The History of The Irish...Worldwide
'Listening' - A Poem to W.B. Yeats
I wrote this poem after months of studying Yeats' work and life for my undergrad thesis. One night, I found a BBC recording of him reading "The Lake Isle of Innisfree." I finally got to hear the voice I had been reading for so long and the moment took my breath away. This poem resulted from that experience.
Listening
You broke the silence
of eighty years
in five winter moments,
caressing my cheek
with each syllable
that dripped from the air.
Death unraveled
in seconds.
The horseman couldn't pass you by
without bringing you -
veins still full of lore and liquid -
into my February.
Pale flesh crept over your milky bones
and there you were,
proud,
tall,
young,
your voice aching with passion,
like a woman whispering
her lover's name to her god.
Without a touch
you led me out of the nest
I had built from strands of verses
and piles of thoughts,
ushering me down the path
you fashioned a century ago.
In your voice
I found echoes of Tir Na Nog,
of an outsider,
of a rebellion.
In our own way,
we both belonged here.
Without touching,
eighty years fell away,
and we met
in a moment as fragile as a breath.
-
Comment by Ryan O'Rourke on August 25, 2014 at 12:03pm
-
Very nice, Jill. Thanks for sharing it with us.
-
Comment by Gerry Regan on August 26, 2014 at 7:20am
-
Jill, I enjoyed this verse. GRMA. is that recording available online? Might we share the link here. Have you visited sites associated with Yeats in Ireland?
-
Comment by Jill Fuller on August 26, 2014 at 6:43pm
-
Thank you Ryan and Gerry. Here is the recording. It's haunting. Hope you enjoy.
And yes, on my last visit to Ireland we visited his grave at Drumcliff and I (accidentally but serendipitously) wandered into an exhibit on Yeats at the National Library. I was able to see many of his original manuscripts... and I'm not ashamed to say I wept. We also stopped at Thoor Ballylee but it was closed due to flooding... so we just wandered around, enjoying the beautiful day before having a picnic at Coole Park.
-
Comment by Jean Sullivan Cardinal on August 27, 2014 at 1:16pm
-
Thank you, beautiful poem.
-
Admin Comment by Fran Reddy on August 29, 2014 at 2:22pm -
Wow Jill, very interesting! Loved it!
-
Comment by John M. Ongena on September 1, 2014 at 8:54am
-
Your verses touched and opened by past contact with W.B. and his writings, thank you.
Comment
The Wild Geese Shop
Get your Wild Geese merch here ... shirts, hats, sweatshirts, mugs, and more at The Wild Geese Shop.
Irish Heritage Partnership
Adverts
Extend your reach with The Wild Geese Irish Heritage Partnership.
Congrats to Our Winners
Top Content
Videos
© 2024 Created by Gerry Regan.
Powered by
Badges | Report an Issue | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service
You need to be a member of The Wild Geese to add comments!
Join The Wild Geese