Marrying left your maiden name disused. <br />Its five light sounds no longer mean your face, <br />Your voice, and all your variants of grace; <br />For since you were so thankfully confused <br />By law with someone else, you cannot be <br />Semantically the same as that young beauty: <br />It was of her that these two words were used. <br /> <br />Now it's a phrase applicable to no one, <br />Lying just where you left it,scattered through <br />Old lists, old programmes, a school prize or two <br />Packets of letters tied with tartan ribbon - <br />Then is it scentless, weightless, strengthless, wholly <br />Untruthful? Try whispering it slowly. <br />No, it means you. Or, since you're past and gone, <br /> <br />It means what we feel now about you then: <br />How beautiful you were, and near, and young, <br />So vivid, you might still be there among <br />Those first few days, unfingermarked again. <br />So your old name shelters our faithfulness, <br />Instead of losing shape and meaning less <br />With your depreciating luggage laden.<br /><br />Philip Larkin<br /><br />http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/maiden-name/
