Reversing the Numbness

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Nobody Comes (Repeat)

I first made this post back in April, but while listening to the great Billy Bragg on my way to work today, and noticing once again how amazing yet seemingly simple his words are, I remembered this Thomas Hardy poem and thought I'd recycle it. This is my first repeat post:

I recently stumbled onto this poem by Thomas Hardy. The second stanza is intensely sad to me, but I really love the way it reads, so I thought I'd post it here.

Nobody Comes

TREE-LEAVES labour up and down,
And through them the fainting light
Succumbs to the crawl of night.
Outside in the road the telegraph wire
To the town from the darkening land
Intones to travelers like a spectral lyre
Swept by a spectral hand.

A car comes up, with lamps full-glare,
That flash upon a tree:
It has nothing to do with me,
And whangs along in a world of its own,
Leaving a blacker air;
And mute by the gate I stand again alone,
And nobody pulls up there.
— 9 October 1924

Damn.

6 comments:

Melissavina said...

I love me some Billy Bragg. The Mermaid Avenue CD is an obsession of mine.

Mom! Toilets blogged! said...

I didn't read the post, I just wanted to let every one know I was still alive and kicking! I have just forgotten my password and could not log on, but I'm watching.......
How many of you Racer guy's are gonig to Endurocross? E-mail me if you art going, I got's me an idea.....
Charlie

SleekPelt said...

melissavina: Once again we share musical tastes. The Mermaid CDs are with Wilco, right? I don't have those. Worker's Playtime is my staple.

mom!: Look who's here! We've missed you, Mom. I'll shoot you an e-mail with the Vegas-bound.

Susan Chipley said...

mom! I've been wondering about you! Glad you're back.

Melissavina said...

Yes, they are with wilco... and some others guest starred.

It's so good I'm listening to it right now. It's like musical dessert.

Which brings me to a response for your latest post. Band name: Musical Dessert.

SleekPelt said...

melissavina: I have the DVD about the making of those albums around here somewhere. There's a funny scene in it where Billy Bragg's mom talks about how she's really not into his style of music at all.