Before life and after
A time there was – as one may guess
And as, indeed, earth’s testimonies tell -
Before the birth of consciousness,
When all went well.
None suffered sickness, love, or loss,
None knew regret, starved hope, or heart-burnings;
None cared whatever crash or cross
Brought wrack to things.
If something ceased, no tongue bewailed,
If something winced and waned, no heart was wrung;
If brightness dimmed, and dark prevailed,
No sense was stung.
But the disease of feeling germed,
And primal rightness took the tinct of wrong;
Ere nescience shall be reaffirmed
How long, how long?
by Thomas Hardy (1840-1928)
Follow @telescoper
March 18, 2013 at 9:05 pm
Thank you for the Thomas Hardy poem. As a descendant of Cornish families and a devotee of Hardy I love his ‘take’ on life. Death’s a ‘given’!