"The New Faces" by W. B. Yeats
IF you, that have grown old, were the first dead,
Neither catalpa tree nor scented lime
Should hear my living feet, nor would I tread
Where we wrought that shall break the teeth of Time.
Let the new faces play what tricks they will
In the old rooms; night can outbalance day,
Our shadows rove the garden gravel still,
The living seem more shadowy than they.
What a beautiful poem.
It's taken me on a lovely rabbit trail too. I love catalpa trees, they're my favorite. So I had to know where Yeats' catalpa was. And I was curious too about who he is addressing in the poem. I found myself at Coole Park, learning about Lady Gregory's love of trees. I even found a photo of her sitting beneath her catalpa. And a mention that her granddaughters planted a new one when this one died.
And now I return to reread the poem again and see these two friends walking and sitting, talking about poetry, writing together.
Thank you for the poem and the impetus to take a journey.