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Poetry
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Love Too Late
By Talisker
21 February 2007
For my late Granny who passed away in 1983

I walked this morn in the murky dawn to my mother’s mother’s grave,
there I held the stone of the dead and gone and gave thanks for the love she gave,
to me,
and gave thanks for the love she gave.
 

I recalled a day in a misty May when I climbed a sycamore,
there in trouble grim on its lofty limbs, well she bore me to the floor,
she did,
she bore me to the floor.
 

Then when she got old and her house was cold how we left her to her fate,
how we cried sweet tears for our granny dear, but our love it came too late,
it did,
our love it came too late.
 

“It’s a curse this growing old she said, look I’ve tissue paper skin,
my time’s not long, why does life drag on, and my patience wearing thin”,
she said,
“like my tissue paper skin”.
 

So I walked this morn in the murky dawn to my mother’s mother’s grave,
there I held the stone, but I can’t atone, for the love I never gave,
to her,
for the love I never gave.
 

Oli 21/02/07
 

Reviews

Written by Witzl (1585 comments posted) 21st February 2007
The rhyming pattern and repetition device of this piece remind me of 'The Owl and the Pussycat,' but of course the similarity ends there. In fact, there is a little of Poe's Annabel Lee to this too, come to think of it -- and yet your poem is entirely individual. I like this rhythm and find the message genuinely moving.

Written by Phil (6435 comments posted) 21st February 2007
This has a wonderful lilt to it. The echoes drag the reader back into the past, into your memories - very clever. 
 
As for content: moving, honest and probably, in some form or another, pretty universal. 
 
Loved it. Pure you. 
 
Phil.
Love
Written by Josie (2539 comments posted) 21st February 2007
I often feel sorry when we only seem to apply the word love to things like St Valentine's Day and romantic love. There are so many different kinds of love - and we should see them every day, but often we don't. Yesterday, in Leeds, people were handing out "hugs" to strangers. Were you there? It was to make people feel "loved". It doesn't take much. Your poem was so sad, and we can all look back and wish that we had told those who have now gone how much we loved them. Do it now, and do it every day. Here goes: I love you Oli and appreciate all the work you have put into the poems which we enjoy so much. Josie xxxx

Written by Talisker (1309 comments posted) 21st February 2007
Thanks all! 
 
I was inspired by the ballad poetry of Helen Adam, particularly "I Love My Love" which uses this old fashioned style. 
 
The content is all true, including the tree rescue!  
 
How sweet Josie! The hug is received (and returned) with humble gratitude. 
 
Happy Oli 
:)

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