Daffodils, Dad & Wordsworth

At the beginning of this month, I wrote the following on my Facebook site: “Way back in the 1950's, dad brought a dozen King Alfred Daffodil bulbs. Although it is over 4 years now since His passing, the descendants of those original 12 bulbs still bring me great joy and remembrance of Him, as I sit here watching their blooms toss in the wind through my window.”

Today, a fortnight later, the same blooms are still giving me great delight and not only reminding me of Dad but also of a great poem I was taught in primary school, some half a century ago. It was by William Wordsworth and although all about daffodils, is actually called, “I wandered lonely as a cloud.”

Anyway, here it is, for your pleasure as much as mine I hope.
“ I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd
A host of dancing daffodils;
Along a lake, beneath the trees,
Ten thousand dancing in the breeze.

The waves besides them dance, but they
Outdid the sparkling waves in glee: -
A poet could not but be gay
In such a laughing company;
I gazed – and gazed – but little thought
What wealth the shew to me had brought:

For oft when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood.
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude,
And then my heart with pleasure fills.
And dances with the daffodils.”

Now, I have actually been to England, but sadly never made it to the Lakes District and seen these descendants of Wordsworth’s daffodils in all their glory. Nor have I quite seen ten thousand blooms dancing in the Breeze at any one time, but I have seen the massive and glorious golden masses of my late father’s daffodils and thus, I too, like Wordsworth, can often look back and remember these “Golden Memories”.

What are your golden memories and how often do you look back on them? Just something for you to think about, as I now think about “Daffodils, Dad & Wordsworth”.