Best wishes 2026,
The world needs gentleness,
in Nashville in Tennessee
In Sichuan, in Paris,
The world needs gentleness,
in Hamburg, on the Volga,
in Moscow or in Brisbane,
There is enough of violence,
Words that hurt, insults,
stabs in the back,
There is enough of wars,
That no one wants,
except Mr. Putin.
Best wishes 2026
May your children be happy,
That they read beautiful books,
The world needs gentleness,
in Edinburgh, on the street of Siam,
in Atlanta, on the Mississippi,
in Jerusalem, all over Africa,
Best wishes 2026,
Take care of this planet, she will take care of you.
We are the last animals on earth,
Sneakily chasing elephants,
In the perilous bush, o Delight!
Eating frogs with forks
And sweet sour cream,
Reading books to dream about lazy whales,
The last animals,
Raising lions in traveling circuses,
To slaughter sheep in the name of God Almighty,
We are the last animals
Running away from hungry bears in the snowy Rockies,
To steal honey from worshipping bees, o Delight!
The last animals to change color, pain,
To whip the green asses in Sichuan,
The last animals on earth,
Feeding yellow birds in wicker cages,
To frighten the ostriches with large black feathers,
Breathing in the golden aurora jungle,
Living alone under the fast clouds,
We are the last animals, o Delight!
Capturing butterflies in picture books,
To tear the dresses with pink and high flowers
Impudic women, sweet strawberries,
To the delight of white panthers with sharp claws,
Really people, tell me, aren’t we wild animals?
Amen.
Poets, do not be discouraged, neither young nor old,
Uncertain verses can pierce stone, or iron,
Just believe those you love you, endure the headwinds,
To think that at the end of the sea there is America and its buffalos,
Just cross rivers with dangerous Indians,
The Amazon, the White Nile, or the great Mississippi, are friends,
Poet, do not be discouraged, do not deviate,
In front of Whitman shining in the diamond sky,
Follow your path, on the great snowy plains,
Follow your path, in the villages of Lower Brittany,
In the hotels of Sichuan, or Manaus,
Warm your heart in Calypso’s arms,
Think of Circe whose beauty poisoned Ulysses
Poet falls in love with the sea, the stars,
Do not be discouraged, Poet, you can be still and quiet like water, or
You can become a torrent in the mountains of Wyoming,
A verse is always an object of the future,
“Drop by drop, water pierces the stone.” (1)
NB (1) From Lucrèce in Montaigne les essais
STORIES IN POTTERY
Bluebirds above the azure lakes
Burleigh cups - willow pattern trees in gold leaf -
Once with mashed Sichuan oolong,
And on their side plates, shortbread tiffin,
While nephews in white laughed loudly and played tennis on the lawn.
George V Silver Jubilee mug and plate (1910-1935)
Found by slum clearance machines
In a small kitchen overlooking the slipway at Wallsend -
The mug was dropped once and chipped
On the stone floor, toasting the returned Mauretania -
The plate was never used again,
The Mauretania was never used again.
Chipped but uncracked ; dust coated, but loved.
Shapes and pictures that hold more than hot tea.
Saucers deep and smooth, or shallow and scalloped
With painted delicate petals.
With oolong long cooled,
Cups with flared bell-mouths buried
Under crumpled newspaper stuffed
In soapboxes advertising Daz flakes
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