We are standing on the precipice
of something truly spectacular.
The compelling anticipation is
almost too much to bear.
And eyes have seen and lips have spoken
a future both bright and quite fragile
So I must wait with steadfast faith,
with deliberate care.
I picture your face as I draw breaths,
willing patience as you to come to the
inevitable conclusion of which
I am fully aware.
We are a union made to exceed
the vastness of all universes.
Take my hands, hold my heart, dear
Let me take you there.
Do not dwell on your despair, my heart
Let not the scars
of battles lost
impede you from beating.
Let not the nightmares
that haunt your sleep
stop you from dreaming.
Let not the cuts
of promises broken
obstruct you from hoping.
One day, my heart,
you will find the one
worthy of your collection of
scars and dreams and cuts.
And while this seems farthest from what’s true
One day, you will feel like new.
Let your face be the first thing I see
In mornings, bright and sunny,
Let it remind me of easy days
And holidays.
Beneath thunderstorms and dreary skies
Let me stare into your eyes
And find in them a steady bay
Where I can stay.
Amidst the grueling work week rush
As I toil and grind and mush
I will trust that I find my way
To your arms each day.
And as the sun surrenders to the moon
And darkness begins to loom
Let your kisses sweep me far away
In your arms, I end this day.
You know that feeling—
When you witness the soft light of the sun’s first rays,
Or the glorious pearl luminescence of the full moon
And it’s baiting you to take
That perfect Instagrammable shot
But you don’t take it…
You’re not even tempted.
Because there’s someone beside you
Who takes your full attention
And he’s the only one you want to
Share that moment with…
That’s love.
You’ve forgotten
And they’ve forgotten
And the world has moved on
And for your eyes, I moved on with it.
I laughed as if my shattered heart
Was finally mended.
I nodded along to all your stories
So that you wouldn’t feel obliged to be concerned
Or to talk about me in hushed tones.
But the truth is (and this I will never admit)
That I loved with all my heart and lost
And that is something that I will never forget.
I had but one rose
The only one I suppose
That I’d ever want to have.
When she first emerged
From her bud
A flood of beauty
Swept me off my feet.
What a thrill
But how to fill
Her vanity?
Fuss I did
I fussed all day
To make her stay.
I grew tired
Of her constant need
And yet I feed
On her radiance
On her fragrance
I should’ve run
Until I did.
But before I left
I saw her bereft
Of her thorns
And she said
With gentle sweetness
That my weakness
Was hers as well.
Many worlds
May unfold
But she was
And always will be
My only rose.
© 2018 Anj CP
*I’ve always been a fan of The Little Prince. I wanted to capture in this poem the complicated love story he had with his rose.
It is too late for grand interventions;
I’m too far in to turn back now.
Don’t waste your breath
Dissuading me from my feelings;
Reminding me of every time I said
It would be my last time;
Pointing to your salt-crusted shoulder,
The one I’ve always cried on.
I can’t help it…I’ve fallen for you.
And you might think it’s a mistake.
But here’s the thing,
I already know it’s a mistake
I’m willing to make.
If our love were a book, We’d be on the first few pages
Where everything smells of
Freshly opened packaging
With each page crisp
And immaculately white.
But, oh, how I know
How this will all end
Because I’ve opened many
Books such as this
And no matter how careful I am
The binding bends.
Pages get torn, smudged,
Folded and marked.
Words that started out so
Beautifully begin making
Less and less sense.
And I lose my interest,
Never finishing till the end.
I promise myself that next time
I’ll pick a better book.
That I’ll try harder to finish
Until the very last page.
Maybe I’m just an eternal hopeful.
Or maybe, I just like opening new things.
Make Room for Poetry 