Sometimes being in ones 70’s is a uniquely weird experience. I often wonder if strange things happen simply because I’m getting older, or if life in general is just really bizarre. Perhaps people notice things more clearly as they age.
Today it all started when I heard the sound of rain on the back window of my condo, and I rushed to check it out just to make sure there wasn’t a leak coming from the unit above me. My cat, Mr. Darcy was sitting on the dresser totally mesmerized by humongous droplets colliding against the glass.
And as the rain became increasingly louder, for some reason I started to recite, “The Rime of the Ancient Mariner” putting extra emphasis on “Water water everywhere nor any drop to drink”, all while Mr. Darcy rubbed his furry face in mine.
I then proceeded to tell him about Samuel Taylor Coleridge (the poem’s author), and about all the Romantic poets. Obviously, my cat was genuinely interested in my literary lesson…😻
But, I began to wonder how I could recall and recite an epic poem (lyrical ballad) that I learned back in high school, when I have difficulty remembering what I ate for breakfast this morning. I even had to rack my brain this afternoon to recall if I put my clothes in the dryer. But, somehow I could still remember large portions of the longest poem Coleridge ever wrote.
How is it that I can vividly recount information about Byron, Shelly, Keats, Blake and Wordsworth, and even giggle like a school girl realizing I STILL have a crush on George Gordon Byron (Aka Lord Byron), who died in 1824 after writing such magical lines as, “She walks in beauty, like the night of cloudless climes and starry skies…”
And yet I’ll forget whether or not I took my allergy pill today. Sheesh!
Is it because I’m 71? Or maybe it’s because the breathtaking beauty of perfectly strung together words are so exquisite, that once they are heard, they can never be forgotten.
Is it that outstanding poetry or prose endures though the centuries and stays within each soul it touches? Does it linger on in the cosmos for eternity?
My cat, Mr. Darcy thinks that is the case, and so do I.
Today the rest of America is thinking about the super bowl. Not me. I’m remembering…
“Though the heart be still as loving,
And the moon be still as bright…
By the way, don’t you just love a cat who enjoys poetry?😻😻😼🙀
Lesleykluchin 