songs of experience

I chose the title “Songs of Experience” for my blog because of a life-long fascination with William Blake’s poetry. Most people are familiar with “Tyger! Tyger!” and “Ah, Sunflower!”, but this poem below (from the Songs of Innocence portion of Songs of Innocence and Experience) fits my mood tonight:

Ecchoing Green
The Sun does arise,
And make happy the skies;
The merry bells ring
To welcome the Spring;
The sky-lark and thrush,
The birds of the bush.
Sing louder around
To the bells’ cheerful sound,
While our sports shall be seen
On the Ecchoing Green.

Old John[Joan], with white hair.
Does laugh away care,
Sitting under the oak,
Among the old folk.

They laugh at our play,
And soon they all say:
“Such, such were the joys
When we all, girls & boys,
In our youth time were seen
On the Ecchoing Green.”

Till the little ones, weary.
No more can be merry;
The sun does descend,
And our sports have an end.
Round the laps of their mothers
Many sisters and brothers.
Like birds in their nest.
Are ready for rest,
And sport no more seen
On the darkening Green.

I watched my 12 year-old run in her first team cross-country race yesterday. Her lovely blond ponytail, held up with a Mustang marroon hair scrunchy, bobbed earnestly as she fought hard to hang on to the back of the varsity pack … while I, Old Joan, sat under the oak among the old folk.