The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Fri 3/17/06)

[RetroLounge]

XVII (I do not love you...)

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose, or topaz,
or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
in secret, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,
risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

than this: where I does not exist, nor you,
so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep.

Pablo Neruda

********************

RL

Checkout the Daily Poem Archive at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.ph ...

and if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

[miss_american_pie]

1. sigh

swoon

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

8. ...

:hi:

RL

[wildhorses]

2. where I does not exist

I LOVE that line



I DOES NOT EXIST



I DOES NOT


I DOES


I



just LOVE it.....thanks :hi:

[progmom]

3. oh how i love that poem

thanks. :hug:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. Another beautiful image, my dear RL........

So dark and enigmatic.......

But profoundly beautiful nonetheless......

Thank you......

[tigereye]

5. what? you need some Yeats!

A DRUNKEN MAN'S PRAISE OF SOBRIETY

COME swish around, my pretty punk,
And keep me dancing still
That I may stay a sober man
Although I drink my fill.
Sobriety is a jewel
That I do much adore;
And therefore keep me dancing
Though drunkards lie and snore.
O mind your feet, O mind your feet,
Keep dancing like a wave,
And under every dancer
A dead man in his grave.
No ups and downs, my pretty,
A mermaid, not a punk;
A drunkard is a dead man,
And all dead men are drunk.

[wildhorses]

9. thanks for that

:hi:

[Callalily]

6. What a wonderful poem RL!

I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
so I love you because I know no other way

Because I know no other way - Neruda definitely captured the meaning of true love.

[xchrom]

7. retro!

happy st. paddy's!