He Wishes for the Cloths of Heaven

William_Butler_Yeats by John Singer Sargeant

It’s a beautiful day (again) and I’m not used to it, but it shall not stop me praising it (softly) in case it hears and goes away which happens so often with English weather.   So I’ve sunshine outside, – I look on Lesliepaints blog and what do I see but sunlit paintings bathed in light and my heart sings!

Bathed in sunlight, inspired by Leslie and  armed with inspiration  I think of this poem which I wish I’d written, but I know I never could even if  lived a thousand lifetimes.  It’s by Irish poet William Butler Yeats (brother of  artist Jack Butler Yeats who I shall be writing about very soon because I love his work  and the Yeats brothers are such interesting fellows).

 

He  wishes for the Cloths of heaven 

Had I the heavens’ embroidered cloths,

Enwrought with the golden and silver light,

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and half-light,

I would spread the cloths under your feet

But I, being poor, have only my dreams;

I have spread my dreams beneath your feet;

Tread softly because you tread on my dreams…

William Butler Yeats

I’m aware that this isn’t really about a Summer’s day – but I’m quite unrepentant!  The day has brought it to mind.  I like the imageryof the Heavens embroidered cloth, which must mean the stars.  Butler Yeats does include all the lights though too;-

The blue and the dim and the dark cloths

Of night and light and half-light,

And it’s these lights which inspire.  There are lights or certain kinds of light which we remember all our lives – especially the way the light touches and lights up our childhood.  These lights never fade or dim and always burn brightly in our memory.  Whilst our eyes may be failing these brightly lit memories shine.  Halcyon days!  We may be making one at this moment in time, though we will never know until tomorrow.

Poem from here

Lots of his poems here

Image from here

 

 

 

Dont forget to visit Artatexit0 and my interview with this artist here