Shaping the Clay

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._N._Taber

As regular readers know, most if not all my love poems are written with my late partner in mind even though he died many years ago and we only had a relatively short time together.Today’s simple poem has not appeared on the blog since 2009; it is repeated today for new readers and especially for ‘Christina’ who has been in touch recently to say she came across the poem by chance while browsing the blog archives and it made her cry. Apparently, it had upset her deeply that she had never been unable to cry for her partner, killed in a random attack by a mentally ill person some months ago ...  until now.

I feel very moved and privileged to have helped ease her pain even just a little. She said ‘thank you’ but it is me who must thank her. I ask you, what more praiseworthy comment on a poem can any poet ask?

'Love is composed of a single soul inhabiting two bodies.' - Aristotle

And strange to tell, among that Earthen lot

some could articulate, while others not:

And suddenly one more impatient cried—

"Who is the Potter, pray, and who the Pot?"  -  The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam                                                                                                               [as rendered into English by Edward Fitzgerald]

This poem is a villanelle.

SHAPING THE CLAY

It’s love sustains me every day,
bad times, good times, whatever
although my lover passed away

It doesn’t matter that I am gay,
there are ties death dare not sever;
it’s love sustains me every day

I listen to what the season’s say,
and take my cue from Earth Mother
although my lover passed away

While some despair I’ll not pray
to God, (mine the Spirit of Nature);
it’s love sustains me every day

Highs and lows, come what may,
thoughts of spring defeating winter,
although my lover passed away

Shaping my will to live, like clay
in the hands of a centuries-old potter,
it’s love sustains me every day
although my lover passed away

Copyright R. N. Taber 2009