Poem: The Laws of Gods, The Laws of Man - A. E. Houseman

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The Laws of God, The Laws of Man by A. E. Housman

The laws of God, the laws of man,
He may keep that will and can;
Not I: let God and man decree
Laws for themselves and not for me;
And if my ways are not as theirs
Let them mind their own affairs.
Their deeds I judge and much condemn,
Yet when did I make laws for them?
Please yourselves, say I, and they
Need only look the other way.
But no, they will not; they must still
Wrest their neighbour to their will,
And make me dance as they desire
With jail and gallows and hell-fire.
And how am I to face the odds
Of man's bedevilment and God's?
I, a stranger and afraid
In a world I never made.
They will be master, right or wrong;
Though both are foolish, both are strong.
And since, my soul, we cannot fly
To Saturn nor to Mercury,
Keep we must, if keep we can,
These foreign laws of God and man.

Having read some of the poetry in this section I was struck by a recurring theme of God, Laws and the true meaning of iambic pentameter. I thought I would add this to depository.
 

DeletedUser

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Following on A E Houseman's mediocre attempt I thought that I would contrast this with the true genius of another world renowned poet :)


The True Path To Happiness by Archon of Corinth.

The Pie that launched a thousand ships
Sailed into Tiger Bay one day
And won the hearts and gastric strips
Of an entire city on half pay

As them that know knows; whisper
to the accompaniment of a harp
Calon lan lies in a pastry crust
Baked by the one and only
250px-Clark%27s_Pies_logo.png
:)

Believe me when I say that it doesn't get any better than .... a Clarks's pie ;)
 
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