I was much too far out all my life

2002 was Stevie Smith's 100th birthday. Here's a beautiful homage website about her.

Well, mostly beautiful. The website creator lets anyone leave any Comments they want, and never deletes anything -- and some of the Comments are very ... blunt and ugly.

I can understand not liking a particular poet ... I detest Emily Dickinson myself ... but how on earth can poems make you angry and crazy and meanspirited?

Glenda Jackson portrayed Stevie Smith in the movie "Stevie."

"larking" means goofing around, kidding around, making practical jokes.

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Not Waving But Drowning
by Stevie Smith (1902 - 1971)

Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he's dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.

Copyright (c) 1962, 1964 by Stevie Smith