The Long Road, poem by John Oxenham:

The Long Road

Poem by John Oxenham.

Long the road,
    Till Love came down it!
Dark the life,
    Till Love did crown it!
Dark the life,
    And long the road,
Till Love came
    To share the load!
For the touch
    Of Love transfigures
All the road
    And all its rigours.
Life and Death,
Love’s touch transfigures.
Life and Death
    And all that lies
In between,
Love sanctifies.
Once the heavenly spark is lighted,
Once in love two hearts united,
Nevermore
    Shall aught that was be
As before.

Recommended reading:

Bees in Amber: A Little Book of Thoughtful Verse

by John Oxenham.

Picture:

The Road Ahead (2019)

By Jack Kost

Video by Jack Kost
2025

Music credit:
Softer Love
By Clavier-Music
From Pixabay

Edgar Allan Poe, on inspiration and writing:

Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.

- Edgar Allan Poe.

On this day in movie history - Beat the Devil (2021):

Beat the Devil

directed and written by David Hare,

based on the monologue play by David Hare,

was released in the United Kingdom on November 11, 2021.
Music by George Fenton.

Cast:

Ralph Fiennes.

On this day in music history - Winter Poem, by Secret Garden (2011):

Winter Poem

Album by Secret Garden,

released November 11, 2011.

Track list:

Make a Wish; Song for a New Beginning; The Dream; Frozen in Time; Anticipation; Fionnnuala’s Cookie Jar; Mary’s Lament; Song at the End of the Day; Lament for a Frozen Flower; Powered By Nature; Suite.

On this day in movie history - Monster’s Ball (2001):

Monster’s Ball

directed by Marc Forster,

written by Milo Addica and Will Rokos,

released at the American Film Institute (AFI) festival in the United States on November 11, 2001.
Music by Asche and Spencer.

Cast:

Billy Bob Thornton, Halle Berry, Heath Ledger, Peter Boyle, Coronji Calhoun, Sean Combs, Mos Def, Charles Cowan Jr., Taylor LaGrange, Taylor Simpson, Gabrielle Witcher, Amber Rules, Anthony Bean, Francine Segal, John McConnell, Marcus Lyle Brown, Milo Addica, Leah Loftin, Larry Lee, Troy Poret, Paul Smith, Marshall Cain, Will Rokos, Anthony Michael Frederick, John Wilmot, Dennis Clements, Stephanie Claire, James Haven, Ritchie Montgomery, Clara Hopkins Daniels, Carol Sutton, Bernard Johnson, Hulon E. Crayton II, Jeanette Kontomitras, Earl Maddox, Anthony Marble.

On this day in music history - Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya, by Enya (1997):

Paint the Sky with Stars: The Best of Enya

Album by Enya,
released November 11, 1997.

Track list:

Orinoco Flow; Caribbean Blue; Book of Days; Anywhere Is; Only If; The Celts; China Roses; Shepherd Moons; Ebudae; Storms in Africa; Watermark; Paint the Sky with Stars; Marble Halls - Enya, Traditional; On My Way Home; The Memory of Trees; Boadicea.

On this day in the Star Trek universe:

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1989)

Star Trek: Voyager (1998)

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Season 3. Episode 8.

Episode entitled: The Price.

Released November 11, 1989.

Directed by Robert Scheerer.

Written by Hannah Louise Shearer, Richard Danus.

Created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by Ron Jones.

Cast: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, Wil Wheaton, Gates McFadden, Matt McCoy, Elizabeth Hoffman, Castulo Guerra, Scott Thomson, Dan Shor, Kevin Peter Hall, Colm Meaney, Majel Barrett, Michael Braveheart, Lorine Mendell, Eva Mar Pamintuan, J.R. Quinonez, Natalie Wood.

Star Trek: Voyager

Season 5. Episode 5.

Episode entitled: Once Upon a Time.

Released November 11, 1998.

Directed by John Kretchmer.

Created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, Jeri Taylor.

Written by Michael Taylor, Bryan Fuller, Nick Sagan.

Based on Star Trek, created by Gene Roddenberry.

Music by David Bell.

Cast: Kate Mulgrew, Robert Beltran, Roxann Biggs-Dawson, Robert Duncan McNeill, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo, Tim Russ, Garrett Wang, Jeri Ryan, Louis Ferreira / Justin Louis, Nancy Hower, Scarlett Pomers, Wallace Langham, Majel Barrett, Tarik Ergin, Phoenix Wong.