The Things You Find

[artyartie]

In the process of writing the next chapter of the story I started last year for the longpidcc community, I found quite a few things on my harddrive. There was an incredibly jaded and depressing letter I'm so glad I never sent, and I may just forbid myself, forever, from ever using crocuses in future stories/essays/poems. But I did find this poem, and even two years later, I don't feel the urge to send it to the recycle bin.


This, too, is love
In my small brown hands, in each careful stir
In the measure of freshly-ground cumin
In one more pinch of kosher salt
In the dab of honey that clings, sticky, to my fingers
And tastes exactly how love should taste.

This is love, spicy, sweet, meaty, that I hand you on a platter,
Even if it isn’t silver. Even if it isn’t my heart.

This, too, is love
In my small brown hands upon your shoulder
In my lips upon your forehead
In the spontaneous embraces which are complete symphonies
Not merely a prelude.

This, too, is love, this is love, and I exult the paean
Not needing to shout.

This, too, is love
Not bound by blood or other
Bodily fluids
This is patient and kind but seldom has
Its own pink greeting card
And like my dead languages is rarely understood
Or is looked on as mere curiosity
So I sing in the tongue of ancients
Amo meum amiculum
And so I declare what is already known.

Comments

[butterflydrming.livejournal.com]

M, that is beautiful, really gorgeous. I honestly think that you should enter it in several poetry contests. Definitely do not discard it.

[otahyoni.livejournal.com]

In the spontaneous embraces which are complete symphonies
Not merely a prelude.

That's my favorite line.

For some reason, I always think that I don't really like poetry all that much. That it's just all right. And then I actually read some, and love it. I don't know what my problem is.

Anyway, this is lovely. Very. Do you do a lot of poetry? Cuz you should.

[artyartie.livejournal.com]

I haven't done a lot of poetry lately - I'm rather self-conscious about it (remembering, perhaps, my truly awful stuff from high school) but I may post more. It's definetly gotten a little more detached on the whole, though I wrote this with dear friends in mind. But thank you so much for the feedback! That line does mean a lot to me, as I think the platonic friendships in my life have meant a great deal in and of themselves, not as the 'means' to something else.

Have you ever read any of Margaret Atwood's poetry? I absolutely love her novels but I think I lover her poetry even more.