Poetic Thursday: Love After Love
This poem captures a little bit of the way I've been feeling these past few days. I've spent a lot of time thinking (which came together in my last post) and my thoughts have taken me into some unexpected places. And they've brought me to a strange elation, and appreciation of myself....past as well as present. I feel a little bit like I am greeting myself with a new warmth, with a new acceptance.
I want this for all of you, too.
I want this for all of you, too.
Love After Love
by David Walcott
The time will come
When, with elation,
You will greet yourself arriving
At your own door, in your own mirror,
And each will smile at the other's welcome,
And say, sit here, Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
To itself, to the stranger who has loved you
All your life, whom you ignored
For another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
The photographs, the desperate notes,
Peel your image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
by David Walcott
The time will come
When, with elation,
You will greet yourself arriving
At your own door, in your own mirror,
And each will smile at the other's welcome,
And say, sit here, Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
To itself, to the stranger who has loved you
All your life, whom you ignored
For another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,
The photographs, the desperate notes,
Peel your image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
Labels: Poetry Thursday
posted by Anonymous at 2:19 PM
9 Comments:
i felt that one in my spine and head and heart. it makes me hopeful. i needed this. thank you-and i wish the same for you.
hmmmm...this one rocked my soul.
it reminded me of a time when i had left a long term relationship and began to re-discover myself again. it is so easy to lose oneself in a relationship, be it marriage, commitment, friendship, family.
it is good when we can maintain our individuality and continue to see that person, love her, nurture her...sit and eat with her.
oooooh...such a powerful poem. wonderful, wonderful choice.
your taste in writing and your own writing is impeccable. xoxox
I have always loved this poem. What would it mean to you to "feast on your life"?
delightful idea here - so revitalizing!
This is a beautiful poem, thank you for finding it for all of us! I wish the same for you! Going to send you an email today!
wow! we DID have the same poem! I love that we are on the same wavelength. I tend to abandon myself all too easily and this poem sometimes brings tears to my eyes. I love that we maybe introduced some more people to it who hadn't heard of it before.! Have a wonderful day Poemtwinnie!
This is the poem that brought me into this journey of reading poem.
I love it. And that it speaks to you too...
Compelling poem. I feel like he discribes my feelings of having lost myself with the words"stranger who was your self"and of course I love the words"Feast on your life."
Please correct the poet's name. It's the Nobel Prize winner Derek Walcott.
Thanks,
Nicholas Power
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