Love After Love
by Derek 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 own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
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 own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.
19 comments:
Many Thanks for this post... Food for thought:)
Thats a beautiful poem Val, thanks for sharing.
Love this!!!
Nice! I was just having a heart to heart with my DD who had a breakup she's still getting over. I should show her this.
I'm glad your time has come :)
You are woman, hear you roar!!
Yeah!! Beautiful!
Finally a picture, and such a lovely face! Glad to put a face to a name ;-)
(says a regular reader, permanent lurker, unexistent commentator)
A wonderful sentiment! Take it to heart! Glad to see a picture your smiling face (even if a camera is in the way!)
You look cute!!!!
I think that this is a wonderful sentiment. Definitely Feast on Your Life and get to know yourself. There is a wonderful person you've probably forgotten all about.
That's nice! Great picture too!
Excellent, now you are cookin!!!
Awesome. (And awesome photo) There was a long period of time when I had this poem taped up at my desk so that I could look at it all the time - I love it so much!
I love that poem! Thank you Valerie! You go girl!
ps I can see that on a sampler though I'm probably too lazy to stitch all those words!
I am loving the poem and the pix!!
That is a wonderful poem. Thank you for sharing it with us all. I just did a little catch up reading of your blog...and thought that I would let you know that you didn't loose me as a reader or a follower! I have seen followers come and go - since I get a lot of personal satisfaction from writing and doing "brain dumps" I don't take it personal that people leave :) for I know that among those who remain, I too am still there.
Take care!
A lovely poem, thank you for sharing it
Loved the poem!
Is that you in the mirror?
Post a Comment