(About a 2 minute read)
I love talking
With the wise man or woman
In an old relationship.
Maybe someone partnered
Ten or twenty years.
Not to hear them now and then
Express love for their partner.
They seldom do that, you know.
It’s so seldom necessary.
But I like listening for the moments
When they speak of something
They’ve seen through their lover’s eyes.
Sometimes the waiter
Brings a salad with too much dressing.
“I used to put up with this sort of thing,
But Cheryl would return it to the kitchen.”
Sometimes you mention an art.
“Before Steve got me into painting six years ago
I thought I had no talent for it.”
Sometimes you wonder about an idea.
“My Janet thinks that’s pretty sound
And I’ve come to see her point.”
Sometimes you talk about people in general.
“Vanessa can spot a fake front in a second flat.
I’ve learned a lot from her about the masks we wear.”
Here and there in their conversations with you
They sprinkle the doors they passed through with Kurt,
The hidden valleys they explored with Kayla,
The new trails they hiked with Karen.
The whitewater they rafted with Josh.
I like to see how the wise people
Who’ve grown through their partners
Have discovered unexpected continents,
Have had new worlds opened to them.
It’s better than hearing them
Talk about love. There are no words
Sweeter, truer, or more moving,
Than seeing their love
Encourage them to grow.
This is so beautiful and so resonates with me. I have had my fill of soppy, syrupy teenage love.
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I agree. Time for some talk of mature love!
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Oh yes, definitely. I do plan to write something on mature love some time in future.
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If you remember, please let me know when you do.
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That’s a really touching poem, Paul. Very true about how long time couples express their love. I especially enjoy this: “I like to see how the wise people
Who’ve grown through their partners…” It DOES take wisdom, true love, and determination the make it through the times when it would be easier to grow apart rather than grow through one’s partner.
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Indeed. Thanks, Carla.
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A lovely piece Paul, yes love is about the words unsaid…..
https://ivors20.wordpress.com/2017/09/12/dreaming-words/
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Thanks for the link, Ivor. I’ll check it out.
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This is such a nice poem.
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I beg to differ. The poem is not nice. It bit me several times as I was wrestling to whip the words into shape.
Ok ok. Bad joke.
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Oh! Then it’s a very well trained poem. I never would have known!
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😀
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I love the guilty pleasure of eavesdropping on these special moments too – wait I am not a romantic a person – just curious perhaps! This was one of your finer poems to me. So much of what is important to you is between the lines.
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