You Must Always Be Intoxicated

[delga]

Today's poem is dedicated to tigertrapped because it's her favourite :)

You must always be intoxicated

You must always be intoxicated.
That sums it all up: it's the only question.
In order not to feel the horrible burden of Time
which breaks your back and bends you down to earth,
you must be unremittingly intoxicated.
But on what? Wine, poetry, virtue, as you please.
But never be sober.
And if it should chance that sometimes, on the steps of
a palace, on the green grass of a ditch, in the bleak
solitude of your room, you wake up and your intoxication
has already diminished or disappeared, ask the wind,
the wave, the star, the bird, the clock, ask everything
that sings, everything that speaks, ask them what time
it is and the wind, the wave, the star, the bird, the clock
will reply: It's time to be intoxicated!
If you do not wish to be one of the tortured slaves of
Time, never be sober; never ever be sober! Use wine, poetry
or virtue, as you please.

-- Charles-Pierre Baudelaire

--

In other news - worked an extra hour today. So so bored. Weather, however, is gorgeous. I love this not-too-hot, not-too-cold weather. Just enough of a breeze to make everything enjoyable. *happy sigh*

Comments

[tigertrapped.livejournal.com]

Thank you that, dear heart. It perked me up no end. So, is wine, poetry or virtue, your drug of choice? I'm thinking you would choose poetry. I'm sworn off wine and seem to have misplaced my virtue somewhere along the way (As has been said, "You lost your virginity?" "No, I know exactly where I put it."). Happy Sunday.