I’d temporarily forgotten that February 13 was the date my mother died until last night when a photo of her and my father tipped over for no apparent reason. Hi Mom!
Coming down the stairs for coffee this morning, it struck me that perhaps all the missing blog photos in the year 2009 can be chalked up to my sister. That’s the year she came back into my life after a nearly ten-year hiatus and inserted doom into my daily fare. Is that you Noreen? Not quite done fucking with me? If so, nice prank.
Enough of that. It’s Valentine’s Day and so I offer you a Valentine’s Day poem. A couple of weeks ago, my Thursday class writing teacher gave the villanelle as a prompt. One very famous example of the form is the Dylan Thomas poem, Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night.
Valentine
Love lost, love found. It’s one big ocean.
We fold our clothes, we make our meals.
Spelling care with simple acts, there is no commotion.
You may envy the grand gestures of devotion.
Abelard and Heloise, Tristan and Isolde hold appeal.
Love lost, love found. It’s one big ocean.
Do not gather relics and affix labels like some sort of museum docent.
Tidy the house, run one another’s errands and reveal that when
Spelling care with simple acts, there is no commotion.
Don’t keep a tally of sums, multipliers, and quotients,
Lest your feelings harden, wither, or congeal.
Love lost, love found. It’s one big ocean.
Remember the pleasure of the bow, the box, the gift well-chosen
Let that ripple outward with warm appeal.
Spelling care with simple acts, there is no commotion.
And you my dear mate, through the ups and downs of fortune
Have taught me patience and rubbed my heels.
Love lost, love found. It’s one big ocean.
Spelling care with simple acts, there is no commotion.
The Ghosts of the Poets of Ireland 🙂 Is it any wonder that they have some of the earthiest and most daunting tombs and tomes on earth? You carry on forward so beautifully. xoxo
Meaning Thomas? He was Welsh. I was reminded of the fact looking him up this morning.
And thank you!
oops! oh well, so goes my life long education 🙂
Oh stop
Nah, not Noreen but you Mom, letting you know that she is with you…
Did not know about villanelle: more comfortable with limericks, especially for this holiday that I don’t really celebrate…as in:
Oh there once was a woman who liked things tart,
She also was known to have a big heart.
She knew that violets are blue and roses are red,
But scoffed at the notion that a single day should be celebrated for love,
However, succumbed to chocolate in the shape of hearts and into her mouth, she did shove!
Good one! Shove and love. Was not expecting that rhyme!
I love your villanelle–wonderful!!!
Thank you, Ellen!
Spelling care with simple acts, there is no commotion.
so great
Especially after thirty plus years together.
Love this, Dee…Great job in composing.
Thanks Kristin!
The day to day, daily acts of love…no commotion <3 <3 <3
love this!
Thanks.
I love this line, too . . . after forty-nine years . . . a perfect description.
Spelling care with simple acts, there is no commotion.
(I was commenting after Jude’s comment, but it came to the bottom.)
in a nice bit of synchronicity, Don gifted me with a Valentine lighthouse assemblage … on February 13th (a day early, not purposefully, but perhaps because he couldn’t wait) … and really, those simple acts, small gifts of knowing, given on non-holidays, mean more than all the grand gestures combined
Thank you for sharing your poem, the refrain…just love it, will be chanting it, how things feel here, too.