Baudelaire poem for ya

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marky
Mile High Club
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Joined: Tue Jan 01, 2002 9:01 am
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Baudelaire poem for ya

Post by marky »

It may be that I am about to embarass myself as Baudelaire is such a fine fit for Paxacidus I feel almost sure he must have been mentioned some time before here.

I knew nothing of him except of course that one of my favorite musicians mentioned his name in a song, and then recently someone else I read a blog of mentioned his name again, so I decided to figure out what the fuss was all about.

Come to find, he wrote a book called "On Wine and Hashish", he lived from 1821-1867, and here's a poem he wrote called "Get Drunk":

"Get Drunk!" [Charles Baudelaire]

One should always be drunk. That's all that matters;
that's our one imperative need. So as not to feel Time's
horrible burden one which breaks your shoulders and bows

you down, you must get drunk without cease.

But with what?
With wine, poetry, or virtue
as you choose.
But get drunk.

And if, at some time, on steps of a palace,
in the green grass of a ditch,
in the bleak solitude of your room,
you are waking and the drunkenness has already abated,
ask the wind, the wave, the stars, the clock,
all that which flees,
all that which groans,
all that which rolls,
all that which sings,
all that which speaks,
ask them, what time it is;
and the wind, the wave, the stars, the birds, and the clock,
they will all reply:

"It is time to get drunk!

So that you may not be the martyred slaves of Time,
get drunk, get drunk,
and never pause for rest!
With wine, poetry, or virtue,
as you choose!"
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