” The following poem written by Thomas Moore, ‘Tis The Last Rose Of Summer, is a sad poem but it resonates deep in me as I grow older. It is a poem of death,loss, and what is valuable in this life.

When we reach a certain age, we begin noticing in the obituaries, people we once interacted with and had relationships with. With the death of each person, we feel a sense of loss. A part of our life falls away like roses losing their petals in the Fall. It is only inevitable that we start asking ourselves if life is still worth living without friends and family we love. This question is also reflected in Thomas Moore’s poem.”            Yu/stan/kema

‘TIS THE LAST ROSE OF SUMMER

“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 shinning circle

The gems drop away!

When the hearts lie wither’d,

And fond ones are flown,

Oh! who would inhabit

This bleak world alone?

THOMAS MOORE