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.
© Derek Walcott
8 voices:
Give thanks, Rethabile, for sharing this great poem with your readers. It's one of those poems, among the many by Walcott, that I wish I could have written.
Blessings,
Geoffrey
Thanks for posting, Masilo.
Very good work
Have a good weekend
Geoffrey,
Kozain reminds me of you, or the other way round, when he says, "Poetry is a craft, and I'm not ashamed to apprentice myself to master craftsmen like Derek Walcott". You will remember him with his poem, "Stars of Stone" (http://poefrika.blogspot.com/2007/07/stars-of-stone-by-rustum-kozain.html). I've been enjoying another one of his poems, "Groundwork" (http://groundwork.wordpress.com/2007/07/19/groundwork-x).
As you both keep saying, Walcott is the real deal. I hear ya..."Love After Love" is a masterful piece of work.
David,
Thank you for stopping by. Maddie has been in the news a lot lately. I couldn't help but think of you.
Messed up on the links there. Here they are:
1. Stars of stone
2. Groundwork
thru my tears,, i pray for the day i will recognize myself,, and welcome me home....
Paisley,
Your reaction is perhaps as emotional as the poem itself. It moved me.
This is one of my favourite poems, and one that I carry with me at all times in my bag, pocket, car, etc (There are a few of those)
I love this poem, is also Oprah favourite poem!
You know when you are at that stage of your life where you are trying to discover yourself? Thats where I am -well sort of.When I read this poem, I understand the meaning of LOVING myself-something that I always said I did but never trully understood...Great poem and like Geoffrey said, I wish I had written it myself too....but you know what, thank goodness that someone wrote it and I read and UNDERSTOOD it.Thanx for posting it Rethabile
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