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Books at Bedtime By Calming Anxiety - Alone The Immortals - By Lord Dunsany
Published 16 hours ago
Description
Alone the Immortals by Lord Dunsany — A Short, Dreamlike Bedtime Story for Sleep & Insomnia | Books at Bedtime
Drift off to sleep with Alone the Immortals by Lord Dunsany, a short, beautiful and deeply comforting prose poem about the years that have passed and where they go, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.
The narrator has heard a rumour: that far away, beyond the deserts, in a country dedicated to winter, there is a hidden valley where all the years that have died are shut away, hidden from the world but not from the moon, nor from those who dream by its light. So he resolves to travel there by ways of dream, to mourn the good years that are gone and lay a wreath of sorrow at their feet.
But no flower seems frail enough for such an offering. The lily looks too large and the laurel too solemn, until at last he weaves a slender chain of daisies, the way he once saw a girl make one in a summer long ago. With his little wreath in hand, he follows paths of mystery to the moonlit valley, searching the grass for the poor, slight years he came to mourn. What he finds there is not at all what he expected.
This classic short story for adults is a gentle wind-down for a busy mind, with Dunsany's lyrical, dreamlike prose, a quietly consoling ending and Martin's calm, unhurried narration. It's a lovely, peaceful listen for anyone who finds themselves looking back on years gone by as they drift towards sleep.
If you enjoyed it, you'll find more Lord Dunsany on Books at Bedtime, including The Hen, A Moral Little Tale and The Return of the Exiles, all from the same collection.
Alone the Immortals was first published in Fifty-One Tales (London: Elkin Mathews; New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1915). Lord Dunsany (1878–1957).
Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, in beta on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box
Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.
Drift off to sleep with Alone the Immortals by Lord Dunsany, a short, beautiful and deeply comforting prose poem about the years that have passed and where they go, read aloud by Martin Hewlett on Books at Bedtime, the sleep story series from Calming Anxiety.
The narrator has heard a rumour: that far away, beyond the deserts, in a country dedicated to winter, there is a hidden valley where all the years that have died are shut away, hidden from the world but not from the moon, nor from those who dream by its light. So he resolves to travel there by ways of dream, to mourn the good years that are gone and lay a wreath of sorrow at their feet.
But no flower seems frail enough for such an offering. The lily looks too large and the laurel too solemn, until at last he weaves a slender chain of daisies, the way he once saw a girl make one in a summer long ago. With his little wreath in hand, he follows paths of mystery to the moonlit valley, searching the grass for the poor, slight years he came to mourn. What he finds there is not at all what he expected.
This classic short story for adults is a gentle wind-down for a busy mind, with Dunsany's lyrical, dreamlike prose, a quietly consoling ending and Martin's calm, unhurried narration. It's a lovely, peaceful listen for anyone who finds themselves looking back on years gone by as they drift towards sleep.
If you enjoyed it, you'll find more Lord Dunsany on Books at Bedtime, including The Hen, A Moral Little Tale and The Return of the Exiles, all from the same collection.
Alone the Immortals was first published in Fifty-One Tales (London: Elkin Mathews; New York: Mitchell Kennerley, 1915). Lord Dunsany (1878–1957).
Hosted by clinical hypnotherapist and former paramedic Martin Hewlett.
📱 Listen to Books at Bedtime in the Anchored app, offline and with the screen off, so you can fall asleep without a bright phone in your hand:
iPhone: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/anchored-panic-anxiety/id6785035669
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.martinhewlett.anchored
🧡 For Martin's calming tips, visit: https://calminganxiety.org/calm
🌱 Try Thole, Martin's new health and wellness app, in beta on iPhone: https://testflight.apple.com/join/aUKB8W7N
Sleep well, my friend. And in everything, be kind.
Rate & Review: Leave a 5-star review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to help us reach more listeners!
YouTube: Watch all episodes at https://www.youtube.com/c/calminganxiety?sub_confirmation=1
Social Media Support: For younger listeners struggling with social media stress, visit https://www.icanhelp.net/
Music: All music by Chris Collins at Indie Music Box
Ready for More Calm?Thank you for listening to the Calming Anxiety Podcast, featuring guided meditation, mindfulness, and sleep hypnosis sessions with Martin Hewlett. Our mission is to provide you with proven tools for anxiety relief, stress reduction, and a path toward deep relaxation. Use this episode anytime you need to calm your mind and feel more at ease.