Poetry Friday

My little sister Emilie told me last weekend that she loves being one of the few family members who reads this blog because she gets quite a few shout-outs. And while that's not the main reason I mention her frequently (that's mostly because I love her and love spending time with her), she is correct that she's one of my only family members who reads this. My dad will check in occasionally but a lot of my family is simply not that computer literate or perhaps not that interested (for my own ego I'm going with the computer literate one :-) ).

So today's post is for my older sister who won't get a chance to read this. And no worries on that. I'm actually just happy that she reminded me of this poem that I can share. We are both Pablo Neruda fans, particularly his love poems, and this is her favorite. So without further ado.

If You Forget Me by Pablo Neruda

I want you to know
one thing.

You know how this is:
if I look
at the crystal moon, at the red branch
of the slow autumn at my window,
if I touch
near the fire
the impalpable ash
or the wrinkled body of the log,
everything carries me to you,
as if everything that exists,
aromas, light, metals,
were little boats
that sail
toward those isles of yours that wait for me.

Well, now,
if little by little you stop loving me
I shall stop loving you little by little.

If suddenly
you forget me
do not look for me,
for I shall already have forgotten you.

If you think it long and mad,
the wind of banners
that passes through my life,
and you decide
to leave me at the shore
of the heart where I have roots,
remember
that on that day,
at that hour,
I shall lift my arms
and my roots will set off
to seek another land.

But
if each day,
each hour,
you feel that you are destined for me
with implacable sweetness,
if each day a flower
climbs up to your lips to seek me,
ah my love, ah my own,
in me all that fire is repeated,
in me nothing is extinguished or forgotten,
my love feeds on your love, beloved,
and as long as you live it will be in your arms
without leaving mine.