A moment of respite, on another perfectly lovely spring day. Thoughts of a favorite Brahms song bring comfort.
During this turbulent emergency flight, we’ve definitely had some cabin pressure issues! Amidst this important and necessary caregiving, I’m reminded of the last lines of Shakespeare’s ‘The Seven Ages of Man,’ which my own Mom could still recite by heart in it’s entirety at age 99, in its entirety. Until she herself started to forget everything…
“…Last scene of all,
That ends this strange eventful history,
Is second childishness and mere oblivion,
Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.”
(The full text is quoted below).
The Seven Ages of Man
by William Shakespeare
All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players, They have their exits and entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts, His acts being seven ages. At first the infant, Mewling and puking in the nurse’s arms. Then, the whining schoolboy with his satchel
And shining morning face, creeping like snail Unwillingly to school. And then the lover, Sighing like furnace, with a woeful ballad Made to his mistress’ eyebrow. Then a soldier, Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the pard, Jealous in honour, sudden, and quick in quarrel, Seeking the bubble reputation Even in the cannon’s mouth. And then the justice In fair round belly, with good capon lin’d, With eyes severe, and beard of formal cut, Full of wise saws, and modern instances, And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts Into the lean and slipper’d pantaloon, With spectacles on nose, and pouch on side, His youthful hose well sav’d, a world too wide, For his shrunk shank, and his big manly voice, Turning again towards childish treble, pipes And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all, That ends this strange eventful history, Is second childishness and mere oblivion, Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.