I wrote this because my friend, Jingle - asked me to write for the Poetry Potluck.
I giggle now, just an hour later. Thank you for asking me to write it, my friend. THANK YOU!
She asked me to write of love and romance
and all I can think of is other poet's lines:
Gibran said, "Work is love made visible."
and Browning croons, "“Grow old with me,
the best is yet to be.” and I growl,
I pace, I grumble and pout and stammer
Mary Oliver taps on my shoulder, looks
me in the eye and soulfully states:
"“I have been in love more times than one,
thank the Lord."
I quote Pat Benatar lyrics,
"Love is a battlefield" and shout
J. Geils, "Love stinks" and my own,
"Love doesn't read my poetry
anyway so why bother, really?"
My socks are wet
I'm still wearing my jammies
and I am expected to
be inspiring to many in
just 30 minutes
What does love have to say about that?
I feel a sense of smiling between
my shoulder blades
I take a gulp of now cold coffee
I choose to stop grousing and
start writing
because more than once
my love has been found
first there, between and
among the words
even becoming
the love, itself
I may not know love like
Robert and Elizabeth
or Rumi and Shams or
Mary and Molly or
those tricky kids
Romeo and Juliet AND
I do have word love
I'll write to that...
Interesting and ecclectic sources you chose to quote regarding love. The choices we make sometimes say more about us (and our thoughts and feelings) than any of our words ever could.
Nice piece, JJS!
Posted by: Eric Alder | October 25, 2010 at 10:26 AM
really interesting how you juggle these words!
Posted by: fiveloaf | October 25, 2010 at 11:02 AM
love the process of how you write this piece,
honest, fun, and smart...
creative love poem.
beautiful combination or comparisons of love from different perspective.
cheers to you,
Thanks for sharing.
xxx
Posted by: Jingle | October 25, 2010 at 11:20 AM
Really interesting...and very well done... :)
Posted by: Sumit Sarkar | October 25, 2010 at 02:00 PM
Very creative and full of imagery my friend, love how you construct this!! Welcome to Potluck xx
Posted by: Amanda | October 25, 2010 at 02:42 PM
Love..it IS the subject..for everyone, it seems..will never end..
Humorous, well done...
Posted by: Lyn | October 25, 2010 at 04:58 PM
Very true.... visit me to see what I say about love.. hope you will love it..
Posted by: Ramesh Sood | October 26, 2010 at 03:35 AM
Great read - I like the approach you took. Boy you know love poetry is often just cliched trite, top to bottom. I love how you took a little of what some famous poets have said on the topic, and mused on it.... very interesting. You took a topic that is 90% of the time, these days, boring cliche (I read a lot of amateur poetry on a daily basis), and put and interesting slant on it. You intrigued me with your poem, thank you. Enjoyed.
Luke @ WordSalad
(mine are here -
To Ashes: http://wp.me/pTeVg-ca
Let Me: http://wp.me/pTeVg-bW
Indigenous: http://wp.me/pTeVg-bK
Posted by: Lukepraterswordsalad.wordpress.com | October 26, 2010 at 08:31 AM
"Love doesn't read my poetry
anyway so why bother, really?"
Nice! I really dig your style! I am going to visit you more often...is the sense I'm getting between my shoulder blades as i gulp room temperature cheap wine ; )
http://itslovelyannie.com/2010/10/24/crush/
Posted by: Annie | October 26, 2010 at 01:45 PM