Monday, April 4, 2011

Halo

Photograph by Jared May

One day…
when he no longer recognizes
her seemingly unassuming flesh,
he will remember
its rawness, abundant, pungent,
filled with provocation.

Traces of its ghost…
will lick on his lips
and lashes, surrounding him,
separating her from his life
yet making her its focus.

In another time…
he will dream her sleeping
beside a luminous sky,
her marvelously ripe body
contending with delicate skin.

He will remember…
her rising slowly, deliberately
dancing in flames of light,
her body not burning but flickering,
her long legs bare
beneath a short summer dress,
her absent-minded feet inspecting
the cool and clumpy sand,
the eyes—hers yet not hers—
penetrating the stillness of day.

She will be…
alone with eggshell sands
and cerulean sky at a shore
polluted by summer’s lazy debris,
returning to his heart
and departing from it.

He will be…
alone with delusion,
vulnerable to pretense,
seeing her spirit flounce
like a hex and cling
to every atom of his ailing bones.

He will write the story,
then tumble inside its eyes.

How shimmering love is!
How radiant its lies!

28 comments:

Stranger in a Strange Land said...

Hello dear:

It's not love that lies, but one's illusions of love.

Beautiful poetry. I will be back from time to time to enjoy your painting of mind pictures with words.

Kind regards,
Mike

Betty Manousos said...

Aww, Nevine you already know how much I adore your quirky and evocative poetry.

This is so beautiful poem. I love the perfect selection of words and the antithesis you use in so many lines here. Standing out"returning to his heart and departing from it..." and so many others.
Gorgeous! You can capture an emotion, a meaning, a symbolism so beautifully!

This poem is literally reflective-but all of your poems are reflective-describing the strong feelings of love and the truth of its lies.

Alas, most of us will likely not escape life without being let down in a relationship. *sigh.*

Happy Monday!

Big hugs to you, my DEAREST!

Betty xxX

ConTemplate said...

So much here to contemplate, Nevine. Very very deep, very very lovely. Thank you!

I cannot help but wonder: since he remembers and he dreams and he is in delusion, then ... what?

S. Susan Deborah said...

So many layers here, Nevine. I am filled with pathos when I read of him and his treatment of love and her. Has he lost her or himself?

Joy always,
Susan

P. S: Nevine, so good to see a post from you. It is always a joy to await and read your posts.

Blasphemous Aesthete said...

It would be a pity if he realized it only after having lost the love.
Beautiful lines.

Cheers,
Blasphemous Aesthete

Anonymous said...

I am always in awe of your words. you ability to transend the page, taking us with you along the path....breathtaking.

Anonymous said...

Nevine

Oh girl you have really done it this time, as still my mouth hangs open and I find it hard to close. The pain I feel from this fool and what he has done I don’t know. But I can feel the after math and the way you tell it. I know it was something wonderful because each word that left your lips tore into my heart of regret. I wish to never feel as he but yet was it worth the pain he know feels…

Maybe so

Cildemer said...

Wow! Your poem makes me think of the sea;o)
Love here is like the sea! "returning to [the beach] and departing from it" and "rising lolwly, deliberately dancing in flames of light" and "how shimmering" it can be, but how "treacherous" it can be too!
Love the sea/love all the same! And loved your beautiful poem so very much, ma belle!
Hope you are having a wonderful week;o)



***
Gros, gros BISOUS et à tout bientôt****

Cildemer said...

Oh sorry, Nevine;o) Il faut lire: "rising slowly"!

***
Re-gros BISOUS****

Anonymous said...

That's the kiss that never dies. The imprint that we only have room for inside our skin a limited number of times.

Owen said...

"Alone with delusion"...

Perhaps we are all alone with our delusions, and how hard we fall when the delusions crack and let in a ray of reality...

May all your illusions give rise to beautiful dreams and find poetry.

Jai Joshi said...

Maybe love is blind. Or maybe love lets us see beauty where other's don't. Or maybe love shows us what beauty truly is.

Jai

Nevine Sultan said...

Stranger in a Strange Land - Hello, and welcome! Thank you for the thoughts and the kind words. Both are always appreciated. Looking forward to your visits...

Betty - Oh, dear. Your words have started my morning with a smile. Thank you for always appreciating what I have to say. It makes me feel special. ;-) Big hugs back to you and have a wonderful week!

Nevine Sultan said...

ConTemplate - Thank you for the wonderful words. And... Then, what? That's the million dollar question, right? And that's the part I never know... so I stop where I stop and let everyone fill in their own ending. The story always ends differently... for everyone.

Susan - Maybe he has lost a bit of both her and himself. Maybe... And, oh how I try to post more frequently! But life has grabbed me by both fingers and toes, and so I post and visit when I am able. Thank you for being such a sweetie, Susan!

Nevine Sultan said...

Blasphemous Aesthete - To use a worn and overused cliche, hindsight is 20/20. Yes, too bad... for him. And maybe even for her. Ah, well. We live, we learn, we relearn!

David - Thank you. You are always a welcome companion on the ride, my dear friend.

Nevine Sultan said...

Sir Thomas - Sometimes learning is a painful experience. Maybe, then, it is worth it for him. And maybe the learning is too late. But then, there is always hope, right? Always! :-)

Cremilde - Yes, love is like the sea. Rising one moment and plunging the next. It takes us where it wishes, and sometimes forgets us there, and sometimes brings us back. Oh, love! Merci, ma belle. Gros bisous to you!!!

Nevine Sultan said...

Jason - You absolutely got that right!

Owen - Delusions are evil, sometimes. Especially when they crack. They mislead us into believing in something that isn't real. And we believe! But illusions... yes. Thank you for that thoughtful wish, Owen. I really appreciate it!

Jai - Yes, you've got all the dimensions covered, Jai. Love love. Is there any more confusing emotion?

GYPSYWOMAN said...

and how i love this piece - the sentiments of which are near and dear to my own heart - you're so right - love is like the sea - it is our own soul's sea - magically beautiful, as always, dear lady!

if you're so inclined, i hope you'll drop over to words unspoken and gypsywomanworld as i've added a little personal touch and would love your thoughts! have a glorious day!

Eva said...

This is love as seen when it has passed. I think there is a reason we remember those things. This is absolutely beautiful. A magnificent use of imagery.

Martin said...

Nevine, this is exquisite.

Craftsman of light said...

And this could be viceversa too!

Something always trembles in your words,

The hands of your heart and thoughts move together.

And when they arrive at my door steps
they play with the strands and fibres of my feelings...
i smell your fleeting presence but the craving perfume stays.
mysterious.
leaving a smile.

Cildemer said...

Coucou ma belle!
Je viens te souhaiter un très beau dimanche plein de bonheur, émerveillement et inspiration;o)

***
Gros BISOUS et à tout bientôt****

ps: je ne sais que dire au sujet de ce que tu sais! Désolée;-(
Re-bisous.

Cildemer said...

Je suis allée lire tes belles pensées dans "The Naked Light". J'ai beaucoup aimé;o)
Je connais ce sentiment de solitude, même si on partage sa vie avec quelqu'un. Certainement dû au fait d'être éloigné de sa terre natale et de sa "tribu"!

***
Smack Smack Smack****

steveroni said...

WHEW! Nevine, I wonder if you know how really good you are? Such a gift--talent, when combined with the cooperation of your efforts (work) produce living art...in poetry.
I'm SO glad I made it here today!
PEACE!

Anonymous said...

So damn sensual...as always ;)

--wiredwriter

Nevine Sultan said...

Jenean - We always seem to be on on the same wavelength, don't we? ;-) Thank you for the very sweet words, Jenean!

Eva - Certain loves are never forgotten, but live in our memories like scars.

Nevine Sultan said...

Martin - Thank you!

COL - You are the poetic one, as usual. Always leaving me smiling warmly. Thank you, COL!

Nevine Sultan said...

Cremilde - Merci, ma belle. Don't worry about "stuff". And I agree that being separated from one's motherland affects our deepest emotions.

Steve - Wow, thank you! I'm so glad you made it, too. :-)

Nameless - Thank you. Sensual is one of those things I don't want my writing to lose... It fits just about anywhere!