At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had pass'd.

Oh, how sad and sore distress'd
Was that Mother highly blest
Of the sole-begotten One!
Christ above in torment hangs;
She beneath beholds the pangs
Of her dying glorious Son.

Is there one who would not weep,
Whelm'd in miseries so deep
Christ's dear Mother to behold?
Can the human heart refrain
From partaking in her pain,
In that Mother's pain untold?

Bruis'd, derided, curs'd, defil'd,
She beheld her tender child
All with ****** scourges rent.
For the sins of His own nation,
Saw Him hang in desolation,
Till His spirit forth He sent.

O thou Mother! fount of love!
Touch my spirit from above;
Make my heart with thine accord.
Make me feel as thou hast felt;
Make my soul to glow and melt
With the love of Christ our Lord.

Holy Mother! pierce me through;
In my heart each wound renew
Of my Saviour crucified.
Let me share with thee His pain,
Who for all my sins was slain,
Who for me in torments died.

Let me mingle tears with thee,
Mourning Him who mourn'd for me,
All the days that I may live.
By the cross with thee to stay,
There with thee to weep and pray,
Is all I ask of thee to give.

****** of all virgins best,
Listen to my fond request
Let me share thy grief divine.
Let me, to my latest breath,
In my body bear the death
Of that dying Son of thine.

Wounded with His every wound,
Steep my soul till it hath swoon'd
In His very blood away.
Be to me, O ******, nigh,
Lest in flames I burn and die,
In His awful Judgment day.

Christ, when Thou shalt call me hence,
Be Thy Mother my defence,
Be Thy cross my victory.
While my body here decays,
May my soul Thy goodness praise,
Safe in Paradise with Thee.

Life is an advance:
what you borrow is Time,
no limit it seems, at the start.
Silver in months, years are in Gold

Life is a lease:
its terms inflexible
locked in from day one.
Silver in seasons, ages in Gold

Love is a lending:
that seeks no return
the interest compounded each day.
Silver in reasons and values in Gold

Death is a debt
a bond that is broken
no interest in life from the start.
Pay-off in sorrows - heartbreak untold.

TOBIAS

Rustling voices grassland stirs
lisping to trees and flowers:
rising in branches of the firs,
whispering to nesting bowers
urging birds to sing of Spring.
Snowdrops, shamrock, greet
Winter’s sun and shyly bring
crocus out in lane, brae, street.
Now bare lilac buds melt away
frosty hints of doubt and sorrow,
drooped with tears of rain today,
they shall laugh in leaf  tomorrow.

As for you and me? A fresh refrain:
“Take new heart – Begin Again!”

TOBIAS

Where does it go
that hour
when clocks
go back
or forward?

Does time stop
to welcome
Spring's return,
bidding the
Winter - farewell?

Or, pause
for  Summer's
lease to bring
in Autumn's
early eves?

No: sleep lost
or gained
holds secret
the time
and the hour.

Change as you
may the hands of
watch or clock:
the sundial shadow
falls unaltered.

TOBIAS

C'est un trou de verdure, où chante une riviere
Accrochant follement aux herbes des haillons
D'argent, où le soleil, de la montagne fière,
Luit:  c'est un petit val qui mousse de rayons.
Un soldat jeune, bouche ouverte, tête nue
Et la nuque baignant dans le frais cresson bleu,
Dort; il est étendu dans 1'herbe, sous la nue,
Pâle dans son lit vert où la lumiere pleut.
Les pieds dans les glaïeuls, il dort.  Souriant comme
Sourirait un enfant malade, il fait un somme.
Nature, berce-le chaudement:  il a froid!
Les parfums ne font pas frissonner sa narine;
II dort dans le soleil, la main stir sa poitrine,
Tranquille. Il a deux trous rouges au côté droit.

Arthur Rimbaud,  Oeuvres

translation:

THE VALLEY SLEEPER

It's a green vale where a river runs
clawing madly at silver herbs that toss
shade, while from proud mountain the sun's
rays fall on a crater foaming with moss.

A young soldier, mouth open, head bare,
neck nape bathed in blue water cress
sleeps; white faced, of clouds unaware
and in green bed, the light's caress.

Feet in gladioli, smiling, dozing, still
as a sick child smiles, he is taking a rest.
His nostrils uncloyed by scents,
he sleeps in the sun, hand on chest,
In his right side are two red rents.

TOBIAS

A password forgetter
I knew
asked me what could
they do?
I thought for a while,
then said
with a wry smile,
"Just get on the 'phone
to GCHQ!"

While reviewing new battle ships,
in fleet form on the river Rhine,
Angela Merkel, wanting to dine.
ordered on her mobile, calimara,
then overheard Barack Obama
suggest doughnuts, pizza and dips.

Angela retorted with Aw! Gee!
Barack, I know what you had for tea.
According to my twitters
at breakfast Putin had fritters.
You're wearing red boxers - I'm told;
Michelle's choice of  knickers is gold.

TOBIAS

On the balcony parapet
a despairing cat owner:
***** wails - “Before you
drop - where’s the tin opener?”.