The Soldier

Francisco de Goya

Tres de Mayo

The Soldier

If I should die, think only this of me:

That there's some corner of a foreign field

That is forever England. There shall be

In that rich earth a richer dust concealed;

A dust whom England bore, shaped, made aware,

Gave, once, her flowers to love, her ways to roam,

A body of England's, breathing English air,

Washed by the rivers, blest by suns of home.

And think, this heart, all evil shed away,

A pulse in the eternal mind, no less

Gives somewhere back the thoughts by England given;

Her sights and sounds; dreams happy as her day;

And laughter, learnt of friends; and gentleness,

In hearts at peace, under an English heaven.

~ Rupert Brooke ~

Lucky

Francisco de Goya

A Butcher’s Counter

Lucky

One sweet pound of filet mignon

sizzles on the roadside. Let's say a hundred yards below

the buzzard. The buzzard

sees no cars or other buzzards

between the mountain range due north

and the horizon to the south

and across the desert west and east

no other creature's nose leads him to this feast.

The buzzard's eyes are built for this: he can see the filet's raw

and he likes the sprig

of parsley in this brown and dusty place.

No abdomens to open here before he eats.

No tearing, slashing with his beak,

no offal-wading

to pick and rip the softest parts.

He does not need to threaten or screech

to keep the other buzzards from his meat.

He circles slowly down,

not a flap, not a shiver in his wide wings,

and lands before his dinner, an especially lucky buzzard,

who bends his neck to pray, then eats.

~ Thomas Lux ~

Dreadful

Francisco Jose de Goya

Saturn Devouring His Children

Dreadful

Someone ate the baby.

It's rather sad to say.

Someone ate the baby

So she won't be out to play.

We'll never hear her whiney cry

Or have to feel if she is dry.

We'll never hear her asking "Why?"

Someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby.

It's absolutely clear

Someone ate the baby

'Cause the baby isn't here.

We'll give away her toys and clothes.

We'll never have to wipe her nose.

Dad says, "That's the way it goes."

Someone ate the baby.

Someone ate the baby.

What a frightful thing to eat!

Someone ate the baby

Though she wasn't very sweet.

It was a heartless thing to do.

The policemen haven't got a clue.

I simply can't imagine who

Would go and (burp) eat the baby.

~ Shel Silverstein ~