Twenty-four years remind the tears of my eyes.
(Bury the dead for fear that they walk to the grave in labour.)
In the groin of the natural doorway I crouched like a tailor
Sewing a shroud for a journey
By the light of the meat-eating sun.
Dressed to die, the sensual strut begun.
With my red veins full of money,
In the final direction of the elementary town
I advance as long as forever is.

About the headline (FAQ)

First published in Life and Letters Today, December 1938, revised 1939

Text Authorship:

• by Dylan Thomas (1914 - 1953), "Birthday poem" [author's text not yet checked against a primary source]

Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):

• by Ron Ford (b. 1959), "Twenty-four years", 1985, from Four songs on texts of Dylan Thomas, no. 2 [sung text checked 1 time]
• by Billy Jim Layton (b. 1924), "Twenty-four years", published 1964 [ SATB chorus, 2 trumpets, 2 horns, and 2 trombones ], from Three Dylan Thomas Poems [sung text not yet checked]
• by Richard Roderick-Jones (b. 1947), "Twenty-four years remind the tears of my eyes", 1966 [ mezzo-soprano, SATB chorus, flute, oboe, bassoon, violin, viola, violoncello, and contrabass ], from Should lanterns shine [sung text not yet checked]

Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]

This text was added to the website between May 1995 and September 2003.
Line count: 9
Word count: 75