hell not going to make a meal of it. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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I'm grizzled all right, but I'd probably starve if I had to do a Bear Grylls survival act. I could probably keep from freeing to death but I'm not too confident I could live off the land in the wilderness. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Now I want FROG jelly... ( Fig, Raspberry, Orange and Ginger )
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Now I want FROG jelly... ( Fig, Raspberry, Orange and Ginger ) Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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I like horse radish, another root plant..but pretty sure there aren't any poems or mantras written bout it lol.
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I like horse radish, another root plant..but pretty sure there aren't any poems or mantras written bout it lol. Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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Great post because you sure can write! Become a member now and get a free tote bag.
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