Sleepless in Stratford-upon-Avon

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Sat, 23 Apr 2016
  • 3963 reads
10 comments
 
For at least the twelfth night in succession,
this - midsummer’s eve, would you believe, a buzzing 
in my head, restless in my bed! 
 
Much ado about nothing? Methinks, not.
More, the surreptitious stirrings of my brain,
hatching a poem, or a play, or both.
 
A proverbial ‘bee in my bonnet’, my complaint,
and if this be so...busy bee, go forage for sonnets, sestinas....
odes and airs; take the liberty within my head
to multiply...to swarm...
 
not helped, it’s true, by bawdy goings on...two
gentlemen from Verona, and a Merchant of Venice
in adjacent rooms.
 
And thence, at dawn, desist, disperse, depart,
because, by hook by crook by bell, by book
by candle, this chapter shall be writ, 
mark my words...
 
even though my trusted quill has gone 
on the blink with a surfeit of ink, and the blotter
gone AWOL. ‘Out damned spot, a curse on thee!’
 
Thus, measure for measure and all things being equal 
for thy sake, bothersome bee, buzz off, or else
the question will be, ‘To swat, or to swat not.’ 
 
Let the nightjar beguile, and the crickets chime in, 
with their whimsical mono-note symphony, for
all is well that ends well, my friend,
and presently, I shall sleep,
perchance to dream.
 
 
 
Certificate PG
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Spiritual
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Comments

Submitted by VeraClark on

Ah, a lovely tribute with lots of well placed references.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks, Verasmiley

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

How do you do it Tina? This is pure genius and I loved it.

Jenny. smiley

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks, so very much, Jenny.  It was something I enjoyed doing immensely, and I am so pleased you enjoyed.  Hope your Sunday has been a peaceful onesmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

What fun you must have had doing that! And your Shakespearian (I had to spell check that, but it seems OK) knowledge is obvioulsy quite vast, at your fingertips! And with the mischievous modern bits tucked in, especially
'quill has gone on the blink with a surfeit of ink',  and ‘To swat, or to swat not.’ 

Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

As ever, Rhiannon, you have got to the heart of the matter, and fun I most certainly did have.  I have always been a great admirer of all things Shakespearian...from my first experience of the bard when I was still at junior (primary) school when we put on a production of Midsummer Night's Dream.  I had the dubious honour of being cast as Puck, but had a sneaking longing to be Bottom, who was of course turned into a donkey.smiley  I have been lucky enough over the years to visit Stratford and saw a memorable performance of King Lear...many years ago now.

So pleased you enjoyed, and many thanks for telling me in such a delightful way.

Tina

 

Submitted by Shannan on

So well timed for the celebrations of yet another decade to add to his centuries... 

Thanks for this very clever poem Tina,

Have a brilliant weekend to match it :)

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

My thanks, to you, Shannan, and I am so sorry I have only just replied to you...computer trouble, unfortunately.  At the moment I'm typing with my fingers crossedsmiley

Tina

 

Submitted by forest_for_ever on

A wonderful tribute to the Bard.  I've performed in a few of these plays and not so in many more.  I found it real fun trying to remember which play, which character etc.  

I was part of A Midsummer Night's Dream at Stratford and this lovely poem has taken me back down memory late big style!  Thank you for a beautiful piece of poetry

 

Submitted by forest_for_ever on

I was lucky enough to'tread the boards' at Stratfore in MSND  and reading this beautiful poem took me back to the other Shakespeare plays I've been fortunate enough to have been in.  I always love a poem that is so full of things it can be reread so many times.

 

Loved it