Take a number and wait until you're called.
Published on March 27, 2007 By dynamaso In Poetry
It is a great distance for a single man to cover
Between being alone in the world to taking a lover
The intimacy required is never easily expressed
Those words she longs to hear have long been suppressed

He walks in circles tongue tied and lost
The emotions he feels he knows come at a cost
He only wants it to be simple, straightforward and easy
Like in his dreams, where she is both pure and porn sleazy

He is rudderless in an ocean of open displays of affection
Of smells and of tastes and of jealous over-protection
The impact it has changes every aspect of his life
Until he grows to understand she’s his friend as well as his wife

It is expectations he has never before had to control
He never understood his part until he became part of the a whole

Comments (Page 1)
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on Mar 27, 2007

What's that word? Gestalt?

And I hate to regurgitate the cliche of Jerry McGuire's "she completes me" but...yeah she does.

Excellent as always, Maso...   
on Mar 27, 2007
In marriage it seems we become both something less and something more.
We marry who we will become as much as our spouse.
For me, your poem voiced that angst beautifully.
on Mar 27, 2007
Bravo! That was so insightful and fun to read. Thanks!
on Mar 27, 2007
Shovel,

she completes me


Exactly where I was coming from, but long-winded, as usual Thanks for the continued encouragement, mate.

Don,

we become both something less and something more


It is all about sacrifice in the name of love. We, both men and women, give up a lot to become something more. I think once we can acknowledge this, the relationship we form because so much sturdier. Thanks for the comments and support, again mate. BTW I got your email - thanks. Will get something to you as soon as I can.

Buddah,

Thanks mate. I continue to be encouraged and inspired by reading your work.
on Mar 28, 2007
It is all about sacrafice in the name of love. We, both men and women, give up a lot to become something more. I think once we can acknowledge this, the relationship we form because so much sturdier.

It took me awhile to learn how to sacrifice, and I'm so happy I did. The rewards are so much better.

Great as always, mate.
on Mar 28, 2007
Chris,

It takes us all a while, mate, particuarly us men (but I don't want others to hear else I might lose my membership to the Bald Apes Club )

Thanks for your comments, mate.
on Mar 31, 2007
Dig

It took me awhile to learn how to sacrifice, and I'm so happy I did.





I thought this was lovely, Mark.
on Apr 01, 2007
Rose,

Thanks very much. You all (as in women) deserve to know while we might find it hard sometimes to say what we think, we do think good things about you all.
on Apr 03, 2007
Awwwww you guys are so sweet! Mark, this is so beautiful, you sure know how to make a girl melt inside! Lucky Toni!
on Apr 04, 2007
It is all about sacrifice in the name of love. We, both men and women, give up a lot to become something more.


dynamaso,

I have never really quite understood what people mean by that, or maybe I do and I just don't agree. I'm not really sure. Do you mind having discussions about the concepts in your poetry or do you prefer to keep discussion more focused on the work?
on Apr 04, 2007
Serenity,

Thanks heaps, mate. It is absolutely inspired by past failures and present success. You might think Toni is the lucky one, but it is me who feels truly lucky.

Abe,

I don't mind having discussions at all. I believe a good piece of writing should inspire discussion and debate (not that I'm saying I'm good , mind ) I'd be interested in knowing how you understood the concepts of this piece.
on Apr 08, 2007
dynamaso,

I don't understand/agree with the idea of sacrificing for love. To me, if it's love there is no sacrifice. If there is sacrifice then it is not love, but an expression of insecurity. I guess what I'm asking is: what is given up when we enter a loving relationship?

BTW, I think you poem is a lot more powerful when the sentences are read from last to first.
on Apr 08, 2007
if it's love there is no sacrifice

Interesting point of view, Abe. I hope you don't mind if I give you mine.

For me, love is not just a feeling. Ideal love is a series of acts, some of which will be detrimental to me, but all of which will be beneficial to the one I love. Therefore, I see sacrifice as a positive proof of love. Without it, I am really only loving myself. I am only being selfish.

Intellectually, though, I am tantalized by your point of view. I see that for you, sacrifice cannot coexist with love. What, then, is your definition of love?
on Apr 08, 2007
For me, love is not just a feeling. Ideal love is a series of acts, some of which will be detrimental to me, but all of which will be beneficial to the one I love. Therefore, I see sacrifice as a positive proof of love. Without it, I am really only loving myself. I am only being selfish.


Exccellent reply, Doc (I'm a little envious as I'm pathetic in the 'reply' department) I agree but I do see where Cubbage is coming from. His reply reminds me of an Anthony Demello (Google him!) quote about a man who was asked if he would sacrifice his happiness for love and he said yes. Then the same question was asked to his lover and she said yes, she would sacrifice her happiness for love too. "So," Mello said, "here we have two unhappy people, but long live love!"
on Apr 08, 2007
Good example, Shovel.

But then you could argue that if each "truly" loved the other person and were able to see the other person's needs, they would sacrifice that relationship. Yes, if that's what he means, I think I see Abe's point. Sacrifice in the name of love is not enough for a relationship to work.

I do see some pretty miserable situations motivated by love, though. The love that parents have for a chronically sick or terminally sick children, for example.  These relationships are self-sacrificing and as true to my ideal of love as you can get.
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