A Dozen Roses Contest Entries, Entries, Featured
Wish I didn’t know know what I didn’t know then: Tara Valentina enters our contest
Mar
(I am not quite sure that this is the KISS that Tara Valentina had in mind. If only I knew)
Literati! The snow continues to fall here at the towers that are A Word with You Press in Moscow. I have given the maid the day off so I won’t be distracted from my tasks of posting the final contest entries for A Dozen Roses from a Single Thorn: A Valentine’s Day Love Story.
Here is a poem from my friend in Southern California, Tara Valentina. OOOOoooh! How sad when love enters the past tense…if you get the poignant. Let’s hope the object of her desires comes to his senses! We’re pulling for you, Tara!
Here is
If Only I knew
by Tara Valentina
If only I knew that it would be the last time I would see you …
I would have memorized
Your smile…
If only I knew that it would be the last
Chance to feel our lips
So close together
That the caress of your breath
And mine would dissipate
Into the nights sky…
Like two passionate stars that
Turn to dust….
And disappear into the darkness
If only I knew you were about to vanish
Taking my hopes and dreams
That you said would be mine
For all times…
I would have captured it …not only in my memory
But locked it away in my heart
If I only knew
I would have …from the start
loved you differently
Especially in those last
Few moments ….
I Would have held you longer
In an embrace that could only
Make the closeness of our bodies
warm our hearts for many days to come….
Could it be that is was…
But a rumor …..that you would
Not return…
Not knowing that when you disappeared behind those doors
That you would take away
Not only your body
But the love and caring
You filled me with
In those incredible days and nights
We had just spent
With each other ….
And now….
Not even leaving a trace…
I wanted our lips to touch just one
More time
I wanted to hear those words from you again
That you wanted to be mine…
You begged my forgiveness
And I believed you
That you were sorry
You had broken my heart…
You wanted to make it up to me
And that we would never again
Be apart….
You said you wanted to
Bring back the joy to my life
You would reel me in one more time…..
You said in the future we would together have a place
Forever in your arms
I have
Succumbed to all your charms
If only I knew that together
we could create so much bliss…
And then you would be gone
And how much I would miss…
I would not have shown up
for our first kiss…
If only I knew
that the color of my
Love
Would turn out to
be so blue…
If only I knew
That I would never
Again …
Share my love
With you……
Valentina
Valentina, You have shared what is sadly probably a universal experience. Wishing we had taken snapshots of each moment, lived them to the fullest or loved even more deeply, been more grateful. Your words and experience are joyful and tragic.
Remember that the person who left has responsibility to treat you the same way, to care so much about these moments with you too…and even to NOT make it a last moment if at all possible. Sometimes they reel us back in, knowing how pure our hearts are, how forgiving, but we need those who can give the same back. I hope that writing this poem helped turn a painful experience into art, into metaphor and thus will lead you on the road to healing.
Love the poem and the variant levels of meter which all worked, but shifted the emotions nicely. Thank you.
Second reading and more of the ideas have come through beautifully. I am left lingering over the passing through doors which can be a symbol of many intentions and purposes. Again thank you for such an intimate and engaging poem.
KISS stands for Keep it Simply Sullied
Such direction for such this loss is captured perfect in the emotion that surounds this poem. There is an artistic touch to the cadence: here and there and gone again.
great job.
I see this not so much as a loss but an awakening…or at least the possibility for being more aware. The key here is to not give ourselves away…mesmerized by charm, but to find resolution in growing through life’s awful whamies….or unexpected disappointments. recalling the sensual side, the kiss, the holding, the longing…without real substance, integrity, or character can damage the pure heart… Thank you for this beautifully written poem…what was the title?….”Players Rule”
A universal expression of love found,love promised, love lost. The emotions brought forth like natures path, a change of seasons, A perfect tribute to love, and how we learn to sit in those memories that through passing time can only strengthen us and sometimes makes us smile and love again. Loved this!
You always hope when the one you love leaves that there is hope that they will come back, as if time could be turned back to that last moment when all was well. But the purpose of both life and love is to move forward. Even if it means to its end. Very heartfelt…I could feel my heart aching as I read this <3