...
nothing I cared, in the lambwhite days, that time would take me
up to the swallow thronged loft by the shadow of my hand,
in the moon that is always rising,
nor that riding to sleep
I should hear him fly with the high fields
and wake to the farm forever fled from the childless land.
Oh as I was young and easy in the mercy of his means,
time held me green and dying
though I sang in my chains like the sea.

thanks to wood s lot

Those that read this regularly know that I also do an Internet webcast every other Monday from my living room called TestingTesting. Although TestingTesting is primarily a music show, we do have some spoken word and had a local poet, Barton Cole, on the show over a year ago reading his poetry. In addition to his poems, he read one of his favorites - Fern Hill. After he started reading it the TestingTesting House Band started improvising along with the poem. The poem ended and the music continued and then Barton came in on harmonica. It was a magic moment. Here is the RealAudio link to hear Barton's reading of Fern Hill:

If the link doesn't work for you you can go to the TT Download RealAudio page for instructions on how to make it work.

Barton became a regular on the show after his Fern Hill show. He does a regular spoken word piece he calls "Commentary from the Wires". His piece on our recent IAC Benefit Concert (we do get out of the living room occasionally) was great. Check it out. Check out the other acts. Check out our other shows.

And Halloween is coming up. Some of our overly Christian friends seem to be having a problem with this harmless annual event. This is what I think of that.