“A War Song to Englishmen”
Greetings and salutations from the sand, sun and surf of Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard and the cool, grey, gorgeous island of Nantucket! Great to be with you on The Fifth Day of February, “Super Bowl Sunday” here in the U.S., 2017. A wonderfully quiet morning ‘down on the docks’ of ye ‘ole historic Hyannis Harbor, the new “Woods Hole” Steamship Authority ferry docked dauntingly tall outside of this humble reporter’s window; apparently all aboard! for yet another national sporting holiday. One that perfectly defines the duality of man. The battle of wills deep within us all– embodied, echoed, amplified and universally championed in a firm known as “The NFL.“
William Blake, 1757-1827; English poet, painter, print maker, was little known nor recognized during his lifetime. However, rose in death to become perhaps England’s greatest artist. Steeped in mystical, prophetic prose, his powerful poems offer courage in a cowardly world. Here’s one for this day when all of America comes together for a big conflict, chalk full of beer and hot wing, pretzels and pig, exhilaration and ecstasy!
Go Patriots!
“Prepare, prepare the iron helm of war,
Bring forth the lots, cast in the spacious orb;
Th’ Angel of Fate turns them with might hands,
And casts them out upon a darken’d earth;
Prepare! Prepare!
Prepare your hearts for Death’s cold hand!
prepare your souls for flight,
your bodies for earth;
Prepare your arms for glorious victory;
Prepare your eyes to meet a holy God!
Prepare! Prepare!
Whose fated scroll is that?
Methinks ’tis mine!
Why sinks my heart,
why faltereth my tongue?
Had I three lives I’d die in such a cause,
And rise, with ghosts, over the well fought field.
Prepare! Prepare!
The arrows of Almighty God are drawn!
Angels of Death stand in the louring heavens!
Thousands of souls must seek the realms of light,
And walk together on the clouds of heaven!
Prepare! Prepare!
Soldiers, prepare! Our cause is Heaven’s cause;
soldiers prepare! Be worthy of our cause:
Prepare to meet our fathers in the sky:
Prepare O troops, that are to fall today!
Prepare! Prepare!
Alfred shall smile, and make his harp rejoice;
The Norman William and the learned clerk,
And the Lion Heart,
and the black-brow’d Edward, with his loyal queen,
shall rise,
and welcome US!
Prepare! Prepare!”
PRESERVE THE WILDERNESS! Peace~M
