A post about Love

'Love is what stands when everything goes wrong'. That's what the shadow poet laureate Adrian Mitchell wrote. It also doesn't explain or apologise for its presence or unyielding stature. Love always finds a way, except perhaps, when it's not supposed to 'Be'.

A birthday card from an unexpected quarter made me think about this. When two people are in love, and one struggles with handling those feelings, frequently running away, what can you do? You can try and be friends, but if feelings are running strong on both sides, the friendship won't last long. But neither of you can survive in no man's land, so I guess you have to return to your respective bunkers, and wish eachother a more lasting love in the future. I guess that's just the way it goes sometimes.

The poem below is inspired by that, but is about other things also.


'The Birthday Card'

Crooked finger strums heartstrings,
playing that same old tune.
Retrospection swings into action,
only to stumble, punch-drunk
an ageing fighter groping in the dark.

Introspection lies low,
intoxicated by the smoke
of a distant, seductive horn.

Love conspires with lust
to sing a song that’s sweet,
but the memory of desire is weak,
and as the sigh hushed up
to make way for the lullaby,
the ballad gave way to a blues, bleak.

15th August 2005, in the red chair

My thanks, as always, to 'Da Bomb'.

Now some links. Kitty hospital, the TI 'Speak & Spell' emulator & the hillbilly tribute. Yes, they're all clean and feel free to turn up the sound a tad.