THE MAD GARDENER'S SONG - Lewis Carroll (from Sylvie and Bruno)

He thought he saw an Elephant, That practised on a fife: He looked again, and found it was A letter from his wife.

"At length I realise," he said, "The bitterness of Life!" He thought he saw a Bufffalo Upon the chimney-piece: He looked again, and found it was His Sister's Husband's Niece. "Unless you leave this house," he said, "I'll send for the Police!"

He thought he saw a Rattlesnake That questioned him in Greek: He looked again, and found it was The Middle of Next Week. "The one thing I regret," he said, "Is that it cannot speak!"

He thought he saw a Banker's Clerk Descending from the bus:

He looked again, and found it was A Hippopotamus. "If this should stay to dine," he said, "There won't be much for us!"

He thought he saw a Kangaroo That worked a coffee-mill: He looked again, and found it was A Vegetable-Pill. "Were I to swallow this," he said, "I should be very ill!"

He thought he saw a Coach-and-Four That stood beside his bed: He looked again, and found it was A Bear without a Head. "Poor thing," he said, "poor silly thing! It's waiting to be fed!"

He thought he saw an Albatross That fluttered round the lamp: He looked again, and found it was A Penny-Postage Stamp. "You'd best be getting home," he said: "The nights are very damp!"

He thought he saw a Garden-Door That opened with a key: He looked again, and found it was A Double Rule of Three: "And all its mystery," he said, "Is clear as day to me!"

He thought he saw a Argument That proved he was the Pope: He looked again, and found it was A Bar of Mottled Soap. "A fact so dread," he faintly said, "Extinguishes all hope!"

2nd up is probably one of my fave bits of poetry - victor hugo is best known as the author of les miserables, which is an excellent book, but takes an age to read due to its massive weight :) not one u can lug around easily on the train *grin*

THE GENESIS OF BUTTERFLIES - Victor Hugo (1802-1885)

THE dawn is smiling on the dew that covers The tearful roses; lo, the little lovers That kiss the buds, and all the flutterings In jasmine bloom, and privet, of white wings,

That go and come, and fly, and peep and hide, With muffled music, murmured far and wide. Ah, the Spring time, when we think of all the lays That dreamy lovers send to dreamy mays,

Of the fond hearts within a billet bound, Of all the soft silk paper that pens wound, The messages of love that mortals write Filled with intoxication of delight,

Written in April and before the May time Shredded and flown, playthings for the wind's playtime, We dream that all white butterflies above, Who seek through clouds or waters souls to love,

And leave their lady mistress in despair, To flit to flowers, as kinder and more fair, Are but torn love-letters, that through the skies Flutter, and float, and change to butterflies.

3rd up is a fave of mine coz even i can remember it...

night crept up on them

black sleep closed their eyes

4th up is a poem by the british author Wendy Cope, i really like that she started out writing awfully moving touching introverted poetry, then once that seemed out of her system she started writing in a more happy cheerful style. this one is somewhere in-between the two styles ;)

FLOWERS - Wendy Cope

Some men never think of it, You did, you'd come along And say that you'd nearly bought me flowers But something had gone wrong.

The shop was closed, you'd had doubts- The sort that minds like ours Dream up incessantly. You thought I might not want your flowers

It made me smile and hug you then. Now i can only smile But look, the flowers you nearly brought, Have lasted all this while

5th up is this odd little thing i found in one of me books the other day, its pretty odd - but something about it is oddly compelling :)

EXAMPLE - Octavio Paz

A butterfly flew between the cars. Marie Jose said: It must be Chuang Tzu, on a tour of New York.

But the butterfly

didnt know it was a butterfly dreaming it was Chuang Tzu

or Chuang Tzu
dreaming he was a butterfly.

The butterfly never wondered:

it flew

6th and last up (for now) is this one that really made me smile, its quite old but its funny in that nice odd way u just can't explain *grin*

[UNTITLED] - Tomaz Salamun