As part of London 2012 Festival, the cultural side of having lots of people run around a track as fast as they can, renowned theatre director Deborah Warner has been commissioned to create an installation encircling the coast of Britain. There will be a series of tented encampments set at some of our most beautiful coastal points. These encampments will celebrate the poetry of love. Peace Camp. What a thought.
Everyone in the UK is encouraged to submit their own love messages or suggest their own favourite poems, or even submit their own poetry for inclusion.
Hundreds of submissions and suggestions have already been made, including a poem by Lemn Sissay, and this one, chosen by actor Fiona Shaw, by another of my favourites, John Donne (1572 – 1631).
I love John Donne. I think you’ll love this.
The Good Morrow
I wonder, by my troth, what thou and I
Did, till we loved? Were we not weaned till then?
But sucked on country pleasures, childishly?
Or snorted we in the Seven Sleepers’ den?
‘Twas so; but this, all pleasures fancies be.
If ever any beauty I did see,
Which I desired, and got, ‘twas but a dream of thee.
And now good-morrow to our waking souls,
Which watch not one another out of fear;
For love, all love of other sights controls,
And makes one little room an everywhere.
Let sea-discoverers to new worlds have gone,
Let maps to other, worlds on worlds have shown,
Let us possess one world, each hath one, and is one.
My face in thine eye, thine in mine appears,
And true plain hearts do in the faces rest;
Where can we find two better hemispheres,
Without sharp north, without declining west?
Whatever dies, was not mixed equally;
If our two loves be one, or, thou and I
Love so alike, that none do slacken, one can die.
singlemaltmonkey 
Absolutely beautiful this! Thanks for sharing 😉
It is, Kemi, isn’t it – quite beautiful.
i am always amazed by what poets do…baffled as to how they translate their muse into words. thanks Al…this is a sterling example of this high art. continue…
Glad you liked it, Tony. It is quite wonderful. “……and makes one little room an everywhere……” – just love that line.
Peace Camp. Yes, what a beautiful thought.
Yes, I hope the cultural side of our Olympic year doesn’t get overshadowed by fast runners.
I don’t read a lot of poetry, but Huz is big on it. I had never heard of John Donne but I mentioned him to Huz as I read this poem several times to assimilate it. He smiled and nodded knowingly 🙂
Thank you for posting this, it’s lovely.
Glad you liked it, Mun. Huz has taste ( and now you do too 🙂 ).
What a wonderful way to embrace words and share with many who would otherwise not read them..
Loverly poem too.. Thank you for sharing!!!
You’re welcome 🙂
Made me catch my breath:
“an installation encircling the coast of Britain”
“For love, all love of other sights controls/ And makes one little room an everywhere.”
Interesting juxtaposition, too, considering that this project will make an entire country a single work of art. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing the poem and the project! This is almost making me reconsider my resolve to stay away from England during the Olympics!
(But wait! I can visit the Scotland location! Or Ireland! Aaahhh the possibilities. This is exciting.)
That’s more like it. London will be insane for the Olympics. The rest of the UK and England will be fine. But London ? Noooooooooooooo…………
Stay away, Lisa, it’s gonna be nuts ! 🙂
Awesome post, my friend!