In love one should not be busy

[PrinceMyshkin]

There are wars to attend to,
of course, schoolwork, housework,
a living to earn, emails to answer
and yet
in love one should not be busy.

One should be quiet
as if at the bottom
of a very deep pond, the surface
unruffled by anything more
than the light of a late summer sun.

There will be thoughts of others,
of course, a troubled cousin,
a lover who would not hear
of one’s love, once, until
one gave up trying to love him or her, but still
in love one should not be busy.

One should be calm.
One should be steady,
at least one ear cocked
to hear one’s lover’s breath.





Jerry Newman © 25Oct07

[firefangled]

There are wars to attend to,
of course, schoolwork, housework,
a living to earn, emails to answer
and yet
in love one should not be busy.

One should be quiet
as if at the bottom
of a very deep pond, the surface
unruffled by anything more
than the light of a late summer sun.

There will be thoughts of others,
of course, a troubled cousin,
a lover who would not hear
of one’s love, once, until
one gave up trying to love him or her, but still
in love one should not be busy.

One should be calm.
One should be steady,
at least one ear cocked
to hear one’s lover’s breath.





Jerry Newman © 25Oct07


This is written as if you were talking to yourself, almost unconsciously in the midst of a daily routine, amidst doing wanted and not wanted. Almost a subtle chastizement of those things so less important than a lover's breathing. Exquisite.

[blazeofglory]

There are wars to attend to,
of course, schoolwork, housework,
a living to earn, emails to answer
and yet
in love one should not be busy.

One should be quiet
as if at the bottom
of a very deep pond, the surface
unruffled by anything more
than the light of a late summer sun.

There will be thoughts of others,
of course, a troubled cousin,
a lover who would not hear
of one’s love, once, until
one gave up trying to love him or her, but still
in love one should not be busy.

One should be calm.
One should be steady,
at least one ear cocked
to hear one’s lover’s breath.





Jerry Newman © 25Oct07


Indeed all of us are waiting for a moment like this. Hard realities befalling us bar us from doing or living the moment with our beloved.

How happy will we be if and only if the time we have the one you said of carefree when we live unoccupied.

[ampoule]

This is so great prince. We should always be aware of our lovers, their expressions, their body language, their care. The busyness of life may keep us from acting out our love at any given moment but it takes no time to glance across the room and share a look of knowing, just knowing.
You, of course, expressed it so well.

[Pensive]

It's a good poem, Princemyshkin. We expect people we love to care for us and spend time with us too and this especially goes for those people who are busy in making money but have no time for their wives/children. I hope they read it as well. :p

[Sweets America]

Beautiful poem, Jer. I agree. Love should be the number one priority.

[Virgil]

Outstanding Prince. That is marvelous. I liked this stanza best:

One should be quiet
as if at the bottom
of a very deep pond, the surface
unruffled by anything more
than the light of a late summer sun.

[CdnReader]

There are wars to attend to,
of course, schoolwork, housework,
a living to earn, emails to answer
and yet
in love one should not be busy.

One should be quiet
as if at the bottom
of a very deep pond, the surface
unruffled by anything more
than the light of a late summer sun.

There will be thoughts of others,
of course, a troubled cousin,
a lover who would not hear
of one’s love, once, until
one gave up trying to love him or her, but still
in love one should not be busy.

One should be calm.
One should be steady,
at least one ear cocked
to hear one’s lover’s breath.





Jerry Newman © 25Oct07



I really love this poem, Jer. The pursuit of "life" often seems to get in the way of the pursuit (and enjoyment) of "love."

[mazHur]

madly in love
with love itself
i could feel
nothing around

Without this condition, you are definitely NOT in love!

[Lozenge121]

What a lovely idea that life gets in the way of love, rather than love getting in the way of life. You sound as though you've figured out the way to keep them in unison :)