FOR VALONIA

I have always felt a little ambivalent about publishing my picture on the blog, but since Valonia has blown my cover (see previous post's comments) I have decided to come clean.

Word Verification

I am joining Lee (amongst others) in turning off Word Verification on the "comments" form. I know it's supposedly there to stop spam, but it is a source of irritation.
(If I now get flooded with spam I shall curse Lee and turn it back on)

Mature Love Poetry

Lucy has a recent posting about mature love poetry. This inspired me to re-visit one of my favourite poets, Edna St Vincent Millay. I have a great love of most of her work, but Lucy's post brought to mind one (amongst many) of Edna's exquisite sonnets. Here she uses the third of the Greek Fates, Atropos, who cuts the thread of life, to make her point.

"I pray you if you love me, bear my joy
A little while, or let me weep your tears;
I, too, have seen the quavering Fate destroy
Your destiny's bright spinning - the dull shears
Meeting not neatly, chewing at the thread, -
Nor can you well be less aware how fine,
How staunch as wire, and how unwarranted
Endures the golden fortune that is mine.
I pray you for this day at least, my dear
Fare by my side, that journey in the sun;
Else must I turn me from the blossoming year
And walk in grief the way that you have gone.
Let us go forth together to the spring:
Love must be this, if it be anything."

Appropriate, as Spring approaches here in the Northern hemisphere.