The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Sat 5/27/06)

[RetroLounge]

Sonnet XLIII: How Do I Love Thee?

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right.
I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints. I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Elizabeth Barrett Browning

********************

RL

If you have a request for a certain Poet, post their name in the thread and I will find a poem by them and post it...

if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

[miss_american_pie]

1. *sigh* again

"I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints."

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

2. sigh

I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs

RL

[miss_american_pie]

3. Enough old stuff

First Poem for You

I love to touch your tattoos in complete
darkness, when I can't see them. I'm sure of
where they are, know by heart the neat
lines of lightning pulsing just above
your nipple, can find, as if by instinct, the blue
swirls of water on your shoulder where a serpent
twists, facing a dragon. When I pull you
to me, taking you until we're spent
and quiet on the sheets, I love to kiss
the pictures in your skin. They'll last until
you're seared to ashes; whatever persists
or turns to pain between us, they will still
be there. Such permanence is terrifying.
So I touch them in the dark; but touch them, trying.


– Kim Addonizio

[RetroLounge]

8. Very nice

How did you know I have tattoos?

:hi:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

9. Picture threads

;)

[RetroLounge]

11. ah, of course...

Tattoo

What once was meant to be a statement—
a dripping dagger held in the fist
of a shuddering heart—is now just a bruise
on a bony old shoulder, the spot
where vanity once punched him hard
and the ache lingered on. He looks like
someone you had to reckon with,
strong as a stallion, fast and ornery,
but on this chilly morning, as he walks
between the tables at a yard sale
with the sleeves of his tight black T-shirt
rolled up to show us who he was,
he is only another old man, picking up
broken tools and putting them back,
his heart gone soft and blue with stories.

Ted Kooser

RL

[miss_american_pie]

14. Ouch

Addonizio has it bad for whomever she wrote that poem for. She went out and got tattoos to match all of his.

[RetroLounge]

15. She's the sexiest poet out there currently

Have you read her stories? HOT...

RL

[miss_american_pie]

16. Umm, no

Should I?

[RetroLounge]

17. Yes, You Should

The subject matter is smoking hot and the writing is very good, too...

RL

[miss_american_pie]

18. In that case

I guess we'll have something to talk about when I get to Wisconsin. ;)

[RetroLounge]

19. Or when we meet in Chicago at the meet-up

:D

RL

[miss_american_pie]

20. Maybe

I can only go on so many road trips in one summer.

[RetroLounge]

21. Well if there's a choice

come to Milwaukee...

RL

[miss_american_pie]

22. As you wish...

[yvr girl]

4. lovely

*sigh*

[WritingIsMyReligion]

5. Ah, yes, a classic.

:hi:, RL!

BTW, I LOVE your song on your MySpace page--the Fray rock!

:D

[SeattleGirl]

6. One of the most beautiful pieces of poetry written.

Thanks, RL.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. My dear RetroLounge!

This one moves me to tears......

It fills me with love and longing for something I cannot have......

Thank you


:hug:

[RevCheesehead]

10. OK, that last line got to me.

"...I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose, I shall but love thee better after death."

Just thinking about my mom and dad. :hug:

[RetroLounge]

12. ...

:hug:

RL

[RevCheesehead]

13. Thank you, sweetie.

:hug: