Listen to audio
“ The Gift ”
– of you –
I want not to forget
Fail having tried,
Or simply accept
I’ve reason to regret,
Mindful so I could
Be able to affect,
Without need to try
As if I could deny,
Our love grew beyond
You being easy on the eye…
I wanted to recall,
The times you tried
Offering your all,
And I too blind to see
Might’ve realized,
You so needed me,
As I you even more
Tho the gift offered,
I ne’er realized before
Had always been of you …
Doesn’t tax one’s memory
To recall there’d been many,
But none the worth, if any
Yet didn’t know enough
I’d the gift of you to hold,
But only now can tell
When grown wiser old,
While you, now too long gone
Be the gift, for someone else to hold!
written in Grasse France
© Jean-Jacques Fournier
Poetry on a canapé 
The gift of you, what a beautiful commentary. Thank you for this great poem.
I do believe the recital of The Gift, kind of gives it that added human perspective!
Thank you, Paulette…
Jean-Jacques
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I love your audio rendition of this poem of regret. So well done.
Thank you, Liz… As ‘The Gift’ is one of my ultimate favourites, I can but guess this may have a bearing on the resulting feelings the recital takes on and projects. In any event that part is quite enjoyable, putting it together.
Jean-Jacques
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After all, poetry is meant to be read aloud.
I agree wholeheartedly!!!
🙂
“As I you even more
Tho the gift offered,
I ne’er realized before
Had always been of you …”
The idea of recollection, remembrance, memories has become more focused as I age. We live in the moment, but understand in looking back. I share your love of this poem, Jean-Jacques. It speaks to the heart of human connections.
Thanks Rebecca…Too true about the wisdom of time and the maturing of our ability to rationalize with the benefit having lived thru the experience of encounters and relationships. Thus so and being comfortable now knowing that all was to eventually move along as it should regardless. Quite different rationalizing than in our youth when all seemed to work itself into painful irreparable never be the same again dramas. Oh well, that is what being young is all about, and in a way makes sense with George Bernard Shaw saying that youth was wasted on the young!
You and Bernard Shaw are very wise, my dear friend.