Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Lips, Red Like Poppies (Poem)

Lips, Red Like Poppies

Only with kisses
can we learn

each other's imperfect
moves,

our lips, red
like poppies,

urging us two
steps forward,

not once looking
back.

© 2013 Maureen E. Doallas
_________________________

This poem was inspired by the line "Only with kisses and red poppies can I love you" from Pablo Neruda's "Ode With a Lament" in The Essential Neruda: Selected Poems (Bilingual Edition), edited by Mark Eisner (City Lights Books, 2004). The line is among others of Neruda's quoted in Word Candy, a quotation- and photo-based app from T.S. Poetry Press.

Online, the poem is found here and here, among other sites. For an interesting interview with Neruda, go here.

10 comments:

Kathleen said...

Oh, lovely!

D.M. SOLIS said...

I like "urging us two steps forward"

I might end it there, with words and no punctuation after. I once had an editor tell me that about a poem of mine. It ends like this:

And see how I grieve
when I think of the time
before you left,
stroking my knee
and telling me

when you return...
when you return...
when you return

There was another stanza after, that told how the beloved never did return, and gave the narrator's response. The editor felt it wasn't needed. At the time I gave in, grudgingly. Now I don't even remember the words, except that they made the whole poem too "on the nose," if that makes sense. And it's better open-ended. I don't know if this is true of your poem, but thought you might wish to explore it...or not.

Either way, I like the imagery and that two steps stanza very much. As ever, your references are so much appreciated.

Peace and continued good things for you, Maureen, in poetry and in life.

Diane

Brian Miller said...

ha very nice...its only in intimacy that we will truly understand...though at times that is a scary process...

Anonymous said...

beautiful and so true...

Stan Ski said...

Mesmerising...

Anonymous said...

Simply told truths..

S. Etole said...

easy to envision ...

Patricia said...

learning each other's imperfect moves...
beautiful.

Elisabeth Zguta, Author said...

Bravo!

Elisabeth Zguta, Author said...

Bravo!