I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

21 September 2011

Love in the Afternoon

The three-day-old smoke haze hides the moon.
My Astrological Moon Calendar and Planting Guide
shows it exactly halfway between full and dark —
so I imagine this to be a time of perfect balance.

Anyway it’s Spring. The afternoon is warm.
All the work is done. There are new sheets on the bed.
We kick the cats out of the bedroom and make love.
Long, lazy love lasting for hours; leisurely and light.

His skin is clean and smooth, sweet-smelling.
I nestle in, we stroke each other all over.
Afterwards he declares it our best loving ever.
‘You have a short memory,’ I say. ‘Some other times....’

There is something to be said for the slow descent
towards the dark, and the way the focus narrows in.
As the time of a life cycle shortens, moments lengthen.
‘In the last quarter, the movement is toward integration.’

Journalling my relationship with the moon: 22

Submitted for dVerse Open Link Night #10


Included in the book, THREE CYCLES OF THE MOON

14 comments:

  1. Beautiful and romantic, as I would expect from a passionate crone! Lovely.

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  2. Thank you Sherry, I'm glad you find it so. x

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  3. Absolutely lovely! Sensual, steamy, love.

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  4. Kick the cats out of the room, how mean..haha passionate write for sure.

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  5. I'm fascinated by the final stanza. Do the moments lengthen always, I wonder, or only when one applies focus, pays attention?

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  6. nice...hot write...love me some loving...and its best to have a short memory when it comes to love...all the reason to remake the memories...smiles.

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  7. Thanks, guys.

    Daydreamertoo, I'm glad I conveyed that.

    Pat, the cats have the freedom of the bedroom most times, see next poem: http://passionatecrone.blogspot.com/2011/09/resting-together.html

    Good question, Mark. I was trying to imply that there is more leisure, or at least a more flexible schedule.

    Brian, that's a nice thought!

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  8. Your poor cat having to kick him out of the room this is wonderful and so full of love thanks you for sharing
    http://gatelesspassage.com/2011/09/20/the-fait-of-our-lands/#comment-1018

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  9. beautifully done! v difficult to write on this topic without cliche and overly flowery language... kudos. Wonderful phrasing. Plenty of aural device but no strong end-rhyme which works just great.

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  10. Beautiful, romantic story Rosemary..... I remember afternoon sex, it was before the kids though... it was great... it seems the world was full of cares back then with career and school and busy, busy busy... but not those moments... I don't remember the hectic parts when I think of those moments... I got stuck on the cats here Maryanne... I don't know why.... it just struck me funny that if there is one animal on this earth that could not possibly care less about our manner of dress or current state of sexual position, then it is a cat... It just seems to me that having sex in front of them would do nothing more than perturb them more than they already appear to be perturbed.... I don't imagine getting kicked out of the bedroom was a welcome thing either though.... My mother was born and raised in Melbourne, a different name by birth but raised by Steinwarts.... Lovely poem....

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  11. Dear people, thanks for all the kind comments, and please don't worry too much about the cats. They aren't fussed by lovemaking, true - but they take up a lot of space on the bed and want to jon in any cuddles going. They didn't complain, though, just migrated to the nearest armchairs. :)

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  12. PS johnallenrichter, afternoon sex is also a possibility once the kids have grown up and left!

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  13. I can't imagine a spring or ANY season at our house when ALL the work is don!! :) But clean sheets -- once or twice a week! :)

    just wonderful. Well, not just wonderful, but fun, passionate and sweet too.

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  14. Thanks, Jannie. And you're quite right of course — only the immediate tasks of that morning had been done. :)

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