Tuesday, December 27, 2011

My Pretty Rose Tree

My Pretty Rose Tree

by William Blake (1757-1827)

See Beadshaper






A flower was offered to me:
Such a flower as May never bore.
But I said "I've a Pretty Rose-tree",
And I passed the sweet flower o'er.

Then I went to my Pretty Rose-tree:
To tend her by day and by night.
But my Rose turn'd away with jealousy:
And her thorns were my only delight.

Sunday, December 4, 2011

Hilaire Belloc






Heroic Poem in Praise of Wine

by Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953)




To exalt, enthrone, establish and defend,
To welcome home mankind's mysterious friend
Wine, true begetter of all arts that be;
Wine, privilege of the completely free;
Wine the recorder; wine the sagely strong;
Wine, bright avenger of sly-dealing wrong,
Awake, Ausonian Muse, and sing the vineyard song!

See Beadshaper

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Sweet Disorder

Sweet Disorder
by Robert Herrick (1591-1674)

See Beadshaper






A sweet disorder in the dress
Kindles in clothes a wantonness:
A lawn about the shoulders thrown
Into a fine distraction --
An erring lace, which here and there
Enthrals the crimson stomacher --
A cuff neglectful, and thereby
Ribbands to flow confusedly --
A winning wave, deserving note,
In the tempestuous petticoat --
A careless shoe-string, in whose tie
I see a wild civility --
Do more bewitch me than when art
Is too precise in every part.

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

How Do I Love Thee?

How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways

by Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806-1861)

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See Beadshaper





How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candlelight.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints,—I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life!—and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Friday, October 14, 2011

A Magic Moment

A Magic Moment I Remember

by Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837)
See Beadshaper





A magic moment I remember:
I raised my eyes and you were there.
A fleeting vision, the quintessence
Of all that's beautiful and rare.

I pray to mute despair and anguish
To vain pursuits the world esteems,
Long did I near your soothing accents,
Long did your features haunt my dreams.

Time passed- A rebel storm-blast scattered
The reveries that once were mine
And I forgot your soothing accents,
Your features gracefully divine.

In dark days of enforced retirement
I gazed upon grey skies above
With no ideals to inspire me,
No one to cry for, live for, love.

Then came a moment of renaissance,
I looked up- you again are there,
A fleeting vision, the quintessence
Of all that`s beautiful and rare.

Friday, September 30, 2011

A Confession

A Confession
by Agnes Louise Storrie (1865-1936)

See Bead Crochet







You did not know, - how could you, dear, -
How much you stood for? Life in you
Retained its touch of Eden dew,
And ever through the droughtiest year
My soul could bring her flagon here
And fill it to the brim with clear
Deep draughts of purity:
And time could never quench the flame
Of youth that lit me through your eyes,
And cozened winter from my skies
Through all the years that went and came.
You did not know I used your name
To conjure by, and still the same
I found its potency.
You did not know that, as a phial
May garner close through dust and gloom
The essence of a rich perfume,
Romance was garnered in your smile
And touched my thoughts with beauty, while
The poor world, wise with bitter guile,
Outlived its chivalry.
You did not know - our lives were laid
So far apart - that thus I drew
The sunshine of my days from you,
That by your joy my own was weighed
That thus my debts your sweetness paid,
And of my heart's deep silence made
A lovely melody.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Daisies

This bead is named for the poem,
Daisies by Evaleen Stein (1863-1923)

You can read more about Fashion Flower Beads at Beadshaper




Daisies

At evening when I go to bed
I see the stars shine overhead;
They are the little daisies white
That dot the meadow of the Night.

And often while I'm dreaming so,
Across the sky the Moon will go;
It is a lady, sweet and fair,
Who comes to gather daisies there.

For, when at morning I arise,
There's not a star left in the skies;
She's picked them all and dropped them down
Into the meadows of the town.

Saturday, September 3, 2011

Dear Chains






This bead is named for the poem, Dear
Chains, by the Russian poet, Alexander Pushkin (1799-1837)


You can read more about the necklace at Beadshaper




Rose-maiden, no, I do not quarrel

With these dear chains, they don't demean.

The nightingale embushed in laurel,

The sylvan singers' feathered queen,

Does she not bear the same sweet plight?

Near the proud rose's beauty dwelling,

And with her tender anthems thrilling

The dusk of a voluptuous night.

Saturday, August 6, 2011

You Smiled



This bead is named for the poem, You Smiled,
by Walter Savage Landor (1775-1864).

You can read more about the bead at Beadshaper

Incidentally, The Beadshaper is presenting her work Saturday and Sunday, Aug 6 and 7, at Ayla's Originals in Evanston, Illinois.


You smiled, you spoke and I believed,
By every word and smile- deceived.

Another man would hope no more;
Nor hope I- what I hoped before.

But let not this last wish be vain;
Deceive, deceive me once again!

Monday, May 16, 2011

Song: to Celia

by Ben Johnson (1572-1637)

Drink to me, only with thine eyes
And I will pledge with mine;
Or leave a kiss but in the cup,
And I'll not look for wine.
The thirst that from the soul doth rise
Doth ask a drink divine:
But might I of Jove's nectar sup
I would not change for thine.
I sent thee late a rosy wreath,
Not so much honouring thee
As giving it a hope that there
It could not withered be
But thou thereon didst only breath
And sent'st it back to me:
Since, when it grows and smells, I swear,
Not of itself but thee

The Beadshaper offers a flamework glass fashion fish bead named for the first line of the poem at Beadshaper

Sunday, May 8, 2011

She is One Girl

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This lampwork glass focal bead is named for an ancient Egyptian poem written 3000 years ago by an unknown poet. See Beadshaper
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She is one girl, there is no one like her.
She is more beautiful than any other.
Look, she is like a star goddess arising
at the beginning of a happy new year;
brilliantly white, bright skinned;
with beautiful eyes for looking,
with sweet lips for speaking;
she has not one phrase too many.
With a long neck and white breast,
her hair of genuine lapis lazuli;
her arm more brilliant than gold;
her fingers like lotus flowers,
with heavy buttocks and girt waist.
Her thighs offer her beauty,
with a brisk step she treads on ground.
She has captured my heart in her embrace.
She makes all men turn their necks
to look at her.
One looks at her passing by,
this one, the unique one.

Without Warning

Without Warning
by the ancient Greek poet, Sappho.
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Without warning
as a whirlwind
swoops on an oak
Love shakes my heart

See Beadshaper

Sunday, April 24, 2011

A Song of Love







A Song Of Love
by Sidney Lanier (1842 - 1881)

See Beadshaper


Hey, rose, just born
Twin to a thorn;
Was't so with you, O Love and Scorn?

Sweet eyes that smiled,
Now wet and wild:
O Eye and Tear- mother and child.

Well: Love and Pain
Be kinfolks twain;
Yet would, Oh would I could Love again.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Beautiful Dreamer

Beautiful Dreamer


by Stephen Foster
(1826- 1864)

The Beadshaper handcrafted glass bead named after this poem can be found at Beadshaper







Beautiful dreamer, wake unto me,

Starlight and dewdrops are waiting for thee;

Sounds of the rude world heard in the day,

Lull'd by the moonlight have all pass'd a way!



Beautiful dreamer, queen of my song,

List while I woo thee with soft melody;

Gone are the cares of life's busy throng, --

Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!



Beautiful dreamer, out on the sea

Mermaids are chaunting the wild lorelie;

Over the streamlet vapors are borne,

Waiting to fade at the bright coming morn.



Beautiful dreamer, beam on my heart,

E'en as the morn on the streamlet and sea;

Then will all clouds of sorrow depart, --

Beautiful dreamer, awake unto me!

Monday, March 21, 2011

The Fish





The Fish

by William Butler Yeats 1865-1939
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Although you hide in the ebb and flow
Of the pale tide when the moon has set,
The people of coming days will know
About the casting out of my net,
And how you have leaped times out of mind
Over the little silver cords,
And think that you were hard and unkind,
And blame you with many bitter words.

You can see fish beads at Fashion Fish

Monday, January 31, 2011

Desire


Here is poem of the heart for Valentine Day.
Desire
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge (1772-1834)
There are many heart shaped beads that would make unique Valentine Day gifts at Beadshaper





Where true Love burns
Desire is Love's pure flame;
It is the reflex of our earthly frame,
That takes its meaning from the nobler part,
And but translates the language of the heart.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Evening Song


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Evening Song
by Sidney Lanier (1842 -1881)
You can find the handcrafted lampwork glass bead named after this poem at Beadshaper
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Look off, dear Love, across the sallow sands,
And mark yon meeting of the sun and sea;
How long they kiss in sight of all the lands,
Ah! longer, longer we.
Now, in the sea's red vintage melts the sun
As Egypt's pearl dissolved in rosy wine
And Cleopatra-night drinks all- 'tis done,
Love, lay thine hand in mine.
Come forth, sweet stars, and comfort heaven's heart,
Glimmer, ye waves, 'round else unlighted sands;
Oh night! divorce our sun and sky apart-
Never our lips, our hands

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Song of Songs




From the Song of Songs
by King Solomon (970 - 928 BC)
You can find the handcrafted lampwork glass bead named after this poem at Beadshaper
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The Song of songs, which is Solomon's.
Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth:
for thy love is better than wine.
Because of the savor of thy good ointments
thy name is as ointment poured forth,
therefore do the virgins love thee.