I should burn old year
& throw away the scarlet letters, but I don't
The moon crawls
between spaces & craves your imprint
I keep sliding back to your
touch bruising the back of my bare knees
It was the promise of Always
slotted between wet kisses & sweaty palms
How my face flowers just for you
The bad boy of the town
I learned the many degrees of Always
Flimsy as moth wings
Quick dance, shuffle of losses and leaves,
Yet the wanting of you is an addiction
Crackling after the blazing dies
Always, always, always
even when you don't give me
any flowers
Posted for D'verse Poets Pub - Hosted by Mary ~ Inspired by poem
Burning the Old Year, BY NAOMI SHIHAB NYE
I used two lines: Quick dance, shuffle of losses and leaves,
Crackle (ing) after the blazing dies
Thanks for the visit ~
Ah, you have worked in those Naomi Shihab Nye lines SO well. Sometimes one knows what one SHOULD do, but the feelings...the love...live on!
ReplyDeleteI learned the many degrees of Always
ReplyDeleteFlimsy as moth wings
Oh yes.. sometimes the embers fades, and the rekindling require work and flowers... I really love your poetic construction here.
Sometimes one has to light a new way for the old flame to rise
ReplyDeleteThe heart wants what it wants, & intellect, logic, & reason must squat over in the corner until the passion subsides; often to tragic results, but not irreparable.
ReplyDeleteThose first two lines say it all. Terrific poem.
ReplyDeletewow...The moon crawls
ReplyDeletebetween spaces & craves your imprint....so beautiful, Grace.
Incredible--your use of the two lines melded in so flawlessly I didn't even notice them. I suspect many of us have experienced the allure of that addiction, way too often, illusive.
ReplyDeleteThat "Quick dance" line was one of my favorites, too. You've used it well.
ReplyDeleteQuick dance, shuffle of losses and leaves,
ReplyDeleteYet the wanting of you is an addiction
LOVE these lines :D :D
"crackling after the blaze dies." What a great line to an interesting poem. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteI learned the many degrees of Always
ReplyDeleteFlimsy as moth wings
- a great line..you've artfully woven in several aspects of Naomi's poem!
Very effective poem, Grace! It reminded me of a number of my students and how they fell in love with the 'bad boy of the town' and I am sure they never got flowers either.
ReplyDeleteGreat lines you chose and used beautifully in your own superb poem, Grace. An apropos title for a sad addiction to one who no longer gives flowers. I loved the line "my face flowers just for you."
ReplyDeleteThis tells an age-old story, and so well. I especially like "I learned the many degrees of Always, flimsy as moth wings."
ReplyDeleteI also used the 'crackling after the blazing dies' but you have woven the words much more cleverly into your poem. I particularly like the repetition of always, almost devaluing it, and the 'many degrees of Always'
ReplyDeleteYour thinking shines out of the page in just the right words for us to follow the course of that relationship.
ReplyDeletedeep and everlasting...
ReplyDeleteThis is lovely. You may have only used 2 lines from Nye's poem, but many of your other lines also give reference to Nye.
ReplyDeletesacred and sticky communions, some whispering "forever" in our lonely hearts, the forever that never comes...
ReplyDeleteThe couplets work so well with this poem. Nicely done.
ReplyDeleteVery well written. The last lines are so telling!
ReplyDeleteSuperb, Grace/Scarlet! :) Both choices work well and with each other. Walt.
ReplyDeleteyou've told this age old story so well - will we ever learn
ReplyDeleteThis line is the perfect picture of common sense being swept up in the addiction: "I keep sliding back to your / touch bruising the back of my bare knees."
ReplyDeleteSometimes we just keep wanting what isn't good for us!
ReplyDeleteLife.. addiction
ReplyDeleteonly having
endinG..
miGht
aS WeLL
joiN
coffEE..
LiVinG..:)