Sunday, January 09, 2011

My Kind of Love

.
I apologize that I have not visited my favorite blogs. I have spent the weekend with five songwriters and ten writers and poets, safely inspired by my twice a year Big Yellow retreats where we write and share and elevate one another from Friday night until Sunday noon.
.
I wrote four pieces and came away with a promise to myself to now, finally again, write regularly. The truth is I've been afraid to write: concerned that a recurring subject matter is best left untouched. But this weekend I wrote what I wrote and it feels good. Progress.


This poem had a prompt: Write something that starts with "You never told me."

I just wrote until it was time to stop.


My Kind of Love
.
You never told me
Canaries don’t sing at midnight.
But I told you geese mate for life
And isn’t it better to know that bodies can hold tight
Even when their songs are muffled?
.
You never told me how to dance.
But I waltzed you to Paris and remember the night
We found the twenty foot statue on the corner,
Standing where our collective awe shuddered
into our four left feet?
.
You never showed me how to color.
Ah the lines were too strict
I thought it best for you
To stick with circles and plaids:
To find the balance on your own
.
When I found passion on the sidewalk where were you?
I was in the check out line
Paying for our milk and flour
Glad that you were seeing
the gaiety of garbage recovered
.
Did you teach me to love?
Did you repair the trust?
Were you around when I found
The lucky coin inside myself?

I watched and waited. Only that.
.
But it’s come undone. I am unseamed.
I have a needle and thread
In my sock drawer
And I will give you my scissors
If this is so.
.
What will you do if I venture there?
I will watch and wait. And I will pray
I will wish and wonder. And I will say
Fly, fly, your roots are strong
Fly my dearest, sing your song.
.
xoxo
kj

16 comments:

  1. Hi karen, I wanted to thank you so much for your card (beautifull picture), I got it recentrly on the mail, and it really made my day. You are an incredible person, thanks a lot! you always make me happier.

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is absolutely beautiful.

    So sweet and tender. Many things are unspoken. Maybe better left unsaid.

    Thank you kj for your last comment in my post. I'm sorry -i have not been feeling like myself lately. So, i have decided to disable the comment to the post (which means, i had to hide yours, but it's there. I can see it :)I hope you won't be offended by it. You're the sweetest, kj!

    love,
    Silver

    ReplyDelete
  3. God I'd love to join you one of these days.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Gorgeous lovely wonderful

    ReplyDelete
  5. This is a marvelous, totally unique poem, kj. This is my favorite line:

    Were you around when I found
    The lucky coin inside myself?


    Very fine writing indeed.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Lovely, kj. I will have another cup of tea and come back to read it again. :) I'm so glad you had time to write. I am really missing that. xox!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Im so glad you had this refreshing and creativity renewing weekend at the yellow retreat. So important to gather with others who love what we love, to share, to be open to new ways of being/writing/seeing. thanks for the poem. lovely. Suki

    ReplyDelete
  8. Kj, I think this is my favorite ever, so beautiful.Love. xoxo

    ReplyDelete
  9. Holy &#$5 I'm Balling here!!!!Come on give me a warning will ya!!This is so touching and beautiful!!Bigs Hugs,Cat

    ReplyDelete
  10. So glad you had a wonderful (and productive, sounds like) time with your writers group.

    @Cat - I don't normally laugh at typos since I'm the Queen of Typos myself, but "balling" instead of "bawling" had me laughing out loud. Maybe it's the sex fiend in me.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Beautiful......

    Love,

    ♥ Robin ♥

    ReplyDelete
  12. mariana, hello! i am always glad to hear from you and glad my silly card brightened your day. thank you for your high regard, i feel the same ♥

    silver, thank you so much. i would never be offended. i enjoy everything wise tender word you write, and i understand. xox

    hells, oh be still my heart and body stay on my chair! having you as part of my big yellow weekend would be a dream come true. i can arrange it, you know....

    thank you mim ♥

    thank you so much lydia. you know this means so much coming from you.

    prudie1! you HAVE to write with me! this is the year, remember?! although you have a new book out and so many wonderful critters to share. i think you are amazing.

    suki, being among this group is a high honor. we've been doing this for four years at least, and it never fails to bring out the best in each of us.

    ReplyDelete
  13. thank you so much annie. ♥

    hello cat, thank you but don't cry. well, okay, cry: love is like that....wings and roots.... :)

    cs, HAHAHAHA! i'm glad you're back & on track!

    ReplyDelete
  14. thank you robin ♥ thinking of you ♥

    ReplyDelete
  15. Ah dear kj, you are a natural. you know that right?

    kj and mo, my two favorite poets.

    xxx and love
    lori

    ReplyDelete
  16. A wonderful collection of words that reach my soul and stir it. thanks for inviting me

    ReplyDelete