Socialising on Sunday

I have written before about some poems I have read that see that seemed to have been written just for me. This poem by James Rainsford is a particular one:

“Please put down that book you’re reading now
and gently close its pages.
So no harm shall come to damage its cold thoughts.
Look up. Please, look up and see
what little there is left of me where you felt loved.“
© James Rainsford – Author, poet, photographer.

I often think about that poem and hear my late husband’s voice each time. How many times did I hear words like that in the 41 years we were together?

Today, I had lunch with friends in their garden on a lovely summer Sunday. I commented on how good the garden was looking. 18 months ago there was no garden when they moved into their new house, just hard-packed earth, mostly clay, that had been compounded by the trucks during building, and delivery vans once they took possession.

These people have a good life and share many things but not a love of gardening and the comment was made by the wife that her husband spent much of the day engrossed in a book. Her complaint was that while she was working in the garden (which she loved) she would often call him to come and look at a particular plant.

He doesn’t always respond by putting down the book.

Many of my friends, all avid readers, have been guilty of ignoring calls to put down that book. Think about it. I know there were many times when the call disturbed my concentration. I didn’t care about the rugby game playing out on the TV. Now, I wish had read the poem while my husband was still alive. I hope I would have heeded the call.

Thank you, James, for permitting me to reprint your poem on my blog Growing Younger Each Day 12 years ago.