Blake and God


By Heathcote Williams

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4 Responses to Blake and God

    1. ‘their’ not his -must mean Blake and God’s knuckles?

      Comment by su rose on 9 February, 2013 at 5:04 pm
    2. Blake’s belief in God and angels:
      I wrote this poem as a poster poem (illustrated by Blake) for an event in Stroud’s
      Subscription Rooms to celebrate Blake’s 252nd birthday on 28th November 2009 –
      speech should be in italics but inexplicably won’t print that way here

      birthday Blake amazes

      William Blake once saw
      he believed
      bright angel wings
      lighting a tree on Peckham Rye
      O imagine their shimmering
      beneath the miraculous morning sky

      Blake told his dear mother
      of this heavenly vision
      and she shielded him from
      his father’s derision
      O how this story stings

      yet this very November day
      I thought I saw little William lodged
      in bare branches of beech
      by the Sub’ Rooms of Stroud
      O see that spirit up our tree
      I shouted loud
      it’s William Blake
      it’s he

      O see his broad forehead
      his bold bulging eyes
      see his stocky form
      his short legs
      his clumsy thighs
      how come he’s up there then?
      the flower-stall man marvels
      did he fly like them bright wingèd angels?

      O no!
      his visionary verses
      defy gravity gravely
      O clouds unfold!
      his words soar bravely
      it’s Blake’s inner ear
      has gathered us here
      it’s Blake’s inner eye
      keeps him forever high

      Comment by jeff cloves on 3 January, 2018 at 4:47 pm
    3. Hi Jeff, can we put this one in the mag?

      Comment by Editor on 4 January, 2018 at 1:48 am
    4. yes
      I’ve already written to Nikvic

      Comment by jeff cloves on 4 January, 2018 at 5:00 pm

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