I always enjoyed my English Literature classes in high school and college, though I cannot remember many of the details. One detail I do remember, however, is that I really liked the poetry of Ogden Nash (1902-1971). He was always creative, usually funny, often off-the-wall silly, sometimes wise, and
could, at times, be all of the above, all at once. (And, he had playful approach to the English language, as he invented words, altered spellings, and twisted phrases to suit his unique poetic and comic style.)
Here he is being funny and silly:
The Rhinoceros
The rhino is a homely beast,
For human eyes he’s not a feast.
Farewell, farewell, you old rhinoceros,
I’ll stare at something less prepoceros.
—-
The Eel
I don’t mind eels
Except as meals.
And the way they feels.
—
Reflection on Babies
A bit of talcum
Is always walcum.
—
The Fly
The Lord in His wisdom made the fly,
And then forgot to tell us why.
Here he is being funny and wise:
A Word to Husbands
To keep your marriage brimming
With love in the loving cup,
Whenever you’re wrong, admit it;
Whenever you’re right, shut up.
—
Reflection on Ingenuity
Here’s a good rule of thumb:
Too clever is dumb.
—
The Parent
Children aren’t happy with nothing to ignore,
And that’s what parents were created for.
And, Ogden Nash could be profound, even somber:
The Middle
When I remember bygone days
I think how evening follows morn;
So many I loved were not yet dead,
So many I love were not yet born.
It is the next poem, a longer one, that got me thinking about Ogden Nash in the first place. I was digging through my files, looking for ideas for a meditation I am writing for my grand-daughter’s wedding next month. First of all, to use one of Ogden Nash’s invented words, it is ‘prepoceros’ to think I have a GRAND-daughter getting married. How can that be? Not only that, but I went to a class reunion last month, and I was shocked to see how many old people were there this time. Anyway, I had already been thinking about how fast the years go by, and then I ran across this lighthearted, yet profound poem by Nash. It is not specifically religious, but it touches on several things our faith wants us to be concerned about: marriage, love, parenthood, the swift passage of time, and gratitude. (Don’t try to read it too fast; go slow and ponder.)
Preface to the Past by Ogden Nash
Time all of a sudden tightens the tether,
And the outspread years are drawn together.
How confusing the beams from memory’s lamp are;
One day a bachelor, the next a grampa.
What is the secret of the trick?
How did I get so old so quick?
Perhaps I can find by consulting the files
How step after step added up to miles.
I was sauntering along, my business minding,
When suddenly struck by affection blinding,
Which led to my being a parent nervous
Before they invented the diaper service.
I found myself in a novel pose,
Counting infant fingers and toes.
I tried to be as wise as Diogenes
In the rearing of my four little progenies,
But just as I hit upon wisdom’s essence
They changed from infants to adolescents.
I stood my ground, being fairly sure
That one of these days they must mature,
So when I was properly humbled and harried,
They did mature, and immediately married.
Now I’m counting, the cycle being complete,
The toes on my children’s children’s child’s feet.
Here lies my past, good-by I have kissed it;
Thank you, kids, I wouldn’t have missed it.
——————————
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James 4:14b — What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
Psalm 90:10…12 — Our days may come to seventy years, or eighty, if our strength endures; yet the best of them are but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away… Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Psalm 39:5-6 — Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. You have made my days a mere handbreadth; the span of my years is as nothing before you. Everyone is but a breath, even those who seem secure.
Job 8:9b – Our days upon earth are but a shadow.
Job 7:7a — Remember, O God, that my life is but a breath.
I Peter 1:24-25a — All people are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever.
*****************************
Spoken to the dying Gerontius by his Guardian Angel, in The Dream of Gerontius, by John Henry Newman:
—
“Farewell, but not forever! brother dear,
Be brave and patient on thy bed of sorrow;
Swiftly shall pass thy night of trial here,
And I will come and wake thee on the morrow.”
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