[A poem on the occasion of this image, sent to me by Chris Ambidge:]
Les cygnes
Where are the swans of
Yesteryear, royal
Signs — imperious elegant
Petulant?They’ve become boats,
Carnival creatures, soap logos —
Adorable, reassuring.How did they go this way?
Wann ist der letzte Schwan gefahren?
November 19, 2011 at 7:35 pm |
Thought inducing poem – capitalizing on a Swan’s beauty, lessens the beauty. Very nice.
November 20, 2011 at 7:43 am |
Niggling pedantic note: Fahren uses sein as perfect-forming auxiliary, so the last line should read Wann ist der letzte Schwan gefahren?
Is this intended as a reference to Yussi Bjoerling’s crack “when is the next swan?”, after the stagehands at the Met pulled his Lohengrin getaway swan off the stage before he got on it?
November 20, 2011 at 8:35 am |
Thanks for the auxiliary correction. I’ve altered the text.
Yes, it was intended as a reference to the Lohengrin story — but the story seems to have been about Leo Slezak rather than Jussi Björling. From the Wikipedia page on Slezak:
November 21, 2011 at 10:27 am |
aRNuLd thankYu foR the pOMe aboWT SWaNZZ!
– yr fRend ELliott J SwaN
November 21, 2011 at 10:34 am |
Though I said the photo was from Chris Ambidge, Chris in fact merely passed it on to me from Elliott J. Swan.
November 23, 2011 at 2:15 am |
I thought that all the swans in England were being caught, cooked, and eaten by Gypsies and Travellers. At least that’s what the tabloid press says is happening to them…
November 23, 2011 at 3:19 am |
Then England has changed since this limerick made the rounds:
There was a young man from St John’s
Who wanted to bugger the swans
“Oh no,” said the porter,
“Please take my daughter,
The swans are reserved for the dons”