Welcome everyone to another Friday Night Poetry Corner. This week I am featuring what may not officially be classified as a poem, but I believe the poetic vibe of this scene makes it one. Full disclosure, Blade Runner is to be one of the greatest science fiction films of all time. The movie is based on the late, great Phillip K. Dick’s “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.” If you have not read it, you need to–soon. In this scene, the late actor, Rutger Hauer played a replicant named “Roy Batty” spoke these poetic words in a powerful monolog to the protagonist, “Decker” who was played by Harrison Ford. It all happened on the rooftop—in the rain. The name of his poem is “Tears in Rain” to which Rutger himself wrote the lines the night before the primary shooting, changing how the same was supposed to go initially. I do believe it was for the better…
I’ve seen things, you people wouldn’t believe
Attack ships on fire off the shoulder of Orion
I’ve watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhäuser Gate
All those moments will be lost in time Like tears in rain
Time to die
-Rutger Hauer aka Roy Batty from Blade Runner
KG Bethlehem 