Your eyelash settled on dusted cheek
and rose and fell in silent sigh,
as breath and beat held sleeping court
and skin surrendered to the sheets,
with whispered tones of almond and honey.
and rose and fell in silent sigh,
as breath and beat held sleeping court
and skin surrendered to the sheets,
with whispered tones of almond and honey.
I watched, held court, with time’s assent,
that rise and fall of chest and belly,
in wonder at the touch and feel,
of love made manifest in life.
You slept, not seeing what I saw,
nor hearing gentled tones of sound,
which sleep allowed escape and cause;
reminded me of what I had.
The dawn had given form to shape,
had filled the vision lastly felt,
and drawn my eyes to deeper truths,
which lay in languorous, light salute.
And in that moment, you were mine,
in all that life could offer up;
a holding fast to absolutes –
illusion smiled at both of us.
http://dversepoets.com/2014/02/15/poetics-coming-off-the-sugar-high/#respond
http://dversepoets.com/2014/02/15/poetics-coming-off-the-sugar-high/#respond
multi layered - mostly hit by him sleeping, not seeing what you saw - took that more as a metaphor...and sadly happens way too often
ReplyDeleteAh, perception is all Claudia. I think the nice thing about a poem is that we can all see in it, as we do with a painting, what we need to see.
DeleteThe metaphor can of course apply, but not in my case. The poem was quite literal. I am fortunate to be married to someone who is highly aware, highly intuitive, who sees quite clearly things I often do not see clearly but sense intuitively.....
Such beauty and quiet and reflection in this poem. Lovely.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like music. Even before one starts to 'read' it.
ReplyDeleteThis is moving, the thought that only at night one are truly together. The sad melancholy of the last stanza, where I get the feeling the loved one's stolen by the dawn... Very good poem, I'm deeply touched.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bjorn, but it really was about me being awake before him and having the chance to just look at the person I love most in the world, appreciating the moment and knowing that nothing lasts.
DeleteThis is just gorgeous! What a beautiful expression of true love.
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful weaving of words. I love the subtle repetition of action shared in both past and present tenses: "feel" "saw" "rise and fall" and some subtle internal rhyming and slant rhymes: "cheek/sheets" "saw/cause" "truth/salutes". Is this any particular form/format? It works beautifully in this. Well done and an absolute pleasure to read.
ReplyDeleteIllusion smiled - so nicely done. I love this. Thank you so much for sharing it with us for Poetics. I love watching my husband sleep too.
ReplyDelete