The Tactus of Time's Tenderness



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A night-blooming cerius Selenicereus grandiflorus, originally titled The Night-Blowing Cereus[sic] when it appeared in the The Temple of Flora, 1804.
Robert John Thornton (1768-1837)
USA


I sang my way through
the rhythm of your breath
each one filled
with dreams of worry
for the day to come
and I felt myself
slip under your ribcage
to cradle your heart
to ease
for a moment
the lines creasing its flow,
unfolding each in turn.


I breathed into your lungs
the steadiness of love’s even rhythm--
its pulse,
that tactus
of time’s tenderness,
and bathed the moon light
into the creases around mouth
and eye
as dreams melted
into the deeper sleep
of the veil descended.


copyright/all right reserved Audrey Howitt 2012

posted for Dverse

Comments

  1. All of this is beautiful. The slipping under the rib cage, to cradle your heart but this:
    'As dreams melted into the deeper sleep of the veil descended.' Is stunning!

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  2. This poem conveys more than intimacy, it explores how deep love can be when one binds oneself that way - where spiritual and physical fuse. Fine writing.

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  3. wow..what a sensually delicious poem..enjoyed your blooming words so much. thanks for sharing, Audrey~

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  4. ah it is beautiful...love the intimacy...the getting within the person ...the relaying of loves rhythm as well....gorgeous...

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  5. The dream melting, your slipping into the ribcage to cradle the heart... this is gorgeous writing and a beautiful description of togetherness at its finest. Read Joseph Harker's today - you will love it. He's at namingconstellations, the link is at dverse. Peace, Amy

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  6. Lovely share specially these lines: I breathed into your lungs
    the steadiness of love’s even rhythm--

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  7. Wonderful bit of imagery as the melding of two becomes one takes hold.

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    1. Thank you Pat! I appreciate the visit and comments--peace out!

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  8. Beautiful merger of self and other, sleep, desire and waking...love the tactus.

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  9. Its good to read you again love!
    Your metaphor always sings louder than birds at dawn, this is brimming with amazing lines!
    In awe, as always lol ♥

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  10. A beautiful poem of love of the best kind!

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  11. Love the feel of this, beautiful.

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  12. Super pretty poem - that can caring is wonderful--sensual but also almost maternal. Beautifully described. k.

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  13. Oh, pretty. Very pretty and loving. I love the honesty of the language you use. Nothing forced about this. Lovely.

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  14. Gorgeous. I really enjoyed this sensuous read.

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  15. For me this poem goes beyond just sensuality, it tells of a love so overwhelming it encompasses the totality of the loved one's bodily functions, breath, heartbeat, dreaming, aging - encompasses them and becomes one with them.

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    1. I think that is where I am with my husband now--thank you for your read!

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  16. Sensuously captivating! It's a togetherness with a lot of fondness. How nice, Audrey!

    Hank

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  17. I love how you made me feel this! as if I too would have to love into a person in order to heal and be balm to he/she! Sensual it is, healing it is most

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    1. I worry about my husband--he works hard---and sometimes at night, I just watch him sleep--thank you so much for the visit Susan!

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  18. Touching intimacy and transcendence, lovely.

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  19. Such lovely images throughout... and with a dreamy feel.

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  20. Very beautiful - the narrator bathing the loved one in healing peace. Just lovely.

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  21. Gorgeous writing, Audrey. Lilting and soft.

    Pamela

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    1. Thank you so much for reading and commenting Pamela--greatly appreciated!

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  22. I want to be like everyone else and simply say this is a lovely poem. As a younger man I would have found this poem directly in line with my own sense of intimacy and romanticism. I would have applauded it greatly for reaching my senses and finding them very accepting, very intimately capturing the sense of giving of oneself to another, the true beauty and definition of life companion. There is a time in all of our lives when this predominates our personality, the need to become one with our soul mate. No doubt. But as an older man I begin to have doubts if love ever existed outside of my own mind, or the mind of my lovers..... were we truly one, truly connected in a cosmic way? I don't think so. Of the few I am still in touch with I can say for certain that our current relationship has nothing to do with soul mates, and nothing more than nostalgia, really. Simply two old people remembering when they were young. And having sex like rabbits. But it always ended for one reason or another and we went on to bigger, better things. The first few break ups were intense, and although the newness of the next flame is always the same, always that same sense of oneness, that soul connection that seems so apparent, walking aon air, constant thoughts of love seemed as constant as the moon, but they became less and less painful as they all ended one by one. In a way I don't really believe in love, nor love poems, which I think are written by people still in the thrashing combine of what we all wish love was. Now I think love is how you view that person 50 years later.... That's the true test of love. With that said though, and being as honest as i can, I really enjoyed your poem. Very, very deeply romantic and heartfelt, and that's what poets do..... Well done.

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    1. Hi John--I think your comment deserves more than a thank you for reading my piece. I think we all work from our own thoughts, feelings and experiences. Having been married over the long haul (20+ years) to this partner (there were others long ago), I can say that while these feelings are not always present for me, that we --he and I--have become adept at rediscovering each other--and that when I have these deeper feelings of love, I treasure them--and I often find that they are in the quietest moments of the day and night--The rest of the time seems to be taken up with the mundane tasks of living--which can also be a source of balm---That all being said, yes, I suppose this is what poets do--but I am still trying to figure out what poets do and what poetry really is and does--and I do thank you!

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  23. I felt this poem very physically - almost uncomfortably so - and recalled why I really didn't want to go into biology or medicine! I'm too romantic I suspect!

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    1. Thank you poetry-diary.com--I had not really intended such a visceral write, nor such a reaction--so I hope it did not make you too uncomfortable--

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  24. love this piece. Outstanding in so many ways. beautiful phrasing throughout. Strong and tender all in one. Thanks

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  25. I love this:

    "and bathed the moon light
    into the creases around mouth
    and eye
    as dreams melted
    into the deeper sleep
    of the veil descended"

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