Spoken Word Poetry

Thursday 4 February 2010

Poetry by Inches, Words by a Mile - Philip Larkin




They fuck you up, your mum and dad.
They may not mean to, but they do.
They fill you with the faults they had
And add some extra, just for you.

But they were fucked up in their turn
By fools in old-style hats and coats,
Who half the time were soppy-stern
And half at one another's throats.

Man hands on misery to man.
It deepens like a coastal shelf.
Get out as early as you can,
And don't have any kids yourself.





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aNOtHEr dIp INtO ThE mAGpIE mEMOrY pOOoL.






7 comments:

Wastedpapiers said...

I suppose it's true in a way - more for some than for others I imagine. I dont know much about Larkin - having never Larkled.

Russell CJ Duffy said...

Me neither. I like this as I think it true of all parents. No one, apart from the very worst of parents, means to fuck up their children but I think that it often happens benignly. I for one am glad to have had children and hope I haven't fucked them up too much!

Wastedpapiers said...

Nice little old 60's TV film about him on YouTube. Part one of three I think.

Nessa said...

A little like Dr. Seuss for adults.

I am perfectly well adjusted. I had to fuck myself up just to fit in.

13 Characters from Rose and Prince Brendan

Doctor FTSE said...

Never mind Larkin. It's comments like Nessa's that make blogland such fun!

Roger Stevens said...

Apparantly he got on well with his parents in fact. There are lots of chatty letters to his mum. I like his poems.

Russell CJ Duffy said...

Nessa>>>LOL!

Doc F>>>Absolutely right