To Celia

 

 

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.

This poem was later made into a song by an unknown composer. To hear a rendition of the song by Elizabeth Schwartzkopf click here.
The picture above is a lampwork glass fashion fish bead made by the Beadshaper. The Beadshaper will be offering her glass beads and jewelry at the Pasadena Bead and Design show in Pasadena, California January 16 - 19.

The First Day

The First Day by Christina  Rossetti (1830-1894) I wish I could remember the first day, First hour, first moment of your meeting me; If bright or dim the season it might be; Summer or winter for aught I can say. So, unrecorded did it slip away, So blind was i to see and to forsee, So dull to mark the budding of my tree That would not blossom, yet, for many a May. If only I could recollect it! Such A day of days! I let it come and go As traceless as a thaw of bygone snow. It seemed to mean so little, meant so much! If only now I could recall that touch, First touch of hand in hand! - Did one but know! The Beadshaper will be offering her bead and jewelry creations as well as teaching various jewelry techniques at the Bead and Boutique Art show in Concord, California August 10 and 11 (Saturday and Sunday), 2013. We hope to see you there.

Meeting at Night

Meeting at Night
by Robert Browning (1812-1889)

The grey sea and the long black land;
And the yellow half-moon large and low;
And the startled little waves that leap
In fiery ringlets from their sleep,
As I gain the cove with pushing prow,
And quench its speed i' the slushy sand.

Then a mile of warm sea-scented beach;
Three fields to cross till a farm appears;
A tap at the pane, the quick sharp scratch
And blue spurt of a lighted match,
And a voice less loud, thro' its joys and fears,
Than the two hearts beating each to each!

Rose will be teaching classes in how to make bead crochet necklaces like the one pictured above at bead and jewelry shows in Pasadena and Concord, California this summer. See Beadshaper Classes for details.

One, Two

One, Two
by Haim Nahman Byalik (1873-1934)
translated into English from the original Hebrew


One, two, three, four —
find yourself a wife — choose her!
Do not dally, don't be late
or someone else'll get there first.

I myself found me some honey
but it never came to my lips.
Two she had her, this one widow:
one brunette and one had fair hair.

Not girls-pearls,
fillies fine and gorgeous,
the joy of whoever saw their face
and I loved both of them.

But who'll foretell and who'll say
which of them I loved more.
The time went, I don't know how
I dillydallied, dillydallied.

Suddenly a demon came and scarfed them
a demon with a ponytail and handlebar mustache.
And I remained, silly bugger,
an old bachelor ever after.

And from this to all the young men
a moral to the wise and let who learns learn.

One, two, three, four —
find yourself a wife — choose her!
Do not dally, don't be late
or someone else'll get there first. 

The heart shaped lampwork glass bead pictured above was handcrafted by Rose (the Beadshaper). You can see more of Rose's creations online at Beadshaper . If you will be in the San Francisco Bay area on Saturday, July 6, Rose will be featuring her work in a trunk show at the Studio Seven Art Gallery in Pleasanton, California. Please come over and visit.

The Wine of Love

The Wine of Love
by James Thomson (1700-1748)

The wine of Love is music,

   And the feast of Love is song:

And when Love sits down to the banquet,

   Love sits long:

 

Sits long and ariseth drunken,

   But not with the feast and the wine;

He reeleth with his own heart,

   That great rich Vine.

 

The wine stopper pictured above was handcrafted by Rose, the Beadshaper . Rose will be offering some of her wine stoppers as well as other creations at a trunk show at Studio Seven in Pleasanton, California on Saturday, July 6, 2013 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. She will also be offering them at upcoming jewelry and bead shows in Pasadena and Concord, California.

Diaphenia

Damelus' Song to Diaphenia
by Henry Constable (1562-1613)

Diaphenia, like the daffadowndilly,
White as the sun, fair as the lily,
Heigh ho, how I do love thee!
I do love thee as my lambs
Are belovëd of their dams—
How blest were I if thou wouldst prove me!

Diaphenia, like the spreading roses,
That in thy sweets all sweets incloses,
Fair sweet, how I do love thee!
I do love thee as each flower
Loves the sun's life-giving power,
For, dead, thy breath to life might move me.

Diaphenia, like to all things blessed,
When all thy praises are expressëd,
Dear joy, how I do love thee!
As the birds do love the spring,
Or the bees their careful king,—
Then in requite, sweet virgin, love me!

The lampwork glass fish bead pictured above was handcrafted by the Beadshaper .
See Beadshaper at Shows for a list of shows where Rose will offer her work.

To My Mother

Here is another Mother's day poem titled To My Mother. This one was written by Christina Rosetti in 1842 and appears to actually be for her mother's birthday.

To-day’s your natal day, Sweet flowers I bring; Mother, accept, I pray, My offering. And may you happy live, And long us bless; Receiving as you give Great happiness. You can find a number of beautiful handcrafted jewelry pieces at Beadshaper which would make a great gift for your mother or the mother of your children.

 

To My Mother

To My Mother

by Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849)

Because I feel that, in the Heavens above,
The angels, whispering to one another,
Can find, among their burning terms of love,
None so devotional as that of “Mother,”
Therefore by that dear name I long have called you—
You who are more than mother unto me,
And fill my heart of hearts, where Death installed you,
In setting my Virginia’s spirit free.
My mother—my own mother, who died early,
Was but the mother of myself; but you
Are mother to the one I loved so dearly,
And thus are dearer than the mother I knew
By that infinity with which my wife
Was dearer to my soul than its soul-life.    

This poem is presented in honor of Mother's Day which will occur in a few weeks. You can find a number of beautiful handcrafted jewelry pieces at Beadshaper which would make a great gift for your mother or the mother of your children.  

Song

Song
by John Donne (1572 - 1631)        

Go and catch a falling star,
Get with child a mandrake root,
Tell me where all past years are,
Or who cleft the devil's foot,
Teach me to hear mermaids' singing,
Or to keep off envy's stinging,
And find
What wind
Serves to advance an honest mind.

If thou be'st born to strange sights,
Things invisible go see,
Ride ten thousand days and nights,
Till Age snow white hairs on thee;
Thou, when thou return'st, wilt tell me
All strange wonders that befell thee,
And swear
No where
Lives a woman true and fair.  

If thou find'st one, let me know;
Such a pilgrimage were sweet,
Yet do not; I would not go,
Though at next door we might meet.
Though she were true when you met her, 
And last till you write your letter
Yet she
Will be
False, ere I come, to two or three.

The bracelet pictured above is in Rose's collection of silver Viking Knit bracelets offered at the Studio Seven Art Gallery in Pleasanton, California. See Beadshaper at Studio Seven for details.