I've always loved poems, especially poems that rhyme.
One of my favourites is Tir na Nog, by Robin Flower.
Tir na Nog, in Irish mythology, is the Land of the Young. In one of the tales, a human visits it, spends some time there, then wants to go back home. Only to find that, upon reaching home, a few hundred years had passed by, and upon setting on home soil, the human grows old immediately, then dies. Sounds familiar?
Interestingly, other cultures have similar tales, like Japanese's Urashima Taro. Makes one wonder how two such different cultures have such similar concepts huh...
Anyway! Robin Flower's poem nicely describes Tir na Nog and the lure it has on mortals. The last paragraph is especially poignant, for who hasn't, in his/her entire life, yearned for something that others couldn't understand, and can never understand?
I heard the summer calling across great breadths of sea
In the landwind and the seawind and the wind of gramerie;
For the seawind speaks in thunder and the landwind whispers low,
But the little wind of faery you scarce can hear it blow.
But listen, listen, listen and you shall hear afar
A low and lovely murmur like the singing of a star,
And listen, listen, listen till all things fade and fall
And the lone and luring music is master over all.
And you shall hear it chanting in one triumphant chime
Of the life that lives for ever and the fugitives of time
Beyond the green lands' border and the washing wastes of sea
In the world beyond the world's end, where nothing is but glee.
The magic waters gird it, and skies of laughing blue
Keep always faith with summer and summer still is true;
There is no end of dancing and sweet unceasing song
And eyes to eyes make answer and love with love grows strong.
But close your ears and silence the crying of your heart
Lest in the world of mortals you walk a man apart
For O! I heard the music and answered to the call
And the landwind mocks my longing and the seawind saddens all.
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