Lovers as Warriors

[Dark Muse]

Lovers as Warriors

You must not think I am unromantic
because I refuse to spend my day
writing sad songs about heart break
and flooding rains of tears.

You must not think I am unromantic
because I do not see the reason why
I should throw myself at the feet
as if upon an altar of worship
before another who I know will never
love me back, and that I neglect to
sigh in compassionate understanding
over glamorized stories of unrequited
love.

You must not think I am unromantic
simply because I do not see fit
to live a life looking back, pining over
the one "who got away" or languishing
over the boy who choose another
instead of me, living in my own bitterness
over what cannot be changed.

You must not think I am unromantic
because I refuse to glamorize the pain,
and weep my soul into sonnets, or because
I see no purpose in wasted anger
at the one who does not love me anymore,
where has it been writ that romance must
be fragile? And that only the heart that
shatters knows the essence of love?

Warriors can be lovers too
and lovers can be soldiers,
just because we are the ones
who live to fight on, and brush away
our scars does not mean we love any less,
but we are the survivors who love in the present,
and don't waste what we are given forever looking
back into the past.

We take the blows that are delivered
and in the end find the means to laugh
at our own foolishness, we glorify the moment,
thankful for what little we could share, and when
it comes to the final hour, we let our memories
into the wind and march on into the next conquest.

Just because I cannot say in honesty
that my life would stop without you,
and just because I cannot pledge that if you left me
I will never find happiness again,
does not mean that I love any less,
but like a phoenix from the flames,
I will always rise again above the ashes
of my sorrows.

[MorpheusSandman]

This is a really powerful piece because it's romantic at the same time it's also very pragmatic and down to Earth. My only suggestion would be to change "I am unromantic" to "I'm unromantic" since it creates a better rhythm. Also, you missed "think" in the first line of stanza 3.

[Dark Muse]

oops thank you for catching that, and thanks for the comments.

[Il Dante]

I enjoyed this poem. I particularly liked the final three lines and the reference to the phoenix. I don't know why the archetype of the phoenix is so resiliant and has such an elemental emotional power to humankind. But it does.

Some might object to the ideas of the poem in that the poem is a bit "macho" or "coarse," whereas those of "finer feelings" are heartbroken when they lose their lover. I think this raises a very interesting question/debate: is heartbreak a sign of true love and real romance? or is it just an expression of weakness? I would agree with you that many times people "glamorize" their heartbreak in an egotistical manner. When we're down we often think the universe revolves around us.

But this poem raises an interesting question for debate. I don't pretend to know the answer.

[Dark Muse]

I enjoyed this poem. I particularly liked the final three lines and the reference to the phoenix. I don't know why the archetype of the phoenix is so resiliant and has such an elemental emotional power to humankind. But it does.

Some might object to the ideas of the poem in that the poem is a bit "macho" or "coarse," whereas those of "finer feelings" are heartbroken when they lose their lover. I think this raises a very interesting question/debate: is heartbreak a sign of true love and real romance? or is it just an expression of weakness? I would agree with you that many times people "glamorize" their heartbreak in an egotistical manner. When we're down we often think the universe revolves around us.

But this poem raises an interesting question for debate. I don't pretend to know the answer.

Yes, this poem is meant to challenge those ideas. The fact that my survivalist instinct, and my own nature to just pick my self up and get on with my life, seems to be conflicting with ideals of Romanticism.

I do consider myself to be a romantic at heart, but I also refuse to throw myself a pity party when things don't work out. I have had relationships that failed, and it sucked, but I have never been what I would call "heart broken" I have accepted it for what it was and gotten over it.

And that does not mean that my love for them was any less sincere or deep just because I am not willing to dwell over it after it has ended.

[hillwalker]

A wonderful poem - I will not attempt to analyse it or dissect the 'bits' I like best because it deserves better.
It's power is that it stands as a complete poem that deserves more than one reading in its entirety - and, yes, the final three lines are indeed a perfect crescendo to a fine work of art.
H

[Dark Muse]

Thank you, I am quite glad that the final lines came off well, because I was a tad worried when I wrote them that they might seem a bit too cliche.

[PrinceMyshkin]

And yet, and yet... All too soon, "You must not think I'm unromantic" became a case of the lady protesting too much, and in the last three stanzas I couldn't quite decipher whether the speaker was professing his or her romanticism and if so, what did it consist of? There is an irony in someone needing to assert, presumably to the one who disappointed him/her that she/he is indeed romantic. Perhaps one needs some sort of hint of how the person addressed found the speaker lacking in romanticism.

[Hawkman]

This poem is gloriously defiant, a mantra, a creed: - but written in retrospect. It has the air of mature reflection when the heat of fresh pain has cooled. But what is the truth of the raw emotion of the failed relationship, betrayal, disappointment? First there is the shock, then comes the anger, and the anger lasts longest. It is the hardest thing to forget.

A good poem, though, H

[Revolte]

I too think I'm unromantic would read better then I am unromantic, but all in all Muse, as always, I really loved this poem and it struck me personally.

[Dark Muse]

Thank you!

[N.W.Alexander]

I like it, makes me envision someone resilient but calloused by love yet not scarred to open the doors to it again and again till a fitting puzzle piece is found. very nice and I hope you and all of us find that piece someday:)

[Il Dante]

I somewhat agree with Dark Muse's thesis. It seems to me that there are four ways of living. First, the naive optimist who thinks everything's great. Second, the pessimist (i.e. the modernist), a fatalist prone to shooting him/herself in the face. Third, the shattered optimist (which this poem targets) who is initially optimistic but then falls apart when things fall apart and can't get back up again. Finally, there are those who are not naive, but nevertheless decide to press on. Because since we are here, since we are alive, why not go for the highest? why not press on for the mountaintop instead of jumping from our ledge or breaking down where we are?

As Robert Cody once said, "Have the courage to live. Anyone can die."

[Dark Muse]

I somewhat agree with Dark Muse's thesis. It seems to me that there are four ways of living. First, the naive optimist who thinks everything's great. Second, the pessimist (i.e. the modernist), a fatalist prone to shooting him/herself in the face. Third, the shattered optimist (which this poem targets) who is initially optimistic but then falls apart when things fall apart and can't get back up again. Finally, there are those who are not naive, but nevertheless decide to press on. Because since we are here, since we are alive, why not go for the highest? why not press on for the mountaintop instead of jumping from our ledge or breaking down where we are?

As Robert Cody once said, "Have the courage to live. Anyone can die."

You have summed it up quite well. This poem was written as a counter/challenge to the countless poems I have read either of some pleading of undying unrequited love, or the handfuls of poems I have read to the tune of my boyfriend/girlfriend dumped me, so now my whole world is over and I will never ever love anyone else again.

I cannot help but ask myself is that really what romance requires?

I do love the person whom I am with very much and I am devoted to them and would do anything for them and hope that we remain companions in love and life for the rest of our days.

But am I a callous horrible person for acknowledging the fact that should something happen, should the relationship not work out, I know I won't be broken by it, I will survive, I will continue on with my life, and in time I probably will find someone else.