I have many loves
From all parts of my life
In all my years of being.
Love for God and good
And triumph over evil
In the world.
Love for people who
Are here and gone
Either on Earth or simply my life.
Love for my family
Who makes me laugh and
Cry and feel everything in between.
Love for my daughters
Who work so hard in school
To make honor roll.
Love for my husband,
Soul mate, lover,
Giver and maker.
Love for my beautiful friends
Who ground me with their love
And stand by me.
These loves lift me up
In soul and spirit
And are everlasting.
Yet other loves have broken me
Giving me pause to wonder
Why?
Why did he give up on me
For the new girl in 8th grade
Never giving me a second thought?
Why did he make me fall in
Love with him in college,
When we were 10 years apart?
Why did he leave me standing
In the rain at the airport
Taking my heart with him?
These loves challenged my
Senses, making me face dark realities
In the light of day.
These loves took something
From me but in return
Made me stronger.
These loves gave me strength,
Though hard-won,
Made me resilient.
I am a better person
For having endured the heartbreak
Because I persevered.
And from there I learned that
Loving requires patience
For nurturing understanding.
Loving gives as much as it takes,
Without keeping scorecards
Of who did the most loving.
It shapes who you are,
How you respond,
What you give back.
Loving frees you up to be more selfless,
More giving of yourself,
More inward looking.
It polishes the rough edges of your soul
To help heal the wounds
Others left behind.
Yet loving is also hard work.
It does not always come easy,
Often times leaving you lonely.
In these times it tests your marriage,
Pulling you apart in all directions
Because the spark slowly fizzled when you weren’t looking.
It feels like a long frozen winter
That has no end with the wind
Leaving you bare inside and out.
Just as in nature, love has its own seasons:
Falling in love is full of bloom
And beauty, filled with rays of joy.
The landscape is blue as the sky
With lush greens sprouting new life,
Every moment exhilarating.
Sweet Jasmine breezes fill the air
With passionate kisses
That leave you wanting more.
Building love lays the foundation
With memories you hold forever
Like the carefree days of summer.
The weekend trips you took
On a moment’s notice
Without caring about the destination.
And the concerts and plays and parties
You attended together
Will be reminders of the creation of us.
Response to 31-Day Poem Challenge
Getting epic
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Thanks, Michael!
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Beautiful post.
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Thank you!
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You’re welcome.
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