This is for Jane’s A Month with Yeats Challenge. Sorry for so many posts today. I’m doing them while I get a chance before I’m back to projects and before Thanksgiving.
This quote is from “The Old Age of Queen Maeve.”
“out of the dark air over her head there came
A murmur of soft words and meeting lips.”—W.B. Yeats
Once she was young and fair of face,
she lived life as if it were a race
where she was the brightest and fastest, and before it stopped
she would need to make it to the top.
But now she was confined to a castle tower
so far in time from her bridal bower
and instead of those who loved her well,
it was to her a sort of hell
with only servants and guards who gaped and glowered.
And so, she sat, and sometimes she’d spin,
sometimes ponder, or wonder about her sins
(of which she thought there were many
but as with her life, far from ordinary.)
Of late she had begun to tire,
become very cold, even before the fire,
she thought sometimes her husband, her lover,
was there in the night, his spirit would hover
as if to say, soon, though not today
once again, you’ll dance and sway
in my arms—we’ll be together,
it will be like yesterday
when you were young and fair of face,
but you’ll no longer be running in the race,
a few nights later he came for her,
took her hand and opened a door
the glowering servants saw a faint glimmer
that grew bright, then dimmer in the night
and she was gone, to dance in the starlight.
Ford Madox Brown, “Convalescent: Portrait of Emma Madox Brown,” [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
Yesterday and today: Merril's historical musings 
I’m not sure Maeve ever put up her sword, but there’s a medieval fairytale air to this one 🙂
Yes, not really about her, because I really don’t know much about her, but yes, some medieval fairytale. 😉 And without cheese.
The cheese bit isn’t very romantic.
🙂
You’ve a bit of a theme going on here – lost loves, lovers rejoined in death. This does feel like a fairy tale.
Thanks, Sarah. Yes, I hope I’m not becoming too repetitious. I’ll blame it on Yeats. 🙂
Not repetitious, no. I just kind of noticed and was interested. Sometimes it’s good to explore a theme in different ways.
Thank you, Sarah.
This really reminded me of a graphic novel I just read, although the book is from an old man’s point of view. It’s very vivid and full of emotion in the same way, the past and present mingling. (K)
That’s cool. More synchronicity. 🙂
And thank you!
Do we just notice it more sometimes? Or maybe it’s always there.
Perhaps a bit of both!
It’s almost a little Poe-ish, too!
Oh—interesting. I hadn’t thought of that, but I’ll take it! 🙂
Poe is and always has been so cool!
Yes!
I love this. A ballad feeling and that sad/happy ending!
Thank you, Claudia!
Sadly nostalgic with a lilting lift and the end. The dance sways
Thank you, Derrick.
Goood evening 🐞
Good evening! Though it’s afternoon here–just eating my lunch now. 🙂
21.06 in the evening. Happiness is a flower; It rains on you like rain. 🙂 🐞 🐞 🐞 🐞 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂
🙂
Merrildsmith 🙂 🐞
I liked this with its elements of memory and nostalgia for her bridal bower (innocence) and her husband. The dance brings more of the bittersweet memories into play (to sway 🙂).
Thank you. It is bittersweet sometimes to remember.
Yes, it is. Missing a parent or loved one is how songs or poems of longing or sadness pull at my heart, Merril. (Not necessarily this post, though. . .)
I liked this one since it seemed they may once again be together. . .
Yes, that is what I hope, too!