Love Poem Quotes Flashcards
She walks in Beauty like the night
of cloudless climes and starry skies
And all that’s best of dark and bright
meet in her aspect and her eyes
Thus mellowed to that tender light
that heaven to gaudy day denies
One shade the more, one ray the less
had half impaired the nameless grace
Which waves in every raven tress
or softly lightens o’er her face
Where thoughts serenely sweet express
how pure how dear their dwelling place
And on that cheek, and o’er that brow
so soft so calm yet eloquent
The smiles that win the tints that glow
but tell of days in goodness spent
A mind at peace with all below
A heart whose love is innocent
After the first phase
After passionate nights and intimate dates
Only then would he let me trace
The frozen river which ran through his face
Only then would he let me explore
the blown hinge of his lower jaw
and handle and hold
the damaged porcelain collar bone
And mind and attend
the fractured rudder of shoulder-blade
and finger and thumb
the parachute silk of his punctured lung
only then could i bind the struts
and climb the rungs of his broken ribs
and feel the hurt
of his grazed heart
skirting along
only then could I picture the scan
the foetus of metal beneath his chest
Where the bullet had come to rest
Then I widened the search
traced the scarring back to its source
to a sweating unexploded mine
buried deep within his mind
every nerve in his body had tightened and closed
and only then did I come close
Not a red rose
Or a satin heart
I give you an onion
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper
It promises light
Like the careful undressing of love
Here
It will blind you with tears
Like a lover
It will make your reflection
A wobbling photo of grief
I am trying to be truthful
Not a cute card
or a kissogram
I give you an onion
It’s fierce kiss will stay of your lips
possessive and faithful
As we are, for as long as we are
Take it
It’s platinum loops shrink to a wedding ring
If you like
Lethal
Its scent will cling to your fingers
Cling to your knife
I could pick anything and think of you
This lamp, the rain, the glossy blue
My pen exudes drying matte upon the page
I could choose any hero, cause or age
And sure as shooting arrows to the heart
Astride a dappled mare legs braced far apart
As standing in silver stirrups will allow
There you’ll be with furrowed brow
And chainmail glinting, to set me free
One eye smiling the other firm upon the enemy
This post post-modern age is all business compact disks
And faxes, a do it now and take no risks
Event. Today a hurricane is nudging up the coast
oddly male, big bad Floyd who rings a host
Of daydreams awkward reminisces
or teenage crushes on worthless boys
whose only talent was to kiss you senseless
They all had sissy names: Marcel Percy Dewey
Thin as liquorice and just as chewy
Sweet with a dark and Hollow centre, Floyd’s
Cussing up a storm You’re bunkered in your
Aerie I’m perched in mine
Twin Desks computers, Hardwood floors
We’re content but fall short of the divine
Still its embarrassing this happiness
Who’s satisfied simply with what’s good for us
When has the ordinary ever been news
And yet because nothing else will do
To keep me from Melancholy (call it blues)
I fill this stolen time with you.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
