A Celebration of Life -- The Joy of Meeting Oneself (+ Video)
A year ago, today, we lost a major poet: Nobel Prize Laureate, Derek Walcott. In honor of his life, I thought to share a poem of Walcott’s that I return to from time to time—an ecstatic echo of Whitman's Song of Myself by way of mystic Rumi, perhaps:
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.
To meet ourselves, truly, is always a grand occasion and cause for celebration. But, since we sometimes need to devise ruses to do so—in hopes of becoming healed and whole, affirming life with our entire being—we might turn to poetry like Walcott's to better reconcile us with ourselves.
The first time I revisited the poem, above, I stumbled upon it by accident. Having misplaced it—as one is wont to do with their selves/loves--I was grateful to came across it in a letter drawer. If memory swerves correctly, some years ago I might've been fortunate to hear Walcott read it himself in a literary festival in DC. Either that, or I dreamt it...
Below, is the Caribbean poet, speaking of his life and work:
Rest In Peace, Poet, and may we try to heed your fine advice and Feast on our life.
In parting, 2 more inspirational quotes, by Derek Walcott, on awe and imagination:
Good science and good art are always about a condition of awe … I don’t think there is any other function for the poet or the scientist in the human tribe but the astonishment of the soul.
I have no nation, now, but the imagination.
Image: Creative Commons
Mr. Walcott meant a lot to me. His words inspired me to imagine beyond myself. We lost an incredible soul.
Beautiful poetry, your words capture an essence of the human soul that is mesmerising in both its content and the way it flows.
To be clear, Scott, the gem that is Love After Love is by Walcott, I only provide the slim setting of a few sentence or two to introduce the poet (in hopes that, others unfamiliar with his work, might embark on a journey of discovery).
Good to learn post resonated with you, my friend.
Sorry that I missed that, but yes, you've sold me on the quality and beauty of Walcott's work. Thank you for the introduction.
No worries, perhaps, I was unclear. I've gone ahead and tried to clarify post & added a bit. Glad to hear you appreciate his poetry :)