Friday, April 22, 2016

The Self Slaved by Patrick Kavanagh

Me I will throw away.

Me sufficient for the day

The sticky self that clings

Adhesions on the wings

To love and adventure,

To go on the grand tour

A man must be free

From self-necessity

See over there

A created splendour

Made by one individual

From things residual

With all the various

Qualities hilarious

Of what

Hitherto was not:

A November mood

As by one man understood;

Familiar, an old custom

Leaves falling, a white frosting

Bringing a sanguine dream

A new beginning with an old theme

Throw away thy sloth

Self, carry off my wrath

With its self-righteous

Satirising blotches.

No self, no self-exposure

The weakness of the proser

But undefeatable

By means of the beatable

I will have love, have love

From anything made of

And a life with a shapely form

With gaiety and charm

And capable of receiving

With grace the grace of living

And wild moments too

Self when freed from you.

Prometheus calls me: Son,

We’ll both go off together

In this delightful weather