Relationships come in different forms

Relationships come in different forms
Love or Hate.

These poems are about relationships, and how they can have different sides: be either love or hate. I chose these poems because they talk about the different sorts of relationships people have with each other. For instance, the first poem that will support my point is, “Be Not Too Hard” talks about the pain a person obviously went through, and this is one side of love that ends in heartbreak and hate. However, the other poems talk more about different kinds of love, like friendships and romantic love, which mean a lot and can leave an impression on people. I think this subject matter is very powerful, because it lets us know that no relationship is predictable; that each relationship goes in its own direction: friendship might lead to love, or love might lead to heartbreak and hate.
My goal with this anthology is to make sure that people understand the different types of relationships out there and the possibilities. We need to be open and let relationships run their course, in order for us to know if it’s true love and friendship, or if it is just going to end in pain. I want the readers to realize that there is no right or wrong kind of relationship, but that we need to give other people our time and energy to try and make things work, and if they don’t, to understand that it just wasn’t meant to be. We should accept love in whatever form it comes to us.
I think that there are some similarities in the poems I have chosen. The main similarity is the different forms of relationships, like love and conflict. What caught my attention in the poems are the passionate feelings of the writers. In the poem, “How to Kill a Living Thing”, there is one line that caught my attention, “Split it with one blow Insert a stone To keep the wound wide open”. This line touched me and reminded me of the situation in my home country, Palestine. It reminded me of how every single family has a wound wide open in their heart, because of a sibling, or any family member that they lost. I personally took it as when the soldiers kill innocent people; they, basically, try to hit the family, wound them, and keep the wound wide open; making them think that the person they love has died.
In the other poems on the subject of love, what caught my attention was how the writer’s description of love can actually transport us into the realm of love, and how it’s full of imagination. In the poem “All Because Of You,” there was a stanza that I liked that reminded me of my old love companion, “Every time I think of something sad, I replace the thought- with you! My mind is instantly changed and my heart is filled with gladness.” I can relate this stanza to my personal experience, because when I was in love with my lovely girl, she made me happy all the time and no matter how she was feeling. Every day, I would wake up thinking of her. Sometimes, I would be in a really bad mood and the moment I would think of her, the mood would automatically become happier.
Good Relationship
True Love
1) True Love

In the middle of the night, when we get up
After making love, we look at each other in
Complete friendship, we know so fully
What the other has been doing. Bound to each other
Like mountaineers coming down from a mountain,
Bound with the tie of the delivery-room,
We wander down the hall to the bathroom, I can
Hardly walk, I wobble through the granular
Shadowless air, I know where you are
With my eyes closed, we are bound to each other
With huge invisible threads, our sexes
Muted, exhausted, crushed, the whole
Body a sex – surely this
Is the most blessed time of my life,
Our children asleep in their beds, each fate
Like a vein of abiding mineral
Not discovered yet. I sit
On the toilet in the night, you are somewhere in the room,
I open the window and snow has fallen in a
Steep drift, against the pane, I
Look up, into it,
A wall of cold crystals, silent
And glistening, I quietly call to you
And you come and hold my hand and I say
I cannot see beyond it, I cannot see beyond it.

Sharon Olds

2) All because of you.

I awake each day with a smile
And greet it with a laugh;
The world is a treasure to me
Because of you.

Every time I think of something sad,
I replace the thought- with you!
My mind is instantly changed
And my heart is filled with gladness.

Every breath I take is meant for you,
I live this life surrounded in joy
And I bathe in the promise of your love,
My soul belongs to you.

Each time I see something beautiful
I want to take it and bring it to you;
My life has so much meaning now
All because of you.

Kate Reneigh Woodruff

3) A CUTE POEM FOR A CUTE GIRL
Author: Anonimous
You changed my world with a blink of an eye
That is something that I can not deny
You put my soul from worst to best
That is why I treasure you my dearest Marites
You just don't know what you have done for me
You even pushed me to the best that I can be
You really are an angel sent from above
To take care of me and shower with love
When I'm with you I will not cry even a single a tear
And your touch have chased away all of my fear
You have given me a life that I could live worthwhile
It is even better everytime you smile
It so magical those things you've made
To bring back my faith that almost fade
Now my life is a dream come true
it all began when I was loved by you
Now I have found what I am looking for
It's you and your love and nothing more
Co'z you have given me this feeling of contentment
In my life something I've never felt
I wish I could talk 'til the end of day
But now I'm running out of things to say
So I'll end by the line you already know
"I LOVE YOU" more than what I could show
4) A Moment To Remember
Author: Trista Moss
A place we go
to let us know
that our love is always true
and that we will never be blue.

A memory on the edge of time
A place where we are so sublime,
A distant dream on a midnights eve
somewhere far from acknowledged leaves.

A time in which we fell deeper in love
just like to turtle doves.
We sang our songs and gave our token
to remember one single moment.



5) Your Voice
Author: Peter McNamara
TO hear your sweet voice in the early dawn,
Gives to my heart a feeling thats warm,
And starts my day with my thoughts in a swarm.

To wake to the ring of the phone,
And know that I will not be alone,
For together we have joined our souls,
So we may help each other to fulfill our goals.

My love you is true and sure,
And you make my life feel pure,
Since we have started this wonderful tour.


6) YOUR SMILE, YOUR TOUCH, YOUR HEART
Author: Randall Drymen
Your smile awakens my soul,
As the sun awakens the day.
A kiss and my life is yours,
It seems a fair price to pay.
Your touch arouses my senses,
As the moon arouses the night.
Hold me and win me forever,
In your arms all things are right.
Your heart endures all emotion,
As the sky endures all the stars.
Love me and we'll have eternity,
There is no greater love than ours.
7) Your Magic
Author: Doug W.
One glance from her eyes
so dark and so brown,
put him under her spell,
his world spun around

One smile from her lips,
his heart skipped a beat,
her womanly spell,
knocked him right off his feet

One word, just one look,
he flew out of control,
and her magical spell,
touched the heart of his soul

Her voice of pure velvet,
his thoughts were now drifting,
her magic and laughter,
her joy so uplifting

For her magic, her charms,
her feminine ways,
would enchant him would capture him,
all of his days

His heart was now hers,
his love hers to keep,
for the power of her magic,
that moved him so deep

For the love in her eyes,
sent him out of control,
and her magical spell,
played the harp of his soul.

8) YOUR EYES
Author: adieus50@hotmail.com
I love your eyes, those twinkling eyes,
They speak of a thousand things.

It glows and I drown in its intensity,
I would love to stay there forever.

It evokes myriad memories,
And leaves an imprint on me.

I consider myself lucky enough,
To have experienced its warmth.

When cupid's arrow strikes,
The world seems apparelled in celestial light,
Like the glory and freshness of your eyes.

Just like the morning dew,
Exotic and beautiful.

Every time I look into your eyes,
I'm lost in innumerable memories,
Thus forgetting the world behind me.

I wouldn't expect anything much,
Than just being the Apple of your eye!

9) You're An Angel
Author: Kid
You're an Angel that nobody can see,
Still an Angel is what you are to me
An angel from heaven is what you are
In my sky you're definably a heavenly star

You're an angel with beauty & grace
You're kind & sweet, you have an angel face
You have very graceful angel wings
Happiness and joy are just some things
that an angel can give

In my heart & mind is where you're living
You have hair as soft as the white clouds
A guardian angel is what Ive gotten.
Your eyes are like sapphires that shine bright.
When everything is dark, you give me light.

You're an angel that gives me a reason to live,
You're an angel that teaches me to give.
You're an angel that teaches me the right things to say.
You're my angel & Ill always care.
You're my angel & you know Ill always be there.

10) You Are Always There
Author: Anna L. Jennings
If I've ever felt apart from the world...
You brought me back

If I've ever cried my eyes out...
You’ve made them stop

If I've felt fear has kidnapped my heart...
you've rescued me

If I've ever felt deep misery or loneliness in my eyes...
You’ve filled them with hope and sincerity

If I've ever run away from all that I was afraid of...
You’ve showed that me I need to face them

If I've ever hidden from the crazy side of my mind...
You’ve showed me light

If I've ever been torn or bent...
You’ve straightened me out

If I've lost pieces to my heart...
Afraid that they wouldn't be put back together...
You’ve been there to show me it's never lost.
11) You Are My Hope
Author: Peter McNamara
You are the beat of my heart,
You are the blood in my veins,
You are the life of my body,
You are the spirit in my soul.
You have givin me hope,
When I thought I could not cope,
In a time when I felt I was at the end of my rope.
I am in love with you, and only you,
For you are truly the loves of my life.
Your smile starts my heart to sing,
And how I can hear the bells start to ring.
For when Im with you I feel nothing amiss,
And thats because of your loving kiss.
I stare at you face and I get lost in your beauty,
And my love for you will never become a duty.
To have you at my side,
Through our lifes joyful ride,
Fills my heart with passion and pride.
Dont ever forget my love for you,
For without your love Id have no clue.
12) You Are The One For Me
Author: Jessica Lee-anna Mckinney
Your the one for me
In my heart I feel like we were meant to be
No one has ever made me feel the way I do
But thats was way before I met you
I've never fallen in love so fast
I just hope this feeling will last
Your the one I've been searching for my whole life
And one of these years I wish to be your wife
I hope you feel the way I feel
Because all of this just seems
to wonderful to be real.
13) You're The One
Author: Mary Eleanor Barbusa
There`s a strange feeling
hidden inside my heart
There`s a strange feeling
stored up inside my heart

I crave for love no matter
How hard
I long eagerly for love
Even though it hurts

I`ll wait for you though
It takes so many nights
I`ll save my last breath until
The sun refuse to shine its light

I want you to know
I need you to know
For you I will show that
YOU`RE THE ONE I cant let go.

These poems will be relating to me and the meaning of true love. They really explain what true love is, how it works, and how it could happen. When I read the poem “True Love”, I understood what true love is, and what true love is about. Telling someone you love them, doesn’t really show them that this could be true love. True love is basically acting it in the right way. The poem “all because of you” tells me that I’m loving, enjoying, and caring about this life; simply because every time I ask myself, why am I so happy, my answer is all because of my girlfriend. The poem “a moment to remember”, reminds me that there has to be something that would always remind me of her, place, song, word, and simply anything. I selected the poems “your voice”, your magic”, and “your smile your touch your heart”, because I would like to say that every time I hear my girlfriend’s voice, I smile; every time I’m not feeling good, I call her, and the sound of her voice makes me feel better. I believe that her voice has some sort of magic in it. Also, I see my girlfriend as having a magic touch, look, and smile. Every time I’m not feeling good she holds my hands and I feel great. Everytime I’m bothered, she smiles, and I feel better, everytime I feel lost I look in her eyes and I find myself. I have read this poem so many times, and I never get sick of reading it: “Your Eyes”. Everytime I look at my girlfriend’s eyes, I see her smile. Her eyes always react to the situation she’s in. If she’s happy, her eyes would smile; if she’s mad or sad, her eyes would water; if she’s confused, her eyes would glaze, staring at nothing and anything. The last poems are “your eyes”, “You’re an angel”, “you’re the one”,” you are the one for me”, “you are my hope”, and “you are always there”. All of these poems relate to me, and relate to how I feel about my girlfriend. The way my girlfriend treats me, and how she would always aim my thoughts in the positive direction, when I was in a bad mood or felt down this really explains how amazing my girlfriend is and how she would always be by my side. She has always stood by my side whenever I needed her to do so. Whenever I felt lonely she would be right there for me to fill up my time for me. We have always been there for each other helping and supporting each other. **The way she treats me, makes me feel like she is the true love I have been looking for. Also, no matter what happens, we will always be there for each other. I consider the first time I saw her, as the best day in my life. The day I met her, was the day I was attracted to her, drawn in by her beauty. The first time I met her, I felt like I would do anything to get her, because to me, she is more than an angel. She’s worth a lot to me and I would never let go of her. The thing that makes her angelic in my eyes is that she’s a caring and big hearted person. If I ever need her, she will be the first there for me.

Bad Relationship
Love Scorned
1) How to kill a living thing

Neglect it
Criticize it to its face
Saw how it kills the light
Traps all the rubbish
Bores you with its green

Continually
Harden your heart
Then
Cut it down close
To the root as possible

Forget it
For a week or a month
Return with an axe
Split it with one blow
Insert a stone

To keep the wound wide open

Eibhlin Nic Eochaidh

2) Be Not Too Hard

Be not too hard for life is short
And nothing is even to man;
Be not too hard when he is sold and bought
For he must manage as best he can;
Be not too hard when he gladly dies
Defending things he does not own;
Be not too hard when he tells lies
And if his heart is sometimes lie a stone
Be not too hard – for soon he dies,
Often no wiser than he began;
Be not too hard for life is short
And nothing is given to man.

Christopher Logue


3) Last Night

The next day, I am almost afraid.
Love? It was more like dragonflies
In the sun, 100 degrees at noon,
The ends of their abdomens stuck together, I
Close my eyes when I remember. I hardly
Knew myself, like something twisting and
Twisting out of a chrysalis,

Enormous, without language, all
Head, all shut eyes, and the humming
Like madness, the way they writhe away,
And do not leave, back, back,
Away, back. Did I know you? No kiss,
No tenderness---more like killing, death-grip
Holding to life, genitals
Like violent hands clasped tight
Barely moving, more like being closed
In a great jaw and eaten, and the screaming
I groan to remember it, and when we started
To die, then I refuse to remember,
The way a drunkard forgets. After,
You held my hands extremely hard as my
Body moved in shudders like the ferry when its
Axle is loosed past engagement, you kept me
Sealed exactly against you, our hairlines
Wet as the arc of a gateway after
A cloudburst, you secured me in your arms till I slept---
That was love, and we woke in the morning
Clasped, fragrant, buoyant, that was
The morning after love.
Sharon Olds
4) A BETTER TOMORROW
Author: Yvonne Warren
I never knew there would be a better tomorrow
But you've come into my life and taken away all my sorrow

My days of sadness are a thing of the past
Because I have found true love at last

My days of emptiness are gone for good
Because you fill a void in my heart that you should

You've opened a window
You've shown me the light
And my love for you will continue to burn bright.

5) A BRAND NEW DAY
Author: Aeni
Rest your head and close your eyes
Everything will be okay
For when you wake with the sweet sunrise
It will be a brand new day
Turn down the lights and pull me close
Feel only the beating of our hearts as we lay
For when you wake with the soft morning breeze
It will be a brand new day
Relax your body and caress my soft hair
Let all of life's worries melt away
For when you wake with the warm summer scent
It will be a brand new day
Fall fast asleep and dream with me
Whisper "I love you, I'm here to stay"
For when we wake in each other's arms
It will be a brand new day
6) YOU WERE ONCE
Author: Lily Tchen
I once loved you so much
And for so long.
Why did you leave
When I did nothing wrong?
Your smile was once the sun
On a dark, rainy day.
It would clear up the sky
And keep it from being gray.
Your eyes were once the shine
Of the world's glowing light.
Or were they the twinkling stars
That once filled the night?
Your hands once had power
To give me the softest touch.
They'd always give me a slight tingle,
Which is why I loved them so much.
Your hugs were once the medicine
That'd change a frown to cheer.
A shiver would run through my body
Every time I feel your love near.
Your kisses were once the wind,
They were fresh and breezy against my face.
They were gentle, so gentle,
It's something no one will replace.
But, now you like someone else,
And it's driving me insane.
Although it's over for us,
The love we had still remains.
And so I tell myself...
Never again will I cry.
You were once everything to me,
That I can't deny.
But I couldn't keep my promise
And broke out in tears.
The hours I've cried feel like days,
The days feel like years.
As I bury my face in the pillow,
And cry my heart out and grieve,
I've learned to never give away love
If love I don't receive.

7) Free
© Alone
As I sit in my corner and think about your lies,
I have nothing else to do but break down and cry.
You knew it would end,
You knew it would die,
You knew one day we’d have to say goodbye.
You told me you loved me,
You told me you cared
But the rage inside had slowly flared.
The moments we shared replay in my head
Along with all the sweet lies you said.
You thought it was a game
You thought you’d win
But in the end you felt nothing within.
Deep down inside there was a big empty space
That I now realize you couldn’t replace.
Something about you helped me see
That without love I’m finally free.
Free from pain,
Free from lies,
Free from having tear filled eyes.
Without your love I finally see
All the horrid things you’ve come to be.


Even though love has its ups and downs and lots of people get hurt from love. If I was to compare my love with my ex and my love with my current girlfriend, I would be able to prove that love can be excruciating My ex never treated me the way I treated her. She would constantly fight with me over anything, no matter how small it is, or what it is. From my side, I would do my best to make her happy, but she never helps or supports me. She was the type of a girl that only thought about parties and friends. I felt that she wasn’t ready for a true love. Those poems that I have chosen relate to my point of how a person could get hurt from love. For example, in my poem “How to kill a living thing”, I can take it as an example of how my ex-girlfriend treated me and played me. After she found out that I loved her and would do anything for her, she decided to break up. When she did that I was severely wounded. The poem “Be not too hard” is a strong example of (FILL IN HERE), because my ex would be really hard on me; “selfish, and not caring”. The poem “Last night” also relates to me because as soon as I read that poem I remembered the last night me and my ex were together and how we broke up for no reason. “Better tomorrow”, “A Brand New Day”, “You were once”, and “Free” (PLEASE FINISH SENTENCE). The poem, “FILL IN HERE”, really affected me, because it made me remember how after I broke up with her, I sat alone, and began thinking that she isn’t the right girl for me and there has to be a better girl for me. I would always think of that there has to be a brand new day, and when that has happened I said to my self you were once in my life but I’m glade we’re not together no more. Even though I was hurt after my ex and I broke up, although, after few days my mood began to improve. I felt really good, happy, excited, and free to do anything, including opening my eyes to the possibilities of a new and better girlfriend.
The reason I chose to select poems with the similar theme; “Relationships come in different forms, and can be love or hate.”, is because as soon as I read the poems, I found them to be reminiscent of who I am, and certain situations I have been through.

Relationships come in different forms, and can be love or hate. 2

I think that there are some similarities in the poems I have chosen. The main similarity is the different forms of relationships, like love and conflict. What caught my attention in the poems is that the strong feelings of the writers. In the poem, How to Kill a Living Thing, there is one line that caught my attention, which is “Split it with one blow Insert a stone To keep the wound wide open”. This line touched me and reminded me of the situation in my home country, Palestine. It reminded me of how every single family has a wound wide open in there heart, because of a sibling, or any family member that they lost. I personally took it as when the soldiers kill innocent people basically try to hit the family and wound them and keep the wound wide open and make them just think of the person they love has died. In the other poems the ones about love, what caught my attention was how the writer is talking about love and actually taking us in to the really world of love, and how its full of imagination. In the poem “All Because Of You,” there was a stanza that I liked that reminded me of my old love companion. “Every time I think of something sad, I replace the thought- with you! My mind is instantly changed And my heart is filled with gladness.” I have related this stanza to my personal experience because when I was in love with my lovely girl, she made me happy all the time and no matter how she was feeling. Everyday I would wake up thinking of her. Some times I would be in a really bad mood and right away I would think of her and the mood will automatically change to being happy.
The reason I have chosen this theme “Relationships come in different forms, and can be love or hate.” Is because as soon as I have read the poems it automatically reminded me of my self and how I went through the same thing.


1) A BETTER TOMORROW
Author: Yvonne Warren
I never knew there would be a better tomorrow
But you've come into my life and taken away all my sorrow

My days of sadness are a thing of the past
Because I have found true love at last

My days of emptiness are gone for good
Because you fill a void in my heart that you should

You've opened a window
You've shown me the light
And my love for you will continue to burn bright.


2) A BRAND NEW DAY
Author: Aeni
Rest your head and close your eyes
Everything will be okay
For when you wake with the sweet sunrise
It will be a brand new day
Turn down the lights and pull me close
Feel only the beating of our hearts as we lay
For when you wake with the soft morning breeze
It will be a brand new day
Relax your body and caress my soft hair
Let all of life's worries melt away
For when you wake with the warm summer scent
It will be a brand new day
Fall fast asleep and dream with me
Whisper "I love you, I'm here to stay"
For when we wake in each other's arms
It will be a brand new day

3) A CUTE POEM FOR A CUTE GIRL
Author: Anonimous
You changed my world with a blink of an eye
That is something that I can not deny
You put my soul from worst to best
That is why I treasure you my dearest Marites
You just don't know what you have done for me
You even pushed me to the best that I can be
You really are an angel sent from above
To take care of me and shower with love
When I'm with you I will not cry even a single a tear
And your touch have chased away all of my fear
You have given me a life that I could live worthwhile
It is even better everytime you smile
It so magical those things you've made
To bring back my faith that almost fade
Now my life is a dream come true
It all began when I was loved by you
Now I have found what I am looking for
It's you and your love and nothing more
Co'z you have given me this feeling of contentment
In my life something I've never felt
I wish I could talk 'til the end of day
But now I'm running out of things to say
So I'll end by the line you already know
"I LOVE YOU" more than what I could show

4) All Because of You
Author: Kate Reneigh Woodruff
I awake each day with a smile
And greet it with a laugh;
The world is a treasure to me
Because of you.

Every time I think of something sad,
I replace the thought- with you!
My mind is instantly changed
And my heart is filled with gladness.

Every breath I take is meant for you,
I live this life surrounded in joy
And I bathe in the promise of your love,
My soul belongs to you.

Each time I see something beautiful
I want to take it and bring it to you;
My life has so much meaning now
All because of you.

5) A Moment To Remember
Author: Trista Moss
A place we go
to let us know
that our love is always true
and that we will never be blue.

A memory on the edge of time
A place where we are so sublime,
A distant dream on a midnights eve
somewhere far from acknowledged leaves.

A time in which we fell deeper in love
just like to turtle doves.
We sang our songs and gave our token
to remember one single moment.

Relationships come in different forms, and can be love or hate.

Theme: Relationships come in different forms, and can be love or hate.

Explanation of theme:

The theme I have chosen is that relationships can have different sides and can be either love or hate. I think this explains the poems I chose because they talk about the different sorts of relationships people have with each other. For instance, the first poem talks about the pain a person obviously went through, and this is one side of love that ends in heartbreak and hate. However, the other poems talk more about different kinds of love, like friendships and romantic love that also mean a lot and can have a strong effect on people. I think this theme is very strong because it lets us know that no relationship is predictable and each relationship goes in it’s own direction, where friendship might lead to love, or love might lead to heartbreak and hate.

Goal:

My goal is to make sure that people understand the different types of relationships out there and the possibilities. We need to be open and let relationships run their course to know if it’s true love and friendship, or if it is just going to end in pain. I want the readers to realize that there is no right or wrong kind of relationship but that we need to give other people our time and energy to try and make things work, but if they don’t, then it just wasn’t meant to be. We should accept love in whatever form it comes to us.

Poems:

1) How to kill a living thing

Neglect it

Criticize it to its face

Saw how it kills the light

Traps all the rubbish

Bores you with its green

Continually

Harden your heart

Then

Cut it down close

To the root as possible

Forget it

For a week or a month

Return with an axe

Split it with one blow

Insert a stone

To keep the wound wide open

Eibhlin Nic Eochaidh

2) Be Not Too Hard

Be not too hard for life is short

And nothing is even to man;

Be not too hard when he is sold and bought

For he must manage as best he can;

Be not too hard when he gladly dies

Defending things he does not own;

Be not too hard when he tells lies

And if his heart is sometimes lie a stone

Be not too hard – for soon he dies,

Often no wiser than he began;

Be not too hard for life is short

And nothing is given to man.

Christopher Logue

3) True Love

In the middle of the night, when we get up

After making love, we look at each other in

Complete friendship, we know so fully

What the other has been doing. Bound to each other

Like mountaineers coming down from a mountain,

Bound with the tie of the delivery-room,

We wander down the hall to the bathroom, I can

Hardly walk, I wobble through the granular

Shadowless air, I know where you are

With my eyes closed, we are bound to each other

With huge invisible threads, our sexes

Muted, exhausted, crushed, the whole

Body a sex – surely this

Is the most blessed time of my life,

Our children asleep in their beds, each fate

Like a vein of abiding mineral

Not discovered yet. I sit

On the toilet in the night, you are somewhere in the room,

I open the window and snow has fallen in a

Steep drift, against the pane, I

Look up, into it,

A wall of cold crystals, silent

And glistening, I quietly call to you

And you come and hold my hand and I say

I cannot see beyond it, I cannot see beyond it.

Sharon Olds

4) Last Night

The next day, I am almost afraid.

Love? It was more like dragonflies

In the sun, 100 degrees at noon,

The ends of their abdomens stuck together, I

Close my eyes when I remember. I hardly

Knew myself, like something twisting and

Twisting out of a chrysalis,

Enormous, without language, all

Head, all shut eyes, and the humming

Like madness, the way they writhe away,

And do not leave, back, back,

Away, back. Did I know you? No kiss,

No tenderness---more like killing, death-grip

Holding to life, genitals

Like violent hands clasped tight

Barely moving, more like being closed

In a great jaw and eaten, and the screaming

I groan to remember it, and when we started

To die, then I refuse to remember,

The way a drunkard forgets. After,

You held my hands extremely hard as my

Body moved in shudders like the ferry when its

Axle is loosed past engagement, you kept me

Sealed exactly against you, our hairlines

Wet as the arc of a gateway after

A cloudburst, you secured me in your arms till I slept---

That was love, and we woke in the morning

Clasped, fragrant, buoyant, that was

The morning after love.

Sharon Olds

5) All because of you.

I awake each day with a smile

And greet it with a laugh;

The world is a treasure to me

Because of you.

Every time I think of something sad,

I replace the thought- with you!

My mind is instantly changed

And my heart is filled with gladness.

Every breath I take is meant for you,

I live this life surrounded in joy

And I bathe in the promise of your love,

My soul belongs to you.

Each time I see something beautiful

I want to take it and bring it to you;

My life has so much meaning now

All because of you.

Kate Reneigh Woodruff