POETRY IS LIKE TAKING A DEEP BREATH

Thursday 4 November 2010

AS MUCH AS YOU CAN

Cocktail Party by Mike Jones


Even if you can't shape your life the way you want,
at least try as much as you can
not to degrade it
by too much contact with the world,
by too much activity and talk.

Do not degrade it by dragging it along,
taking it around and exposing it so often
to the daily silliness
of social relations and parties,
until it comes to seem a boring hanger-on.


C.P. Cavafy
1863-1933


translated by Edmund Keeley and Philip Sherrard