Thursday, March 31, 2011

Jabberwocky

While traveling around cyberspace this morning visiting blogs I follow, Jaime, over at Rhayne, posted a much loved childhood poem entitled, Wynken, Blynken and Nod by Eugene Field and it reminded me of another favorite childhood poem my Mother read to my brother and I.

Written by Lewis Carroll, it's entitled Jabberwocky. I gave her a framed copy of it one year for either her birthday or Christmas. It now sits on my filing cabinet where I can read it any time I want.

Jabberwocky
by Lewis Carroll

'Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the momeraths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"
He chortled in his joy.

"Twas brillig, and slithy toves
Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
And the momeraths outgabe.

Long ago and far away is my childhood but when I read this poem I can be back there in the blink of an eye to hear my Mother's voice.

Namaste
Chris

1 comment:

Lisa Johnson said...

Beautiful post Chris! My mom used to read me poetry too. A few years ago, she actually gave me the book of poems that she had kept all these years. It's "A Child's Garden of Verses" by Robert Louis Stevenson. Even looking at the book now, with the beautiful illustrations, makes me remember that magical feeling.

Maybe love for poems as children helped to get us both into writing now? : )