Nothing Old Is Sway’d

The brass’ last gold is green,
The stiffest shade to sheen.
The tarnish turns out flaky,
And prospect appears shaky.
Still gold decays to mould,
As Christ has long foretold,
As dusk dissolves the day.
Nothing old is sway’d.

 

Colin Lee

colin-lee-small
Nothing Gold Can StayWhile flooded by pre-CNY housekeeping chores, my hiatus will unfortunately tarry. Sincere apologies for my inability to reciprocate every comment and blog visit for the time being. However, as Jilly, my dear friend, is hosting dVerse MTB today with an exceptional prompt of response poetry, I’ve set aside today’s lunch break to pop in for a while and scribble a parody/response to Robert Frost’s Nothing Gold Can Stay. Please note the object of scorn here is gerontocracy, not age or the elderly. With that in mind, the “brass” refers to the rich and ruling, and so on.

 

Photo Courtesy: aptass.com

40 thoughts on “Nothing Old Is Sway’d”

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      1. happy to read your words and enjoy them very much Colin. Gong Xi Fa Cai! getting ready for reunion dinner in a few hours for us here and you too I am guessing. May the year ahead bring you prosperity, health and lots of blessings

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      2. Thank you, Gina. Just got back from London (for reunions on my wife’s side) and was immediately wrapped up with piles of work since. Happy New Year to you and the family too! I pray this year would bring you a renewed joy and an abundance of love, and, much wealth, great health to you all, of course!

        Blessings,
        Colin

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      3. thats lovely to hear, the reunions and time with family, even with all the hassle and bustle its a good memory for adults and kids alike. thank you for your kind and lovely wishes, same back to you Colin and your beautiful family. hope work will be smooth and give you more time to write.

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      4. Thank you, Gina. It’s unlikely to be an easy year at work, and the growing family demands more attention too. I won’t stop writing nevertheless, even if it needs to be more flexible and sporadic for a while.

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      5. Work can be so demanding yes I get that too, and with your young family I am sure the demands are even greater for time and energy, but this is when you will enjoy them the most, and don’t miss out on it, the writing will happen, in between moments of clarity and utter exhaustion. either way you always deliver such reflective prose and poetry.

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      6. You are so kind, Gina. Thank you for this reminder. Family first. 🙂 “Between moments of clarity and utter exhaustion” — wow! I think one of the constant struggle behind my creative process are the self-doubts like “am I good enough?” or “have I had it all figured out?”. I guess I must learn to enjoy the present more and accept where I am (mentally) and be honest (with my merits and flaws). It’s hard to keep at that balance. Gotta pace myself from now on and try to be really living the present.

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      7. you will find that balance and understand that it shifts periodically, creativity never lets you remain in the same state of mind for long, that’s its beauty. and self doubt is the chemical reaction of every poet and writer, it’s brewing in every word we create and read and cross out and re write. i believe that self doubt is actually good for us as we are always looking to perfect our craft. be in the present but your past helps you put the soul in your writing. that you identify the urgent needs first will take you far on your writing journey Colin, my best wishes for you and hope to follow and read your ponderings as they unfold.

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      8. Wow! I’m so glad to receive your motherly guidance. Gotta frame this one. Thank you, Gina, for taking the time to read and to mentor this helpless chap here. I really enjoy tonight’s little virtual gathering with you.

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      9. haha yes enjoying this little opportunity to be mother hen, but not like I know so much just sharing somethings i have been through on this blogging journey. I think you are more self sufficient then you realise.

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    1. Sorry for my late reply. Catching a breath at last after a hectic month. The intricate form was beyond rhymes; as I horsed around with it, I couldn’t help but admire the wisdom of Frost. Thank you for reading and approving, Bjorn.

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    1. Sorry for my late reply, Dwight. Catching a breath at last after a hectic month. Gold, power, fame … As I re-read this piece after a month and half, it couldn’t feel more prophetic with what’s going on on my side of the world. Thank you for reading, sir.

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    1. Sorry for my late reply, Lynn. Catching a breath at last after a hectic month. Thank you for reading. Perhaps, the palace behind plays as much a part in the context as the lion does. I believe the ultimate aspiration of one craving for power is to seek his own deification, exalted as a supreme ruler, a god. While such ambitions are as apparent as the emperor’s new clothes, we who are his subject must acknowledge that his power is justified, garbed in benevolent motives and whatnot.

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    1. Sorry for my late reply, nosaint. Catching a breath at last after a hectic month. Thank you for reading! As I re-read this piece after a month and half, it couldn’t feel more prophetic with what’s going on on my side of the world. The days of the oligarchs? (What’s next?) Perhaps we’ll be looking back to them fondly after a few years. Who knows?

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  10. Oh, Colin! You have this one cold! Cold enough to frost the bowels of a brass monkey. I howled as I saw how you skewered one of my favorites of Old Robert. You did it well, friend!

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    1. Sorry for my late reply, Charley. Your remark is both funny and humbling. No, Old Robert can’t be skewered, at least not by me — I’m pescetarian/vegetarian. Lol

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    1. Sorry for my late reply. Catching a breath at last after a hectic month. Thank you for your very kind comment, although Old Robert shall remain an unmatchable legend, always. 🙂

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    1. Sorry for my late reply, Sabio. Catching a breath at last after a hectic month. Thank you for reading my humble take. It was actually quite spontaneously done. 🙂

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