Category: Love

Replying to Sara L

That’s it.
I think.
No knight on an exhausted steed rushing to the rescue.
No benefactor pulling notes of worthless tender from fat pockets.
No, nothing like that.
No meaningless gestures.
No empty materialism.
Your touch, every time you pass me by.
You alternate your path just for that.
Silly dancing half naked on a sunny Saturday morning
Cajoling loudly to song.
Cuddled underneath thick blankets the dome of fairy lights
Painted above us by Night.
Autumn: hot chocolate in the garden
Before the last hours of work that day.
Storm battled adventures under canvas.
Bringing you coffee first thing every morning.
Cooking me birthday breakfast on the beach.
Swigging champagne from the bottle in a mountain hut.
A thick pair of gloves you knew I would need them.
Unexpected snowstorm we waited out with hot tea and chocolate.
Arms wrapping around each other tightly.
Holding hands while sleeping.
And so in Love
We safe one another every day.

If you do not know the Poetry Cove yet go have a nosy and join! I participated in the chap book writing month so have a lot of poems to share here but then the semester began, and I managed to slip a disc and things went a bit haywire for a while. Catching up and will schedule some more poems soon.
This one was a discussion we had after a love poem prompt that we found challenging. Here is my response to the inspiration by one of the participants.

Bedtime

Moments 09

The moment the blanket settles
Your heat is radiating
Brushing my skin
Presence reassuring
Heavy arms around me
I start sweating
I feel my face reddening
Yet I won’t move
Out of overheated Geborgenheit*

  • Geborgenheit (German): a combination of safety, comfort, protection

Aunty got it wrong

Moments 05

Advisory:
“I don’t want a blankie.”
She pushes it off forcefully.
“Blankies are for when you are sick.
I am not sick.“

An hour later:
“Why are you not sleeping, child?“

Reproach:
“Well, you never tugged me in with a blanket.
I cannot sleep without a blanket.”

So, blanket it is, for the four year old despot.

Grandma’s Duty

Raunacht Collection: Day 02

Your rough-hewn hands
Move over my anxious skin.
Head, neck, shoulders, arms, hands.
Head, neck, shoulders, arms, hands.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
A little twirl,
more emphasise as you move over my hands,
and out and away.
I ought to sleep.
Alas I can’t.
My skin burns from carrying the day:
smells, sounds, colours have seeped into my epidermis,
setting the organ alight.
My stomach churns with thoughts and questions.
My brain spin tales and stories.
It won’t stop.
So you begin to sing.
Let the sound carry all away.
Let the sound quiet the stories
soothe the stomach.
All the while your hands move in their duty
of gathering an anxious child back into her body.

Yellow Candy

A yellow hard candy
a small gesture.
How are you?
Long time no see!

Early morning mates,
Before anyone else,
Moments of care,
Moments of noticing,

A fleetingly passing
Web of being seens.

Hellow hard candy wrapped in transparend foil on black background

Early morning walks along the canal are my favourite there is a crowd of the same people each day. I had a longish break from the walk changing to lunchtime. When I picked up my early mornings again, there was much rejoicing from a group I met every day. They were sincerely concerned about my wellbeing. We had a bit of banter and I got a hard candy as present.

Outer Hebrides: Signs of Tenderness

Grandparents:
A boy wrapped in a thick towel,
After playing in freezing water.

A young couple:
refusing to declare defeat
against the evening’s chill.

Two women:
Spending time in silence,
With beers.

Little girl:
Carrying sibling piggyback,
Down sandy dunes, too short legs dangling.

Elderly man alone:
Cannot get his tent set up,
Younger man walking over, helping.

There is hope,
Always hope,
Where love is.

No matter what love looks like.

Outer Hebrides: A flawed man

I am watching the light of a head-torch
Like a will-o’-the-wisp bobbing above ground
My hopes are where this light is
Strong arms holding me
A giant caring loving heart
In a flawed man you say
We are all flawed I answer

Outer Hebrides: You and I

Where my road will lead
I know not
Where your road will lead
You know not

But I know for sure
That for now
We walk together

Three Words

Three words
Not what you think
Not the sometimes shallow
Sometimes real
Sometimes exuberant
Sometimes deep
Three words

Three words
That mean much more
Three words
That say you are worth it
Three words
That say I am worth it
Three words
Of caring
Three words
Of being
And yes
Three words of love
Three words

I am here

Morning has broken

You have awoken
And so has the token
By which you have spoken
To me about love