Because it’s National Poetry Day. Because I am missing my mum. Because this is a poem she liked to hear and which I have not read once since she died until tonight. And reading it, I feel her hand in mine, hear her breathing, see her face in relaxed concentration, her pleasure, our connection, our shared enjoyment.
When You Are Old
When you are old and grey and full of sleep,
And nodding by the fire, take down this book,
And slowly read, and dream of the soft look
Your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep;
How many loved your moments of glad grace,
And loved your beauty with love false or true,
But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you,
And loved the sorrows of your changing face;
And bending down beside the glowing bars,
Murmur, a little sadly, how Love fled
And paced upon the mountains overhead
And hid his face amid a crown of stars.
W B Yeats
Isobel (and Cat)'s Blog 
Love that poem. Always have done.
Even more now that I live in ‘Yeats’ ‘Land of Heart’s Desire’
You must be missing her, but wonderful to have such tensile links weaving back through the past.
Every now and then there is a jolt of reality that she has died. So the memories tied up in the poems are extraordinary and precious.
I too love that poem and it also reminds me of my Mom…..it’s been years and years for me, but not so long for you but it still brings a bit of an ache to the heart doesn’t it. I send hugs….
Pam
In one ays it was a funny one to read her while she lived, but she
liked it, and it certainly made me look at her as a young woman. I m glad you too have that connection.
Hugs Isobel. I enjoyed the poem but loved and enjoyed your words more as you describe your feelings about your Mom~”And reading it, I feel her hand in mine, hear her breathing, see her face in relaxed concentration, her pleasure, our connection, our shared enjoyment.”
I DID enjoy the poem.. 🙂 And am just a bit embarrassed to say I had never read it.
That’s nice that it was new to you and you enjoyed it.
Thanks Pix.
Thank you Isobel.