A red maple leaf and a pink wild beach rose cross paths this season of the equinox, like one actor pushing another actor off stage. Let’s give the rose one final bow.
Here is Thomas Moore’s, “The Last Rose of Summer” (1805):
’TIS the last rose of summer
Left blooming alone;
All her lovely companions
Are faded and gone;
No flower of her kindred,
No rosebud is nigh,
To reflect back her blushes,
To give sigh for sigh.
I’ll not leave thee, thou lone one!
To pine on the stem;
Since the lovely are sleeping,
Go, sleep thou with them.
Thus kindly I scatter
Thy leaves o’er the bed,
Where thy mates of the garden
Lie scentless and dead.
So soon may I follow,
When friendships decay,
And from Love’s shining circle
The gems drop away.
When true hearts lie withered
And fond ones are flown,
Oh! who would inhabit
This bleak world alone?
Lovely photo, & a lovely poem. I've always liked the musical setting for that one.
ReplyDeleteI do, too, it's a beautiful song. I recall Mary O'Hara did an absolutely haunting version of it, probably back in the 1950s. I think I have the LP.
ReplyDeleteWonderful poem, it's 100 years old, but still so appropriate for this time of year.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mattenylou. Yes, the poet seemed to really hit the mark on this one.
ReplyDelete