Monday, March 29, 2010

The Love of Someone's Life (Poem)

The Love of Someone's Life

The love
of someone's life

we are each entrusted.

The beginning of it is hard,
the frequency of need
a trap apt to slow your speed.

If its charm gets to you
first, you watch
a tiny finger curl round
your own and mime the tune
to every song any mother's ever sung

Like yours to you.

To remember what that's like,
that being the all-consuming love
of someone's life

Makes the fallout that comes later
a frittering storm that passes quickly

Or the words you carry with you
to your next love

Of someone's life.

© 2010 Maureen E. Doallas. All Rights Reserved.
________________________

I wrote this poem for Carry on Tuesday #46. Carry on Tuesday provides each week as a writing prompt a quote that is to be used, wholly or partly, in original prose or poetry. The prompt for March 30 — We are each the love of someone's life. — is from the opening of The Confessions of Max Tivoli (2004) by Andrew Sean Greer

You'll find links to other contributors' prose or poetry here.

9 comments:

sarah said...

lovely :-) a frittering storm is such an interesting thought-provoking phrase.

George S Batty said...

Old Grizz also likes "a tiny finger curl round"
Who could need us more than the baby we created. We are truly "the love of the life"
nice work

Stan Ski said...

Our life is the product of someone else's love. We shouldn't forget this.

Anonymous said...

and if you never
felt you were
the love
you are
given life
because
you are
the love
of
Love

Anonymous said...

Still amazed I am entrusted with that love. Still amazed they love me back. Every day is a miracle.

Unknown said...

will just rest here a little, still have to come out the other side with some before it truly feels like only a frittering storm

and yes, loved the tiny finger curl

a breath in, a breath out

robkistner said...

Maureen -

I really like the way you invert the phrase to move back and forth between being the beloved to being the lover. I missed that perspective when first I red the phrase -- but find it quite powerful.

Wonderful work...

...rob
Image & Verse

Janet said...

I agree with Stan :-)

Anonymous said...

lovely.
(Illyria Taylor..your comment site doesn't believe I exist)