'May you live in interesting times.' Chinese curse

Being Boring

‘May you live in interesting times.’ Chinese curse

 

If you ask me ‘What’s new?’, I have nothing to say

Except that the garden is growing.

I had a slight cold but it’s better today.

I’m content with the way things are going.

Yes, he is the same as he usually is,

Still eating and sleeping and snoring.

I get on with my work. He gets on with his.

I know this is all very boring.

 

There was drama enough in my turbulent past:

Tears and passion – I’ve used up a tankful.

No news is good news, and long may it last.

If nothing much happens, I’m thankful.

A happier cabbage you never did see,

My vegetable spirits are soaring.

If you’re after excitement, steer well clear of me.

I want to go on being boring.

 

I don’t go to parties. Well, what are they for,

If you don’t need to find a new lover?

You drink and you listen and drink a bit more

And you take the next day to recover.

Someone to stay home with was all my desire

And, now that I’ve found a safe mooring,

I’ve just one ambition in life: I aspire

To go on and on being boring.

 

by  Wendy Cope

This entry was posted in Literature, National Poetry Month 2008, Poetry, Uncategorized, Writing, creative and tagged . Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post. Both comments and trackbacks are currently closed.

One Comment

  1. Posted June 29, 2008 at 6:07 pm by Margaret Dhu | Permalink

    I deeply adore this poem. Perhaps because it describes my present state of Being. I’ve contemplated It in chess terms: opening, middle and end games. Having just entered end game, I am learning a NEW consciousness. Originally feeling guilty for being “boring” as you have elucidated it. Your poem is such a validating confirmation that I’m just fine.
    Thank you