In the dwindling light of autumn
Primrose Hill remembers springtime.
Dressed in blue remembered verses,
last year's memories shelter in the park;
little swallows with crippled wings
gather in the trees to dream of May
and in between the quiet whispers
of half-forgotten rhymes, I hear echoes
from a life she once left beside the door.
We sit in yesterday's derelict café
sipping cold tea for hours.
She speaks of mellow sunsets, her
new life, and her cottage by the sea.
I stay silent— words do not come easy
to abandoned lovers.
It's nearly eight o’clock.
Wilted flowers shiver in a vase,
the tablecloth is frayed and torn
and the streets are getting darker.
Spring now seems so long ago.
Part of the Old Stories cycle of poems
A few words about the poem…
Yesterday’s Café – The Melancholy Poems
"Yesterday’s Café," from the series “Melancholy Poems,” delves into themes of loss, memories, and the passage of time, rendered through a tableau of autumnal reflection. The poem begins with an evocative scene set in the fading light of autumn on Primrose Hill, which metaphorically “remembers springtime.” This contrast sets a nostalgic tone, reflecting on a past that feels distant yet lingering.
The imagery of "blue remembered verses" and "last year’s memories" conveys a sense of wistfulness. The use of “swallows with crippled wings” symbolizes dreams and aspirations hindered or unfulfilled, evoking a poignant sense of vulnerability and loss. These birds, dreaming of May, serve as a metaphor for yearning and the persistence of hope despite adversity.
In the poem's middle section, the personal tone intensifies. The quiet whispers of "half-forgotten rhymes" hint at fragmented memories and the lingering presence of a past relationship. The mention of a life “left beside the door” suggests abandonment and the residual impact of that departure.
The setting shifts to the derelict café, a symbol of decay and the passage of time. The speaker's silence contrasts with the woman's talk of new beginnings, highlighting the emotional distance between them. Her words about “mellow sunsets” and a “cottage by the sea” signify a fresh chapter in her life, in stark contrast to the speaker’s static, reflective state. The "cold tea" they sip further underscores the stagnation and chill of the moment.
The concluding lines encapsulate the sense of a time long past. The “wilted flowers” and “frayed and torn” tablecloth serve as tangible representations of neglect and the erosion of time. The encroaching darkness outside mirrors the internal fading of hope and warmth, reinforcing the poem’s theme of longing and the irrevocable passage of seasons, both literal and metaphorical.
Overall, "Yesterday’s Café" is a meditation on the enduring nature of memory and the bittersweet reality of moving forward while holding onto fragments of the past. The imagery and tone effectively convey the melancholy beauty of these reflections.
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