The Essence of Love - A Poem
When I wrote Depression Reality, I shared a few words on the rules of so-called "proper poems," such as "no abstractions!" in that case.
This time around I'm going to speak of another such issue, one that hits me hard, personally: Poem length. Why are longer poems "better"? Why do we feel the need to add on words, that if a poem is less than 4, or 5, or 6 stanzas, then it looks too short, too barren, and needs more?
It sometimes does. But not always. And while I need to remind myself of that (and with my non-fiction writing as well), I trust this poem to make my case for me.
I happily share,
all I can.
I gladly receive,
all you offer.
The essence of love
is but one word.
Yes.
This poem is written for and to @mamadini. Another word you can replace the final line with is "Is."
Check out my latest posts:
- In The Beginning & On War and Death - Mythic fiction.
- Depression Reality - A poem.
- We Are Called Legion, for We Are Many - Fiction.
Art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
© Guy Shalev 2018.
You,
Sir,
Made your point,
Perfectly!!!
Thanks Marianne! :)
Perfect! I always enjoyed those poems with few words. It's like they're lying in a bed with you, caressing your cheeks, gazing into the universe of your eyes, and without words they tell you all that they feel.
I could go on about how much I liked your poem, but all I have to say is three words: YES, YES, YES!
You know, one of the things I miss most about online conversations is the inability to sit in companionable silence. That shows you're really good friends with someone. But online, you must keep writing for the messages to come across. I do make up for it with some more emotes, but even so.
But I am not sure more wordy poems do this any worse than shorter poems. It's words anyway :D But I get what you mean, and that feeling sure is valuable.
And I'm glad you really dug it. I keep doing some "different" poems, I finally had @whoshim like one the other week, and now here's one you like ;-)
Also, so cheeky with that "like" :P
I like being cheeky! I started poetry from Tumblr, so I am definitely used to appreciating the shorter poems. I never thought of 'missing' that silence - it is irreplaceable!
Hey now, there have been a handful of yours that I have really liked. :D The one about poetry, the one about Plato's cave, and some others. Just because I nitpick doesn't mean I don't like it.
Short and sweet. I actually like less words and more meaning. I just can't seem to write like you just did and it says everything there is to say;
In these three lines lies a whole world of hurt, tears, regrets, joy and peace. That is poetry.
I think using more words instead of meaning is a bad thing to do. The real struggle and mark of a good poem is that no matter how many words it has, they all are full of meaning(s). I prefer mid-range poems, but I try to infuse every stanza with as much meaning as every line in this poem has.
And well, we all have different styles, and I'm sure if you do train at writing aphorisms and would-be-idioms, it'd also help you with succinct poetry writing.
Thank you for the very kind comment, because yes, that is poetry.
More like 'Hell Yes', but I'll respect your brevity in this matter.
Except that it is not a celebration of that sort. It's more about acceptance. It's more... holistic? Holy even?
That is why the other word that could be used for it is "Is," just accepting and celebrating what is. Not that it doesn't require a lot of work, mind. But as part of existence. A more thoughtful take ;-)
Yes! Great job @geekorner. :)
Thank you! :D
@geekorner Perfect, your poem has got strength, a complete flow. Keep it up! If you are interested in poetry, please don't forget to visit my blog post. Keep in touch, I will be helping you always, my friend.
This is the second time you copy-paste comment spam on my poems. I've gone ahead and flagged a couple of your poems, so maybe it'll make you get the hint.
Either engage meaningfully, or don't, at all.
If you persist, I'll ask some other people to flag you as well.