Before I knocked-Richard Burton

[ti:Before I Knocked] [ar:Richard Burton] [al:Richard Burton Reads Dylan Thomas] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Before I Knocked - Richard Burton [00:00.91]Before I knocked and flesh let enter [00:03.39]With liquid hands tapped on the womb [00:05.78] [00:06.32]I who was as shapeless as the water [00:08.72]That shaped the Jordan near my home [00:10.61] [00:11.26]Was brother to Mnetha's daughter [00:13.47]And sister to the fathering worm [00:15.65] [00:17.37]I who was deaf to spring and summer [00:19.85]Who knew not sun nor moon by name [00:22.20]Felt thud beneath my flesh's armour [00:24.30] [00:24.90]As yet was in a molten form [00:27.02]The leaden stars the rainy hammer [00:29.49]Swung by my father from his dome [00:32.18] [00:33.68]I knew the message of the winter [00:35.59]The darted hail the childish snow [00:37.83]And the wind was my sister suitor; [00:40.19]Wind in me leaped the hellborn dew; [00:42.87]My veins flowed with the Eastern weather; [00:45.37] [00:45.89]Ungotten I knew night and day [00:49.35] [00:50.53]As yet ungotten I did suffer; [00:53.85]The rack of dreams my lily bones [00:56.07]Did twist into a living cipher [00:58.54]And flesh was snipped to cross the lines [01:00.88]Of gallow crosses on the liver [01:03.02]And brambles in the wringing brains [01:05.21] [01:07.63]My throat knew thirst before the structure [01:09.96]Of skin and vein around the well [01:12.63]Where words and water make a mixture [01:14.89]Unfailing till the blood runs foul; [01:17.49]My heart knew love my belly hunger; [01:20.24] [01:21.04]I smelt the maggot in my stool [01:23.44] [01:25.18]And time cast forth my mortal creature [01:28.47]To drift or drown upon the seas [01:31.21]Acquainted with the salt adventure [01:33.08]Of tides that never touch the shores [01:35.50] [01:36.20]I who was rich was made the richer [01:38.72] [01:39.32]By sipping at the vine of days [01:41.60] [01:43.22]I born of flesh and ghost was neither [01:45.54]A ghost nor man but mortal ghost [01:48.37] [01:48.92]And I was struck down by death's feather [01:51.74]I was a mortal to the last [01:53.74]Long breath that carried to my father [01:56.10]The message of his dying christ [01:58.24] [02:00.82]You who bow down at cross and altar [02:03.61] [02:04.53]Remember me and pity Him [02:07.26] [02:08.44]Who took my flesh and bone for armour [02:11.27] [02:12.03]And doublecrossed my mother's womb