At Year's End

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <script type="text/javascript"> //OwnerIQ var __oiq_pct = 50; if( __oiq_pct>=100 || Math.floor(Math.random()*100/(100-__oiq_pct)) > 0 ) { var _oiqq = _oiqq || []; _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageBrand','Lycos']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageCat','Internet > Websites']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_addPageLifecycle','Intend']); _oiqq.push(['oiq_doTag']); (function() { var oiq = document.createElement('script'); oiq.type = 'text/javascript'; oiq.async = true; oiq.src = document.location.protocol + '//px.owneriq.net/stas/s/lycosn.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(oiq, s); })(); } //Google Analytics var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount','UA-21402695-19']); _gaq.push(['_setDomainName','tripod.com']); _gaq.push(['_setCustomVar',1,'member_name','batsword',3]); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })(); //Lycos Init function getReferrer() { var all= this.document.cookie; if (all== '') return false; var cookie_name = 'REFERRER='; var start = all.lastIndexOf(cookie_name); if (start == -1) return false; start += cookie_name.length; var end = all.indexOf(';', start); if (end == -1) end = all.length; return all.substring(start, end); } function getQuery() { var rfr = getReferrer(); if (rfr == '') return false; var q = extractQuery(rfr, 'yahoo.com', 'p='); if (q) return q; q = extractQuery(rfr, '', 'q='); return q ? q : ""; } function extractQuery(full, site, q_param) { var start = full.lastIndexOf(site); if (start == -1) return false; start = full.lastIndexOf(q_param); if (start == -1) return false; start += q_param.length; var end = full.indexOf('&', start); if (end == -1) end = full.length; return unescape(full.substring(start, end)).split(" ").join("+"); } function generateHref(atag, template){ atag.href=template.replace('_MYURL_', window.location.href.replace('http://', '')).replace('_MYTITLE_','Check%20out%20this%20Tripod%20Member%20site!'); } var lycos_ad = Array(); var lycos_onload_timer; var cm_role = "live"; var cm_host = "tripod.lycos.com"; var cm_taxid = "/memberembedded"; var tripod_member_name = "batsword"; var tripod_member_page = "batsword/id34.htm"; var tripod_ratings_hash = "1735569276:3dfb7c893fd7777f6915fb70b161c9f0"; var lycos_ad_category = {"find_what":"dominios"}; var lycos_ad_remote_addr = "209.202.244.9"; var lycos_ad_www_server = "www.tripod.lycos.com"; var lycos_ad_track_small = ""; var lycos_ad_track_served = ""; var lycos_search_query = getQuery(); </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="https://scripts.lycos.com/catman/init.js"></script> <script type='text/javascript'> var googletag = googletag || {}; googletag.cmd = googletag.cmd || []; (function() { var gads = document.createElement('script'); gads.async = true; gads.type = 'text/javascript'; var useSSL = 'https:' == document.location.protocol; gads.src = (useSSL ? 'https:' : 'http:') + '//www.googletagservices.com/tag/js/gpt.js'; var node = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; node.parentNode.insertBefore(gads, node); })(); </script> <script type='text/javascript'> googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/TRI_300X250_dfp', [300, 250], 'div-gpt-ad-1450204159126-0').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/TRI_above_728x90_dfp', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1450204159126-1').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.defineSlot('/95963596/TRI_below_728x90_dfp', [728, 90], 'div-gpt-ad-1450204159126-2').addService(googletag.pubads()); googletag.pubads().enableSingleRequest(); googletag.enableServices(); }); </script> <script type="text/javascript"> (function(isV) { if( !isV ) { return; } var adMgr = new AdManager(); var lycos_prod_set = adMgr.chooseProductSet(); var slots = ["leaderboard", "leaderboard2", "toolbar_image", "toolbar_text", "smallbox", "top_promo", "footer2", "slider"]; var adCat = this.lycos_ad_category; adMgr.setForcedParam('page', (adCat && adCat.dmoz) ? adCat.dmoz : 'member'); if (this.lycos_search_query) { adMgr.setForcedParam("keyword", this.lycos_search_query); } else if(adCat && adCat.find_what) { adMgr.setForcedParam('keyword', adCat.find_what); } for (var s in slots) { var slot = slots[s]; if (adMgr.isSlotAvailable(slot)) { this.lycos_ad[slot] = adMgr.getSlot(slot); } } adMgr.renderHeader(); adMgr.renderFooter(); }((function() { var w = 0, h = 0, minimumThreshold = 300; if (top == self) { return true; } if (typeof(window.innerWidth) == 'number' ) { w = window.innerWidth; h = window.innerHeight; } else if (document.documentElement && (document.documentElement.clientWidth || document.documentElement.clientHeight)) { w = document.documentElement.clientWidth; h = document.documentElement.clientHeight; } else if (document.body && (document.body.clientWidth || document.body.clientHeight)) { w = document.body.clientWidth; h = document.body.clientHeight; } return ((w > minimumThreshold) && (h > minimumThreshold)); }()))); window.onload = function() { var f = document.getElementById("FooterAd"); var b = document.getElementsByTagName("body")[0]; b.appendChild(f); f.style.display = "block"; document.getElementById('lycosFooterAdiFrame').src = '/adm/ad/footerAd.iframe.html'; // DOM Inj Ad (function(isTrellix) { var e = document.createElement('iframe'); e.style.border = '0'; e.style.margin = 0; e.style.display = 'block'; e.style.cssFloat = 'right'; e.style.height = '254px'; e.style.overflow = 'hidden'; e.style.padding = 0; e.style.width = '300px'; var isBlokedByDomain = function( href ) { var blockedDomains = [ "ananyaporn13000.tripod.com", "xxxpornxxx.tripod.com" ]; var flag = false; for( var i=0; i<blockedDomains.length; i++ ) { if( href.search( blockedDomains[ i ] ) >= 0 ) { flag = true; } } return flag; } var getMetaContent = function( metaName ) { var metas = document.getElementsByTagName('meta'); for (i=0; i<metas.length; i++) { if( metas[i].getAttribute("name") == metaName ) { return metas[i].getAttribute("content"); } } return false; } var getCommentNodes = function(regexPattern) { var nodes = {}; var nodesA = []; var preferredNodesList = ['a', 'c', 'b']; (function getNodesThatHaveComments(n, pattern) { if (n.hasChildNodes()) { if (n.tagName === 'IFRAME') { return false; } for (var i = 0; i < n.childNodes.length; i++) { if ((n.childNodes[i].nodeType === 8) && (pattern.test(n.childNodes[i].nodeValue))) { var areaName = pattern.exec(n.childNodes[i].nodeValue)[1]; nodes[areaName] = n; } else if (n.childNodes[i].nodeType === 1) { getNodesThatHaveComments(n.childNodes[i], pattern); } } } }(document.body, regexPattern)); for (var i in preferredNodesList) { if (nodes[preferredNodesList[i]]) { if( isTrellix && nodes[preferredNodesList[i]].parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode ) { nodesA.push(nodes[preferredNodesList[i]].parentNode.parentNode.parentNode.parentNode); } else { nodesA.push( nodes[preferredNodesList[i]] ); } } } return nodesA; } var properNode = null; var areaNodes = getCommentNodes( new RegExp( '^area Type="area_(\\w+)"' ) ); for (var i = 0; i < areaNodes.length; i++) { var a = parseInt(getComputedStyle(areaNodes[i]).width); if ((a >= 300) && (a <= 400)) { properNode = areaNodes[i]; break; } } var propertyName = getMetaContent("property") || false; if( isTrellix && (properNode) ) { e.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; properNode.insertBefore(e, properNode.firstChild); } else if( isTrellix && !( properNode ) ) // Slap the ad eventhought there is no alocated slot { e.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; e.style.cssFloat = 'none'; var cdiv = document.createElement('div'); cdiv.style = "width:300px;margin:10px auto;"; cdiv.appendChild( e ); b.insertBefore(cdiv, b.lastChild); } else if( !isBlokedByDomain( location.href ) ) { var injF = document.createElement('iframe'); injF.style.border = '0'; injF.style.margin = 0; injF.style.display = 'block'; injF.style.cssFloat = 'none'; injF.style.height = '254px'; injF.style.overflow = 'hidden'; injF.style.padding = 0; injF.style.width = '300px'; injF.src = '/adm/ad/injectAd.iframe.html'; if( b && ( !isTrellix || ( typeof isTrellix == "undefined" ) ) ) // All other tripod props { var cdiv = document.createElement('div'); cdiv.style = "width:300px;margin:10px auto;"; cdiv.appendChild( injF ); b.insertBefore(cdiv, b.lastChild); } } }( document.isTrellix )); } </script> <div id="tb_container" style="background:#DFDCCF; border-bottom:1px solid #393939; position:relative; z-index:999999999!important">  <style> .adCenterClass{margin:0 auto} </style> <div id="tb_ad" class="adCenterClass" style="display:block!important; overflow:hidden; width:916px;"> <div id="ad_container" style="display:block!important; float:left; width:728px "> <script type="text/javascript"> if (typeof lycos_ad !== "undefined" && "leaderboard" in lycos_ad) { document.write(lycos_ad['leaderboard']); } </script> </div> </div> </div> <script type="text/javascript"> if (typeof lycos_ad !== "undefined" && "slider" in lycos_ad) { document.write(lycos_ad['slider']); } </script>  <div id="FooterAd" style="background:#DFDCCF; border-top:1px solid #393939; clear:both; display:none; width:100%!important; position:relative; z-index:999999!important; height:90px!important"> <div class="adCenterClass" style="display:block!important; overflow:hidden; width:916px;"> <div id="footerAd_container" style="display:block!important; float:left; width:728px"> <iframe id="lycosFooterAdiFrame" style="border:0; display:block; float:left; height:96px; overflow:hidden; padding:0; width:750px"></iframe> </div> </div> </div> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" height=125 BGCOLOR="#996699" TEXT="#080000" bgproperties="fixed" background="03f467d1erlcll.gif"> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Batsword"><U>Batsword</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contents"><U>Contents</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id108.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Briefs"><U>Briefs</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact and Publications"><U>Contact and Publications</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id113.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Haiga"><U>Haiga</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id112.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Home Sweet Home"><U>Home Sweet Home</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id111.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Those Good Old School Days"><U>Those Good Old School Days</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id110.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Lights in Dry Nights"><U>Lights in Dry Nights</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id103.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Planetary Passion"><U>Planetary Passion</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id107.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Fiddling With Their Blarney"><U>Fiddling With Their Blarney</U></A>   |   <A HREF="summer_junicho.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Thistles Bloom Again"><U>Thistles Bloom Again</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id104.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="You: A Big Word In Poetry"><U>You: A Big Word In Poetry</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id102.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="How Sacred Is Sacred?"><U>How Sacred Is Sacred?</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id106.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Perspectives"><U>Perspectives</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id97.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="RIP Jerry"><U>RIP Jerry</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id99.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The End of Conservatism"><U>The End of Conservatism</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id96.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Why Do You Need To Kill?"><U>Why Do You Need To Kill?</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id95.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Triggered Thoughts"><U>Triggered Thoughts</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id93.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Post Santa Therapy"><U>Post Santa Therapy</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id90.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Naughty Mufti"><U>Naughty Mufti</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id89.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Clashes of Culture"><U>Clashes of Culture</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id88.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bin Laden In Retirement"><U>Bin Laden In Retirement</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id87.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Remembering Katrina"><U>Remembering Katrina</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id85.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Reproduction Rights Pantoum"><U>Reproduction Rights Pantoum</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id83.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Cyber Assault"><U>Cyber Assault</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id81.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="For The Women of South Dakota"><U>For The Women of South Dakota</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id80.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Whats Up Doc?"><U>What's Up Doc?</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id78.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="December Downunder"><U>December Downunder</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id77.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Some Say"><U>Some Say</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id75.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Beat Goes On..."><U>The Beat Goes On...</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id74.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sensitive Ears"><U>Sensitive Ears</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id73.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Poem For Kate"><U>Poem For Kate</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id71.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Waiting For White Smoke"><U>Waiting For White Smoke</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id68.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Tsunami"><U>Tsunami</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id67.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Violated Votes"><U>Violated Votes</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id65.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Safer and More Secure World"><U>A Safer and More Secure World</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id57.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Viewpoints"><U>Viewpoints</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id56.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE=" Tranquillity Bay"><U>  Tranquillity Bay</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id55.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Bloodlines and Body"><U>Bloodlines and Body</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id54.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="After Thanksgiving Comes Christmas"><U>After Thanksgiving Comes Christmas</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id51.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Energy of Feng"><U>Energy of Feng</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id47.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="There Is Nothing Lovelier"><U>There Is Nothing Lovelier</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id36.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Number SixtyEight"><U>Number Sixty-Eight</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="AudioPoems"><U>AudioPoems</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id70.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sunset At The Lighthouse"><U>Sunset At The Lighthouse</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id53.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Free Again"><U>Free Again</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id35.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Growth Regrowth Regeneration"><U>Growth Regrowth Regeneration</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Snowwalking"><U>Snow-walking</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id98.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Day That Elvis Died"><U>The Day That Elvis Died</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id23.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Dancing Diamonds on Ruffled Eider Feathe"><U>Dancing Diamonds on Ruffled Eider Feathers</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="After The Attack"><U>After The Attack</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Blues Addiction"><U>Blues Addiction</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id26.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Finding Balance"><U>Finding Balance</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id27.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Rocky Dreams"><U>Rocky Dreams</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id29.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Zero Is Not Meaningless"><U>Zero Is Not Meaningless</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id30.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="we talk and we walk together"><U>we talk and we walk together</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id32.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="New Cells"><U>New Cells</U></A>   |   At Year's End   |   <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Sonnet For My Botox Baby"><U>A Sonnet For My Botox Baby</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id50.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Life Is Short"><U>Life Is Short</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id38.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="VPG"><U>VPG</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id69.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="In The Cool of The Night"><U>In The Cool of The Night</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id39.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Multicultural Insurrection"><U>Multicultural Insurrection</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id41.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Seventh Heaven"><U>Seventh Heaven</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id48.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Flashlights Of Shock and Awe"><U>Flashlights Of Shock and Awe</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id60.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="18 ways to a successful relationship"><U>18 ways to a successful relationship</U></A>   |   <A HREF="id22.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Barbie"><U>Barbie</U></A></div> <bR> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" height=355 BGCOLOR="#CCFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>  <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript"> var sc_project=1116347; var sc_invisible=1; var sc_partition=10; var sc_security="916d3f3d"; </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/counter.js"></script><noscript><a href="http://www.statcounter.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://c11.statcounter.com/counter.php?sc_project=1116347&java=0&security=916d3f3d&invisible=1" alt="free hit counter script" border="0"></a> </noscript>   </b></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Batsword"><U><B>women poetry australia</b></U></A></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <B>At Year's End</b></div> <bR> <div> When time is sparing</div> <div> and the threat of nuclear war </div> <div> looms on your doorstep, </div> <div> it is not Christmas, but</div> <div> mellow songs of birds </div> <div> chorusing like angels </div> <div> that bring true joy and hallelujah</div> <div> harmony; it is the fresh ocean </div> <div> breezes with warm wind in my hair,</div> <div> and the salty smell of sea</div> <div> that make me thirsty, yearn</div> <div> for your sun-kissed energy;</div> <div> it is the feel of the rolling waves</div> <div> and the sensing of tides, </div> <div> roaring, eddying, spume and spray </div> <div> on craggy starfish'd rocks</div> <div> this Christmas day.</div> <bR> <div> Alone with friendly dolphins</div> <div> I'll swim and splash till sunset's final dot</div> <div> where reflected lights on waters </div> <div> shine like shimmering diamonds,</div> <div> this perfect summer night;</div> <div> I'll be thinking of you </div> <div> - your coldness, ice and snow, afar </div> <div> in glistening white landscapes of </div> <div> sparkling crystal'd pine cones and </div> <div> skipping deer. But lo! forever, </div> <div> the blue wren, the scarlet robin</div> <div> still sing. They sing</div> <div> of peace and love</div> <div> for you and for me,</div> <div> for the whole world.</div> <bR> <div> ~~~ </div> <bR> <bR> <div> ©barbaraataylor2002</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <I>first published in anthology: </I></div> <div> <I>That Festive Feeling, </I><I>Forward Press, UK, 2007</I></div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <A HREF="id63.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="A Sonnet For My Botox Baby"><U><IMG SRC="05730260.gif" border=0 width="48" height="38" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></A></div> </td> </tr></table></body>