.

And by a prudent flight and cunning save A life which valour could not, from the grave. A better buckler I can soon regain, But who can get another life again? Archilochus

Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Songs of Innocence

Sweet dreams form a shade,
O'er my lovely infants head.
Sweet dreams of pleasant streams,
By happy silent moony beams

Sweet sleep with soft down.
Weave thy brows an infant crown.
Sweet sleep Angel mild,
Hover o'er my happy child.

Sweet smiles in the night,
Hover over my delight.
Sweet smiles Mothers smiles,
All the livelong night beguiles.

Sweet moans, dovelike sighs,
Chase not slumber from thy eyes,
Sweet moans, sweeter smiles,
All the dovelike moans beguiles.

Sleep sleep happy child,
All creation slept and smil'd.
Sleep sleep, happy sleep.
While o'er thee thy mother weep

Sweet babe in thy face,
Holy image I can trace.
Sweet babe once like thee.
Thy maker lay and wept for me

Wept for me for thee for all,
When he was an infant small.
Thou his image ever see.
Heavenly face that smiles on thee,

Smiles on thee on me on all,
Who became an infant small,
Infant smiles are His own smiles,
Heaven & earth to peace beguiles.
- William Blake, "A Cradle Song"

6 comments:

Franco Aragosta said...

A LOVELY CHRISTMAS GIFT, FARMER. THANK YOU!

Nothing could be more appariate than "Blake and the Boys. " ;-)

Franco Aragosta said...


_______ On Christmas Day _______

On Christmas Day the King of Kings is born
New each year since first appeared the Star.
Children breathlessly await the morn,
Hope for gifts, not knowing that they are
Royally endowed with rich rewards
Internally. because our God above
Sent His Son, the tiny Lord of Lords
To demonstrate the power of His Love.
Mammon calls, and parents feel they must
Afford material delights that glow
Seductively inflaming vicious lust
Denying Mind and Spirit’s need to grow.
A trough not fit for kin that nourished kine
Yields again the King of Love Divine.


~ FreeThinke - The Sandpiper, Christmas 1995

Franco Aragosta said...

the idea of Reclaiming Innocence may seem absurd, because –– like Virginity –– once lost it is physically impossible to recapture.

HOWEVER, the Bible tells us, we must become like little children if we ever hope to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

But in our nfortunate, simple-minded penchant for interpreting things literally we've either forgotten –– or never realized –– the Bible is referring to a State of Mind –– an AttitUDE, if you will –– that transforms the way we choose to regard mundane things.

Little children in most instances are filled with EAGERNESS, CURIOSITY, and a breathless sense of hopeful, optimistic EXPECTATION.

The more "sophisticated' we become the more we lose that natural optimism –– the belief that Good Things are BOUND to happen. We feel this most probably because as little children we experience the PROTECTION of parents, extended family, interested adults, and teachers most of whom have our best interests at heart.

When our childish fantasies are no longer fulfilled as if by magi, we start to become CYNICAL, and that is when real TROUBLE begins to cloud an blight our lives.

Franco Aragosta said...

The annual celebration on the Liturgical calendar of the Birth of Jesus isn't supposed to lead us towards worshipping infantile and childish traits as though Helplessness and Ignorance were somehow great virtues.

NOT at ALL! Instead what it REALLY means in my view is a Chance to Refresh and Renew our childlike sense of Optimistic Eagerness to embrace Life with unquenched CONFIDENCE, renewed HOPE and a zealously determined PURSUIT of JOY.

"God so loved the world that He GAVE His only begotten Son that whoever believed in Him shou;d not perish, but has Everlasting Life."

that this Ultimate Gift ocmes to us in the form of a newborn BABY symbolizes –– to me –– the desperate need we have to REJECT worldliness, REJECT cynicism, reJECT suspicion, resentment, REJECT the desire to "get even" with those who despise us, and proceed, instead, with reinvigorated determination to act LOVINGLY no matter what, and do the very best we can with every person and every situatiion we meet.

Franco Aragosta said...

"Take His yoke upon you, and learn of Hm,
For He is meek and owly of heart,
Ad ye shall find rest unto your souls.
"

His yoke is easy, and His buthen* is light."


_________________
*bBURTHEN – an old form of BURDEN

M_E_R_R-Y ... C_H_R_I_S_T_M_A_S_!

Franco Aragosta said...


A WELCOME CHRISTMAS GIFT from MOTHER ENGLAND:

“As Prime Minister That Is Something I Want to Change” – In His Christmas Message Prime Minister Boris Johnson Defends Persecuted Christians

Gateway Pundit

by Jim Hoft

In his first Christmas message to the country, Prime Minister Boris Johnson addressed the global persecution of Christians. Johnson promised those persecuted Christians that Great Britain under his leadership will defend their right to practice their faith.It’s great to have a real UK leader in charge again.Prime Minister Boris Johnson: Today of all days, I want us to remember those Christians around the world who are facing persecution. For them Christmas day will be marked in private, in secret, perhaps even in a prison cell. As Prime Minister, that is something I want to change. We stand with Christians everywhere,