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 crowd of stars.”
Blessings ~ poetry ~ Yeats ~ a pilgrim soul ~ stars ~ one man ~
This is one of my favorite poems. And your Dave and I share a May 7th birthday, I just read here. xoxo♥♥
Hi Thistle!
Don't we all need a poem every day? I love that one!
So glad you stopped by CITexas Gal so I could return your visit. Thank you for sharing this poem…it so fits the theme and thoughts of Tracks of My Texas Ancestors. Love the the line..'But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you'!!!
I must admit to having never read Yeats, but this poem has sparked an interest. There are layers upon layers of meaning in this seemingly simple poem, and it is soulfully beautiful and sad.
Beautiful piece he wrote. 🙂
I love Yeats – that is such a beautiful poem.
Pomona x
It's a beautiful poem!!!
Thank you!
What a poet! Thank you for sharing such an awesome poem with us today. Just perfect.
To be truly loved is one of the greatest joys of life..
WBY is one of my favorites!! Loved him since grade school….hehe.