Society had it right centuries ago. It used to be when someone met someone they liked, a type of courtship would ensue that is much different then today’s standards. It took much more effort and someone usually putting all of their feelings on the line. These are the types of stories that many romantic movies and novels have been written about.
As I drove through the countryside and only saw the subtle lights of a few homes beckoning in the night sky, I realized this. What if this had been centuries ago and someone wanted to get in touch with someone who they loved or cared about? We have it very easy these days with modern day technology. It is nothing short of convenient to communicate with a loved one no matter how far the distance.
But as I saw the few dispersed homes surrounded by snow, this thought occurred to me: “how could someone have made a love affair work from a distance so long ago?”
It became all too clear to me, that this is why love poems were invented. With so much distance, space and time separating potential couples, it seemed that writing bridged the gap. Whether these messages were sent via foot, horse or carriage, there purpose seemed perceivable to me.
In modern times, many of us level our feelings to just a tiny text or even an emoticon. The people of the past had to literally spill their guts out onto pieces of paper just to make themselves heard.
I see nothing wrong with this method. In fact, I wish more people today embraced this antiquated custom. I believe that it worked well for a good reason.
The following poem was written by the Irish writer Frank O’Connor. Perhaps, he wrote it for someone or maybe he did not. Either way, his words are lucid and I suspect that this was the type of verse expressed so long ago.
“I Am Stretched On Your Grave”
I am stretched on your grave
And would lie there forever;
If your hands were in mine
I’d be sure we’d not sever.
My apple tree, my brightness,
‘Tis time we were together
For I smell of the earth
And am stained by the weather.When my family think
That I’m safe in my bed
From night until morning
I am stretched at your head,
Calling out to the air
With tears hot and wild
My grief for the girl
That I loved as a child.Do you remember
The night we were lost
In the shade of the blackthorn
And the chill of the frost?
Thanks be to Jesus
We did what was right,
And your maidenhead still
Is your pillar of light.The priests and the friars
Approach me in dread
Because I still love you
My love and you dead,
And would still be your shelter
From rain and from storm
And with you in the cold grave
I cannot sleep warm.
For a look into other Irish romances, please see BellaOnline.
