ON WITH THE DANCE

A sonnet written and recorded on New Year’s Eve.

Two thousand sixteen is determined to leave us

One last verse I’ll write while there’s time

The year in which time left – oh so much to grieve us

Scoffs at my efforts to sum up and rhyme

A handful of lines? – when the thousands of years

Have taught us so much and so little

With the globe we revolve with the same hopes and fears

Can the cosmos grant crimes safe acquittal?

Too late in the year to end on a note –

A note pithy, profound – with a message

Time is still telling us, teaching by rote

And sometimes it hints by a presage

Time sets the tempo the steps are our own 

With partners we join in the dance

In harmony nobody dances alone

In the measure we’re in with a chance.

I begin the year with a new painting in progress, a still life turned self-portrait.

Wishing you all a peaceful and joyous 2017!

3 thoughts on “ON WITH THE DANCE”
  • David Patrick Allen

    Dear Edward,
    Janey, (my wife) and I were just talking about you at supper this evening , remembering your wonderful performance as Lord Peter. I now see some of them have appeared on YouTube. Too late to start watching now (it’s 11.35) and us young folk (only 72) need our sleep. But I look forward to watching an episode tomorrow.
    Thank you for providing so much pleasure,
    Best wishes
    David

  • Edward Grant

    Beautifully done. Blessed New Year to you all. Edward & Julia

  • val

    I have just discovered that Peth’s staging post continues. I had missed the link from the previous post. However, I did communicate with you once by email . We talked about how and why an Australian/Tasmanian (although with long ago heritage out of Derbyshire and Scotland) felt that your acting, writing and painting brought a strong sense of “home”, and of peace. All as a result of Youtube, bless its cotton socks. Peace and joy to you, Edward, for 2017.
    The two final lines of your poem are probably going to be cited in my research work about “post-truth” (oh so much to grieve us) and why democracy has problems! More please.
    Val

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