Friday, February 14, 2020

Wild Fridays #6: Words from Our Community

It’s Valentine’s Day!

So of course we must have love poems. Instead of looking for famous pieces (wonderful as they may be) I thought it was time to feature some treasures from our own community.

And who in our community writes the most romantic verses? That’s an easy answer! I’m sure we all agree that, in their very different ways, Robin (Old Egg) and Sanaa consistently do that.  And what a nice balance it is between the two of them, as not only are they poets of completely different styles and approaches, they are also opposites in both age and gender. Nevertheless, they have a genuine appreciation of each other’s writing (I can tell by the comments they leave on each other’s blogs) – as the rest of us do for both.

Each of them frequently lifts my heart with their latest romantic poems. And each is prolific – how could I choose only one poem from either?


Well, I didn’t, lol – I chose two: a short one and a longer piece from each. You may recall reading them before, but I think they repay a re-read.  Many thanks to Robin and Sanaa for giving me permission to use them.

Poems by Robin Kimber, from his blog Robin’s Nest













 I looked through Robin’s various verse tales – of love lost or love requited, of domestic bliss or teenage crushes, autobiographical or fictional or a mixture of the two – and settled on the following as being especially appropriate for Valentine’s Day because they are both so sweetly romantic, with equal parts of love and (gently suggested) passion. And they tell of happy love, which I think is the right mood for Valentine’s Day.

Here he writes of young love, idyllic and carefree:

My girl's eyes always light up 

When we go for a walk in the meadow

If the buttercups are in bloom, she smiles
Then she will lay down with them
They grin back at her
The bees buzz and fly away
While the Sun hides behind a cloud
They all know I will kiss her

She sighs, but I know that she is happy


Ahhh! I'm sighing too. And also in response to the next one, which tells of a young man whose ‘roving eye’ finally settles on The One, with that classic culmination which romantics dream of.

Rose Claire  


I rose up one morning
With my eyes full of glee
So thought I'd take a walk
To see what I could see

Do forgive me sweet girls
I have a roving eye
Sat in a rose garden
To see what I could spy

I took some old breadcrumbs
To feed the birds down there
And they came pretty soon
Plus girl with raven hair

Not long before we talked
Her name was Rose Claire
She loved that birds came close
Pecking crumbs without care

"Rose" I asked, she looked up
Her eyes shone beautifully
I rose up then kneeled down
"Please with you marry me?"

Her soft hand touched my cheek
Fingers close to my lips
I kissed them while I could
Those sensuous fingertips


Poems by Sanaa Rizvi, who blogs at A Dash of Sunny












 The two I've chosen by Sanaa were actually posted to her blog on past Valentine’s Days. She’s the lover of lush words and sensual metaphors, often in free verse.

Memoir (au fait)


I lie awake as night after night passes me

by, bathed in shadow of dreary moonlight.

Sweep not these streets of covet and pain,

fear not tales buried beneath. Tender, is

the ghost of lover long gone, leaving abaft
memories subtle as rose-colored smoke ―


That one, rejoicing in beautiful memories rather than present fulfilment, is a perfect poem for my personal Valentine’s Day. Although I don’t have a romantic partner now, I’m glad I can look back whenever I choose, in happy reminiscence, as the narrator of this poem does.

And here is one of the sensual pieces at which Sanaa excels, full of swoon-making, highly original imagery. It too comes to what I think is a perfect conclusion.

The Kisser’s Handbook

A tribute response to Joseph Legaspi’s poem, ‘The Kisser’s Handbook.’

Invigorating and intense is love.

A kiss that hints at butterscotch, caramel,

and tuberose fragrance.

I find I am unable to read your lips 

unless

they are caressing mine, 

as whisper, as promise, 

and a sigh followed by consummation.

A kiss is more personal 

more private than sharing a secret 

it’s a bond that blossoms between two people

a thought

muddled by cologne, macadamia nuts

and strawberries.

If rushed it’s probably awkward and first,

as emotions overwhelm and take charge
of the senses,

if delicate, a kiss is playful

almost teasing

as raindrops that pour and tickle flower buds 

and foliage.

A kiss dances in the corridors of memory,

makes one blush

as hours pass away as though they are nothing.

When lingering upon shy lower lip,

I am a cloud 

willing to embrace the setting sun

when urgent 

I seek to travel to collarbone, from decade

to decade

and from dusk till dawn.

Because I am the shore
that ocean longs to meet,

ours is a parable timeless,

a love song whose words are from the scripture.

A kiss

is a conversation you have when all else fails.



I hope you all enjoyed this touch of romance! Aren't we lucky to be able to enjoy the writings of these two romantic poets so often? And don't they always touch our hearts and lift our spirits?

I wish you lots of lovely love and/or happy memories on Valentine’s Day.


Material shared in this post is presented for study and review. Poems, photos, and other writings and images remain the property of the copyright owners, usually the authors. The photos of Robin and Sanaa are used with their permission, as are their poems. The picture of the hearts is a piece of free clip art.


21 comments:

  1. Thank you so much, Rosemary, Robin and Sanaa, for making my Valentine's day romantic!

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  2. Thank you Rosemary for including those two poems of mine. I felt quite honoured to have Sanaa featured alongside mine in this post. I am always overwhelmed Sanaa by the emotions you express so well in your romantic work.

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    1. Yes, she’s pretty amazing, isn’t she? And yet, in your own delightful way, which we all enjoy, and look forward to, you too have earned status as our resident romantic. To me your poems perfectly embody our new community name, as they unite poetry and storytelling — one of the things I love about them.

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  3. Yayy! Thank you so much, Rosemary for including two of my most favorite poems on this special day!๐Ÿ’ I remember writing them and the frame of mind I was in when I did .. sigh .. it's amazing isn't it how we feel different things at different points in our lives?

    I wrote Memoir (au fait)
 at dVerse when we were asked to write a quadrille. In this short poem I experienced perhaps every past relationship and the memories associated with them ๐Ÿ˜ hence the lines; "Sweep not these streets of covet and pain,
 fear not tales buried beneath."

    The Kisser's Handbook was written last year ๐Ÿ˜ƒ for my prompt at The Imaginary Garden. I remember visualizing and painting every detail, every emotion related to 'a kiss' in this poem as I wanted to pay a tribute to the Poet whose title I was inspired by.


    Robin, I have always admired the vivid details and palpable imagery in your poems. I love the idea of "sensuous fingertips," they speak so much of the feelings one experiences when with the beloved.


    As Lao Tzu wisely states; "Love is of all passions the strongest, for it attacks simultaneously the head, the heart and the senses."๐Ÿ˜‡

    Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!๐ŸŒน๐Ÿ’

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    1. Thanks, Sanaa, for these insights into the poems I chose, making our experience of them all the richer.

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    2. Oh, and how nice to find they are among your own favourites! (Smile.)

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    3. My pleasure, Rosemary! ๐ŸŒน๐Ÿ’

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  4. What lovely poems- thank you for sharing Rosemary!

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  5. I couldn't think of two poets who are more consistently in the Valentine's Day spirit than Sanaa and Robin. It must have been hard to choose which ones to share!

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    1. Only in that I was spoilt for choice! So many possibilities. (Smile.)

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  6. A gold star for you, Rosemary. Robin and Sanaa are first-class romantics. Thanks for sharing these gems.

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  7. Two excellent poets that express the world of love. I admire the quiet romance of Robin as he conveys the comfortable and familiar life that two share over time. A warm fire in the heart. Sanaa's words are flame fueled by passion that burns brightly, especially when two people are beginning to know one another.

    Oh, we would be lucky if we found both fires at the same time. In the mean time, we are lucky that Robin and Sanaa share with us.

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    1. Thanks for that lovely comment, Joel. Beautifully summed up!

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  8. Dr Pearl Ketover Prilik has been in touch with me by email to say she is experiencing Blogger glitches and is unable to post at present. She wanted to say that she loved the love poems!

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  9. yay! i have always enjoyed reading their poetry. :)

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  10. I can't imagine a best way to celebrate romance. Robin and Sanaa were the perfect choice Rosemary. Thank you for sharing.

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