Monday, June 20, 2011

Love After Love

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.


19 comments:

mbroider said...

Many Thanks for this post... Food for thought:)

Lainey said...

Thats a beautiful poem Val, thanks for sharing.

Catherine said...

Love this!!!

Margaret said...

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.

Carol said...

I'm glad your time has come :)

Siobhán said...

You are woman, hear you roar!!

Karin said...

Yeah!! Beautiful!

anna s. said...

Finally a picture, and such a lovely face! Glad to put a face to a name ;-)
(says a regular reader, permanent lurker, unexistent commentator)

Valerie said...

A wonderful sentiment! Take it to heart! Glad to see a picture your smiling face (even if a camera is in the way!)

Laura said...

You look cute!!!!

Deb said...

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.

Carol R said...

That's nice! Great picture too!

Sylvia said...

Excellent, now you are cookin!!!

Michelle said...

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!

Melissa said...

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!

Unknown said...

I am loving the poem and the pix!!

Lisa said...

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!

Julie said...

A lovely poem, thank you for sharing it

Meari said...

Loved the poem!

Is that you in the mirror?