A Shropshire Lad

Houses - Schnitkunst by Nigel A.  JAMES

From A Shropshire Lad


A Shropshire Lad is a cycle of sixty-three poems by the English poet Alfred Edward Housman. Some of the better known poems are “To an Athlete Dying Young”, “Loveliest of Trees, the Cherry Now” and “When I was One-and-Twenty”.

The collection was published in 1896. Housman originally called the work “The Poems of Terence Hearsay”, according to one of the characters portrayed, but, altered the title following a suggestion by his publisher.

The main theme of A Shropshire Lad is mortality, and so living life to its fullest! After all, death can strike at any time!

LIII - THE TRUE LOVER

The lad came to the door at night,

When lovers crown their vows,

And whistled soft and out of sight

In shadow of the boughs.



`I shall not vex you with my face

Henceforth, my love, for aye;

So take me in your arms a space

Before the cast is grey.



`When I from hence away am past

I shall not find a bride,

And you shall be the first and last

I ever lay beside.'



She heard and went and knew not why;

Her heart to his she laid;

Light was the air beneath the sky

But dark under the shade.



`Oh do you breathe, lad, that your breast

Seems not to rise and fall,

And here upon my bosom prest

There beats no heart at all?'



`Oh loud, my girl, it once would knock,

You should have felt it then;

But since for you I stopped the clock

It never goes again.'



`Oh lad, what is it, lad, that drips

Wet from your neck on mine?

What is it falling on my lips,

My lad, that tastes of brine?'



`Oh like enough 'tis blood, my dear,

For when the knife has slit,

The throat across from ear to ear

'Twill bleed because of it.'



Under the stars the air was light

But dark below the boughs,

The still air of the speechless night,

When lovers crown their vows.


..


My e-mail address is, njmailboy@gmail.com

Gottfried "Gotti" Bischof

A Victorious Gottfried "Gotti" Bischof  -  photo by Nigel A.  JAMES

An Iron Will

There is one young Austrian boy who is really looking forward to the coming of summer, and, this one young person, a certain Gottfried Bischof - who is all of fourteen years old - has a very good reason for doing so. He is hoping to swing off to another successful season of golf, and, putting things the way that they are, there is nothing to stop him at all!

Towards the end of last summer, just after having been barely more than a year in the sport, young Gottfried, who lives in a sleepy little village just south of Vienna, drove his ball down the fare-way, and, it ended up being just an easy put away from winning one of  Austria’s most prestigious tournament's for young players. Gotti came first!

But, this win was no ordinary win! It was not only Gottfried’s first competition victory; it was also his very first tournament! And, not only that, he was also the youngest ever to win this event! Two great firsts and he’d only just started!

He began with his father at weekends, and very soon it became clear that young Gottfried had not only a talent for the game, but also the right way of thinking that makes for success. It started off with his father giving him tips, now it’s the other way round! Father like son, a combination of winners that could even take Austria to the top in the world!

But, one thing is clear: all of today’s greats in the sport were big, too, when they were young. Gottfried is in with a very good chance.

And this summer will be as it comes. Irons and puts and birdies and swings, and – of course- the most important of all, the nineteenth hole for a drink and a chat with his dad!

Cheers!







My e-mail address is njmailboy@gmail.com

A Question of Wining

American Footballer - Schnittkunst by Nigel A.  JAMES

Sport involves both winners and losers.  I made this picture about 5 years ago,  it features one of the hardest sports of all, American football.  But, I wonder, is this game as tough as traditional rugby?  

Eye for a Try

Talent Show - pencil drawing by Nigel A.  JAMES

All Singing from the Same Song Sheet -

Last night, a story stepped out of the back of my mind. It was all about one of those amusing little corners of life which took place just a little over 4 years ago. And this is what happened.

At the time, my son, Maxi, was at primary school in Vienna, and it was holding its number 1 party of the year; its carnival party. And, the biggest pull of all at this party of parties was the talent competition. And 32 kids had decided to take part in this chance of all chances to show off and win a good prize.

The hall was packed with parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles and all other forms of other imaginable relatives; and, judging by the nervous looks on their faces, one would have been forgiven for believing that it was they who were about to stand in the spot light, and not the bunch of assorted little darlings who were giggling impatiently behind a curtain which was about to go up.

Little Susie came first, her song was as good as could be expected, and she performed it in a well practiced little school girl way. But then came little Martin from 2b, then after him Sarah from 3e, then after her came Marlene of 4a, and so-on and so-on . . . . . . . and all of them had chosen to sing the very same song!

Before too long, the general mood of the audience was beginning to wither; their little darlings were, more-or-less, all the same; and, on the scale of monotony, all pretty well near to the bottom. But then came entrant number 26, Christine from 4d. She had chosen something different to sing. A visible sigh of relief spread like a magical wave across the sea of bored-to-tears faces.

The audience woke up, and, for a while, it looked as though enthusiasm was about to break out. But the dawn that had dawned had been a false one. After Christina of 4d had finished, the show went on as before! When would it end?

But, everything that starts must have an end, and everyone who took part were given a book as a prize, and, Christina got two for originality.

All of the kids were happy. They had taken their chance to show off, had done it well, and only one had been different. And that’s what talent shows are all about; they belong to the moments in life which are fun!

Language Assistance



Primary school – Volksschule

Carnival – Fasching

To show off – angeben

Giggling – kichern

School mistress – Lehrerin

Niceties – nette Worte

Contribution – Beitrage

Wither – austrocknen

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