Related quotes: I will teach you my...

Tract

I will teach you my townspeople
how to perform a funeral
for you have it over a troop
of artists-
unless one should scour the world-
you have the ground sense necessary.

See! the hearse leads.
I begin with a design for a hearse.
For Christ's sake not black-
nor white either - and not polished!
Let it be whethered - like a farm wagon -
with gilt wheels (this could be
applied fresh at small expense)
or no wheels at all:
a rough dray to drag over the ground.

Knock the glass out!
My God - glass, my townspeople!
For what purpose? Is it for the dead
to look out or for us to see
the flowers or the lack of them -
or what?
To keep the rain and snow from him?
He will have a heavier rain soon:
pebbles and dirt and what not.
Let there be no glass -
and no upholstery, phew!
and no little brass rollers
and small easy wheels on the bottom -
my townspeople, what are you thinking of?
A rough plain hearse then
with gilt wheels and no top at all.
On this the coffin lies
by its own weight.

No wreathes please-
especially no hot house flowers.
Some common memento is better,
something he prized and is known by:
his old clothes - a few books perhaps -
God knows what! You realize
how we are about these things
my townspeople -
something will be found - anything
even flowers if he had come to that.
So much for the hearse.

For heaven's sake though see to the driver!
Take off the silk hat! In fact
that's no place at all for him -
up there unceremoniously
dragging our friend out to his own dignity!
Bring him down - bring him down!
Low and inconspicuous! I'd not have him ride
on the wagon at all - damn him! -
the undertaker's understrapper!
Let him hold the reins
and walk at the side
and inconspicuously too!

Then briefly as to yourselves:
Walk behind - as they do in France,
seventh class, or if you ride
Hell take curtains! Go with some show
of inconvenience; sit openly -
to the weather as to grief.
Or do you think you can shut grief in?
What - from us? We who have perhaps
nothing to lose? Share with us
share with us - it will be money
in your pockets.
Go now
I think you are ready.

poem by William Carlos Williams
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Related quotes

Where’s Grandad

The hearse had been booked at the Co-op
for the Friday before the Goose Fair.
We paid for a top notch send off,
with a carriage and six to bear.

The hearse was well behind schedule
on the morning we were burying grandad.
The wind was howling and the sky was dark,
and it began to rain quite bad.

The coffin lay on the front room table
with the flag and white lilies on top.
My dad was anxiously twitching the curtains
until he saw the carriage and horses stop.

It had finally arrived to take grandad
to his resting place in the ground.
Six solemn bearers came into the house
and they never made a sound.

In the hearse they carefully placed the coffin,
then returned to their seating places.
But then they galloped off down the street
leaving us with rain soaked faces.

We ran to our cars and tried to catch up,
but the traffic lights didn’t go our way.
The next time we saw the shiny oak coffin
was by the grave, with the vicar about to pray.

Under umbrellas we gathered and watched
as the coffin was slowly lowered down.
Well after all that it didn’t turn out so bad,
except that we were at the burial of a Mrs Brown.

poem by Orlando Belo
Submitted by Poetry Lover
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Wheels Of Love

(marjy plant)
The wheels of love turn around and around
Keep on rollin til youve found
The perfect partner, somebody just right
To have and hold every day and every night
So shes halfway to texas with all of your dreams
The world aint as bad as what it might seem
You got a whole lot of living, honey, left to do
Theres still a whole lot of love inside of you
The wheels of love turn around and around
Theyll take you for a ride like a merry-go-round
Dont let the heartache hold you down
When theres plenty of love to left be found
On the wheels, ridin on the wheels of love
Catch you a ride, imagine what you might find
Just the right girl at just the right time
Ready and waiting, shell look you in the eyes
Ah, but the wheels of love will never compromise
So she broke your heart, honey dont look back
You got to keep on rollin down the track
And maybe the next time youll keep your feet on the ground
When the wheels of love spin you around
The wheels of love turn around and around
Theyll take you for a ride like a merry-go-round
Dont let the heartache hold you down
When theres plenty of love left to be found
On the wheels, ridin on the wheels of love
The wheels of love turn around and around
Theyll take you for a ride like a merry-go-round
Dont let the heartache hold you down
When theres plenty of love left to be found
On the wheels, ridin on the wheels of love
Oh, the wheels
Ridin on the wheels of love

song performed by by Emmylou Harris
Submitted by Lucian Velea
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Future Imperfect

Beneath a gray and weeping sky
I watched a horse drawn hearse go by
A sight we very rarely see
It seems to have more dignity