Here’s hoping your Valentine’s Day brimmed over with romance and chocolate!
The origin of the celebration has several versions - my favourite - it’s the recognition of Valentinus, a Roman priest, who lost his head on February 14th, in the third century A.D., for secretly performing weddings for couples who were in love. The emperor had forbid weddings because he believed single men made superior soldiers.
It wasn’t until the thirteenth century the famous English poet, Geoffrey Chaucer, associated acknowledgement of Valentine’s Day with romance and people began celebrating the day with gifts, cards and candy.
Me? I celebrated the day wiping the runny noses of three little grandchildren who were over for a week-long visit. Not to be outdone, Matt’s groans reverberated throughout the house as he suffered the near death symptoms of a “man cold”. The evening redeemed itself with a giant bowl of war won-ton take-out and an episode of Dateline!
In the spirit of the holiday, I’ve enclosed a love poem written by the English poet William Blake in 1794.
The Clod & the Pebble
"Love seeketh not Itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care;
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hell’s despair.”
So sang a little Clod of Clay,
Trodden with the cattle’s feet;
But a Pebble of the brook,
Warbled out these metres meet:
“Love seeketh only Self to please,
To bind another to its delight;
Joys in another’s loss of ease,
And builds a Hell in Heaven’s despite.”
Clod or pebble. It really depends on the day doesn’t it?
Have a great week!