Pilgrim Soul

  When you are old and grey and full of sleep,...William Butler Yeats


When I was still a young man and much more prone to "the feels" I watched an episode of "The New" Twilight Zone that has stayed with me all these years. I emphasize new because the New Twilight Zone is over thirty years old.

The plot started with two scientist that build a holographic projector. Out of nowhere it starts to project the image of a human fetus. Now, I had to check Wikipedia for the plot because honestly I barely remember where I put my phone from minute to minute these days.

and nodding by the fire, take down this book...Yeats

The fetus starts to age at the rate of ten years a day. The child quickly ages into a young woman named Nola. She has a past and can tell them where she came from. She tells them of being a young woman from the early part of the 20th Century.

and slowly read, and dream of the soft look your eyes had once, and of their shadows deep:...Yeats

So, have they captured the soul of a young woman? A wondering soul somehow caught in the technology of science? Or is she simply the projection simply by chance of their invention?

How many loved your moments of glad grace,...Yeats

Kevin who is one of the scientist has a strained relationship with his wife. Their marriage is on the rocks. Nola talks to him about her past life. He is falling in love with her. She ages and become pregnant with a child from her husband Robert. Kevin feels jealous even though he doesn't know any Robert.

And loved your beauty with love false or true...Yeats

They have had long discussions and share a love of the poetry of William Butler Yeats. Nola has a miscarriage. Kevin's fellow scientist Dan finds out that Nola died as a result of the miscarriage and Robert died himself out of grief and guilt.

But, one man loved the pilgrim soul in you...Yeats

As Nola is dying she somehow uses a voice modifier and posing as Robert calls Robert's wife Carol asking her to come to the lab.

And loved the sorrows of your changing face...Yeats

In her final conversation with Kevin she reveals that he is the reincarnation of Robert. Nola tells him that in his grief he drew her back to him to have this final moment. As Nola passes and fades away Kevin's wife comes in the lab.  A child's ball bounces out of the holograph and into her hands. They have a very emotional reunion. Maybe she was pregnant I really don't remember. Maybe she was Nola. That seemed to be the point of the symbolism.

And bending down beside the glowing bars, murmur a little sadly, how love fled and paced upon the mountains overhead. And hid his face amid a crowd of stars...William Butler Yeats

 This was my all time favorite episode of Twilight Zone. I had started to really explore my own childhood and life long memories. I still had and still have much to learn and discover. But, I had always had this feeling that maybe, just maybe there was something to this eternal being thing that had nothing to do with the contradictions of religion or the just so stories of Sunday school or even the just so stories of modern science with it's emphasis on the illusion of the soul being just a by product of the brain.

I don't mean to offend anyone that I grew up with who hold on to the faith of my upbringing. I understand. But, I have taken a long time to finally be able to say what I have long suspected. I have wrestled with these questions most of my life and I still can't say I am absolutely sure of where we come from and where we are going. But, I never forgot "Her Pilgrim Soul."

  I don't look to pop culture or movies or songs to decide what is true and what isn't true in this world. But, no matter how you look at it the Yeats poem is a beautiful work.

It was rainy and I felt like doing a blog and I thought of this poem. I'm not a big poetry guy but this is my favorite and even though it's a short list with me it's still an honestly beautiful verse. Anyway, I'll get back to horror movies and space aliens and even the evils of "The Donald" one of these blogs. But, for now...

Alas, he was the highway man the one that comes and goes and only the high-way woman keeps up with the likes of those....Stevie Nicks "The Highway Man."

  Again, thanks for reading my ramblings.

 Peace.