For Old Time's Sake - Sligo Poets

            Sligo Independent 16 August 1913

                      FOR OLD TIME’S SAKE
                                 (To Kitty)

Last night I dreamt I saw you climb the steep hill to my side,
The moonbeams fell upon your face, void of the old cold pride;
You came to me with hands outstretched, my own in yours to take,
And as I paused you softly spoke, "for old time’s sake."

For old time’s sake, dear, let’s forget what lies between,
The broken vows, the dear dead days, the might have been,
The past is gone for ever, but the future’s ours to make;
Then take my hand in friendship still, for old time’s sake.

A moment while I wrestled with the doubts that filled my mind,
A moment and the doubts were hushed beneath your glance so kind,
A moment these old wounds forgot, I strove amends to make,
And whispered back your greeting kind, for old time’s sake.

Dearest, if the dream came true—if after all these years
We meet again—two for whom the past can never wake;
Could we forget what lies between the hopeless well of tears,
And greet each other kindly, just for old time’s sake.

For old time’s sake, dear, let’s forget what lies between,
The broken vows, the dear dead days, the might have been,
The past is gone for ever, but the future’s ours to make;
Then take my hand in friendship still, for old time’s sake.

                                                           Louie Stockdale

Louie Stockdale lived in Manorhamilton, County Leitrim. She worked as a station clerk at Manorhamilton Railway Station on the Sligo, Leitrim & Northern Counties Railway line where her father, Robert, was Station Master.

Louie, who had been born in County Fermanagh and was Church of Ireland like all the family, was 26 years of age in 1912.

She had three poems published in the Sligo Times in 1911 and one, Molly, in the same newspaper in 1912.

This poem shows the same ability with rhythm and rhyme as the earlier poem and reads easily as a song lyric. As in Molly, she uses repetition very well and the repetition of stanza 2 at the end serves as a chorus.

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