To Electra

I DARE not ask a kiss,
I dare not beg a smile,
Lest having that, or this,
I might grow proud the while.

No, no, the utmost share
Of my desire shall be
Only to kiss that air
That lately kissed thee.

Robert Herrick

The Charge of the Light Brigade

HALF a league, half a league,
Half a league onward,
All in the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
‘Forward, the Light Brigade!
Charge for the guns!’ he said;
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

‘Forward, the Light Brigade!’
Was there a man dismay’d?
Not tho’ the soldier knew
Some one had blunder’d:
Their’s not to make reply,
Their’s not to reason why,
Their’s but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon in front of them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
Boldly they rode and well,
Into the jaws of Death,
Into the mouth of Hell
Rode the six hundred.

Flash’d all their sabres bare,
Flash’d as they turn’d in air,
Sabring the gunners there,
Charging an army, while
All the world wonder‘d:
Plunged in the battery-smoke
Right thro’ the line they broke;
Cossack and Russian
Reel’d from the sabre-stroke
Shatter’d and sunder’d.
Then they rode back, but not,
Not the six hundred.

Cannon to right of them,
Cannon to left of them,
Cannon behind them
Volley’d and thunder’d;
Storm’d at with shot and shell,
While horse and hero fell,
They that had fought so well
Came thro’ the jaws of Hell,
All that was left of them,
Left of six hundred.

When can their glory fade?
O the wild charge they made!
All the world wonder’d.
Honour the charge they made!
Honour the Light Brigade,
Noble six hundred!

Alfred Tennyson, Lord Tennyson

Adorable Mother's Admirable Journey

Adorable Mother’s Admirable Journey By Tin Moe

Gee up “HE!” promts the bulls to go forward with bell jingling,
A few who could tarry in rest house hear it and tally beads.
And so the British period passed.

Bombs booming and aeroplanes wheezing;
Seek shelter in a religious dwelling
The one ventures in up and down riverine trading
While the freedom fight is commencing
And so the World War II passed.

Loud noises acclaim with pride the national independence
Flags flying, banners streaming in craziness
Like a tidal wave it climbs
And shake the earth with violence.
There is however a sadness as if the sky fell
And so the Aung San epoh passed.

The bell tolls, the whistle blows;
The Victory Drum booms! A glow
We are free, we are happy - but ephemeral.
Blood everywhere; it’s real.
Old sheds razed to ground; hills blazed to crumble,
Mothers with babies fled and trembled.
Everybody was in haste everywhere
These were tregedies with no finish
And so the Independence episode passed.

So the ears come and go
Sunset eventually leads to dawn
So we toil along an endless journey.
Here is a prompt that could be used
But it has been misplaced: the journey continues
Heart was steeped in misery
The one could not deny destiny
But brave it with tranquility.

With determination to forge ahead with intelligence:
Near miracle it was when each plan was carried to a success.
One would say that she blazes the trail
Flags flying with daring and will - It’s the way of our esteemed mother.

Ludu Daw Amar’s Birthday Greeting
Composed by Tin Moe
Translated by Than Tun

From Bagan Lat Thit & Other Articles - By Dr. Than Tun et al, In rememberance for Ludu Daw Amar’s 80th Birthday.
Ludu Publishing House, Mandalay, November 1996.

To Anthea, who may command him any thing

Bid me to live, and I will live
Thy Protestant to be:
Or bid me love, and I will give
A loving heart to thee.

A heart as soft, a heart as kind,
A heart as sound and free
As in the whole world thou canst find,
That heart I'll give to thee.

Bid that heart stay, and it will stay,
To honour thy decree:
Or bid it languish quite away,
And 't shall do so for thee.

Bid me to weep, and I will weep
While I have eyes to see:
And, having none, yet I will keep
A heart to weep for thee.

Bid me despair, and I'll despair
Under that cypress tree:
Or bid me die. and I will dare
E'en Death, to die for thee.

Thou art my life, my love, my heart,
The very eyes of me,
And hast command of every part,
To live and die for thee.

R. Herrick

A Poem by Htoo Eain Thin

Thanks the site admin for giving permission to use this picture and poem.

When I am dead

Here is one of my all time favourite poems.

When I am Dead, My Dearest

by Christina Georgina Rossetti
(1830-1894)

---

When I am dead, my dearest,
Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.


I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.