Love Poem - National Poetry Month

It's been a decade since I returned to writing poetry.

After some heartbreaking events in 2001, I joined a writing sight, and soon op/eds and humor pieces gave way to writing verse again. I had not done so since the 70's. Verse, and having the courage to publish verse on the internet led to additional bravery, and soon I was resuming a career, which always manages to push things I care about out of my life. In the past two years, I have written little poetry. I have something in progress that may be finished later this month, in time for a "National Poetry Month" posting....and even if it is not, I thought I would share a poem from 2005 with you...

What I Wouldn’t Give

What I wouldn’t give to
Take your compassion and stroke it
Into soulful passion --
Your steadfast spirit and
Merge it with the lonely,
Making quenching fire.

Cooling you when flames bear embers
To ash and crumble, listening
For the meaning of your voice.
Me, a vagabond with no
Boundaries and naught to risk.

I’d risk it all for you.

I channel my bright intensity into
Witty repartee and scarcely hope
That in your amused notice
In your careful and orderly
Existence…

There is room for one who
Will strip away your caution
And scatter it to the wind
Forcing you to face your dilemma…

Friend or lover?

An interesting side note... the man who was once a friend when this poem was written is now perhaps the love of my life.

This is so beautiful

When I first saw it, I sent it to someone I love. I've gone back to it a few times, and thought I'd share with more of the world. In advance of National Poetry month, a beautiful love poem from Maya Stein....

the language between us

Not in the way of verbs. Not like the exchange at the post office, the weighing in,

the request for faster service. Not like the bartender taking an order, or the saleswoman

proffering a selection of black dresses. Not like a hand rising in a classroom, the answer

tipping out of the mouth. Not like directions from the gas station attendant or

telling the time to a stranger or the pleasantries of the checkout clerk. Not like previews

in a dark movie theater, the assault of a soundtrack. Not like the stoic delivery of news

anchors or the urgings of the gym instructor or the televangelist booming from the stage.

Instead, the language between us threading through the cracks, in air and breath and page

and all the nuance of a simple, single glance. Our tongue is split in half, our body into thirds,

love pulsing in the center of it all, a beautiful failure of words.

~Maya Stein

Surprised by this blogthing....

I would have thought my word was... empathy, or something of that nature. Ok, I'll stick with love.

What did you get?

Your Word is "Love"

You see life as possibility to form deep connections with a few people. Relationships are the center of your world, and you always take time to bond with those you love. You are caring and giving. You enjoy helping those you love. And when it comes to romantic love, you feel passionately ... even in a very long term relationship.

What's Your Word?

Blogthings: Learn Something Surprising About Yourself

Family Wedding

Congratulations to Caitlin and Erik, who were married yesterday in Tampa. One of the cutest quirky couples I've ever met, April Fool's day was perfect for them. After a week of storms and nine tornadoes in the Tampa Bay area, the day was perfect, 80 degrees and blue skies. Guests came from many states and had tales of travel travail.

Caitlin and her family are intertwined with mine. She's like a sister to both my kids, and her two brothers are respectively, my youngest's best friend and my oldest's significant other. Her parents are the salt of the earth, and some of my dearest friends. On her dad's pure Irish side, the family is from New Jersey. His brother, Monsignor Mike, who still resides in NJ, officiated at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in downtown Tampa. Three cousins also have dedicated their lives to the church, with two priests and a nun, all of whom were part of the ceremony, their brogues adding to their considerable charm. On her mom's side, is a big family of West Virginia aunts and cousins, all of whom came and enjoyed being with each other and with all of us Caitlin's a bit of a poet, and one of the readings was a favorite poem of mine....

i carry your heart with me

~by ee cummings

i carry your heart with me(i carry it in

my heart)i am never without it(anywhere

i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done

by only me is your doing,my darling)

i fear

no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want

no world(for beautiful you are my world,my true)

and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant

and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows

(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud

and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;which grows

higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)

and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)

A lovely, lovely wedding and one that makes you believe in love all over again.

Time for a Blogthing!

You Have an Adventurous Heart

You believe that love is anything you make of it. Love can be a game, a gamble, or a commitment. You are brave about who you choose to love. You don't care if others don't understand your love, as long as you understand it. Your heart is free and wild. You never know where your heart will take you, but you're willing to follow it anywhere. Your love life is fun, unpredictable, and at times a bit heartbreaking. The adventure is worth the heartbreak though!

What Kind of Heart Do You Have?

Blogthings: Quizzes and Tests and Memes, Oh My!

FreeVerse Wednesday

Chance or Fate?

Chance or fate? What led
Us here to this defining
Moment of our lives?

Would that we kept our
Souls separate, the way that
Others wished them.

Feigning innocence,
Keeping those glances hidden from
The view of our world.

What magic, what twist
Of mindful activity
Brought us here? To this --

Our fork in the road
Our place and time of choice to
Determine: Chance? Fate?

Neither matter if
The answer is the same, that
We belong together.

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This little poem is from 2003. I was enamored of the 5-7-5 rhythm of haiku, and wrote in that format, although the poem sings its own song, and doesn't have any other characteristics of haiku. I think, at that time, that I needed to have my potential loves, my romances..in formula. No longer. Like all poets, I think I've found that love follows no set course, has no parameters. I would like it to be orderly, I would like to be able to predict. I cannot.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thanks to Cara of "Oooh, books", for hosting this at Freeverse. Click on the link below for more.