April is more than half over, and I haven’t yet marked National Poetry Month here at Beyond Romance!
I
thought I’d remedy that today by sharing two poems. The one by Sara
Teasdale might well be my all-time favorite poem. It beautifully captures the
elusive and overwhelming nature of joy.
The
other is one of my own poems, from many years ago. I’ve been
writing poetry since I was seven years old. Nobody taught me how
(though my parents did read a lot of verse to me). I’ve just always
known, it seems, about the special music that can found in language.
And I’ve always written about love and desire.
What’s
your favorite poem?
What
do you think of these?
Barter
Sara
Teasdale - 1884-1933
Life
has loveliness to sell,
All
beautiful and splendid things,
Blue
waves whitened on a cliff,
Soaring
fire that sways and sings,
And
children's faces looking up
Holding
wonder in a cup.
Life
has loveliness to sell,
Music
like a curve of gold,
Scent
of pine trees in the rain,
Eyes
that love you, arms that hold,
And
for your spirit's still delight,
Holy
thoughts that star the night.
Spend
all you have for loveliness,
Buy
it and never count the cost;
For
one white singing hour of peace
Count
many a year of strife well lost,
And
for a breath of ecstacy
Give
all you have been, or could be.
Logos
Lisabet
Sarai
(for
GCS)
the
word made flesh.
electric whispers
trace the wires
speed of light
the dream takes shape.
(here I am now,
on my knees,
bound and breathless,
open and still,
awaiting your will.)
violet ink
on ivory parchment;
mystic runes
in flickering phosphor
glow and fade;
tangled tales
come alive:
candle light
and velvet shadow,
ruby wine,
leather and steel.
(seductive, real
as the lust in your eyes;
you seem surprised.)
moon embraced
in naked branches,
nightwind breathing
in my hair,
westbound plane
burns through the dark.
I speak your name
and you are there.
fragile walls
between the worlds
melt to mist:
I step beyond
the looking glass.
(eat me. drink me.
all transformed,
logic crumbles,
powers awaken;
offered for
the ritual--
offered, and taken.)
inscribe the signs,
recite the charms,
weave the web
of words. We practice
ancient art:
veritas
in nomine.
(Domine,
you called me, claimed me,
named me with
my secret name,
clasped me
in this circling flame.)
now we reinvent each other,
mage, apprentice, captive, lover,
fashion masks
from the stuff of Story,
words as lens
to focus longing,
coalesce
vision to flesh.
(hand molds breast,
lips taste thigh,
kisses drenched
in silver fire:
forms of
crystallized desire.)
electric whispers
trace the wires
speed of light
the dream takes shape.
(here I am now,
on my knees,
bound and breathless,
open and still,
awaiting your will.)
violet ink
on ivory parchment;
mystic runes
in flickering phosphor
glow and fade;
tangled tales
come alive:
candle light
and velvet shadow,
ruby wine,
leather and steel.
(seductive, real
as the lust in your eyes;
you seem surprised.)
moon embraced
in naked branches,
nightwind breathing
in my hair,
westbound plane
burns through the dark.
I speak your name
and you are there.
fragile walls
between the worlds
melt to mist:
I step beyond
the looking glass.
(eat me. drink me.
all transformed,
logic crumbles,
powers awaken;
offered for
the ritual--
offered, and taken.)
inscribe the signs,
recite the charms,
weave the web
of words. We practice
ancient art:
veritas
in nomine.
(Domine,
you called me, claimed me,
named me with
my secret name,
clasped me
in this circling flame.)
now we reinvent each other,
mage, apprentice, captive, lover,
fashion masks
from the stuff of Story,
words as lens
to focus longing,
coalesce
vision to flesh.
(hand molds breast,
lips taste thigh,
kisses drenched
in silver fire:
forms of
crystallized desire.)
