Cushion-deep, his scent circles me
and my thoughts
elemi, pink pepper and geranium
followed by cedar,
with fingers that trace the overhead sky–
moonless in its apparition.
With each breath, a new promise takes root
my canary heart colliding with the wild sky of darkness
and light–
every sense in return is heightened.
I place my poems birthed from his ribcage
into a jar
and wait as night turns into morn;
the only remnant
being a lipstick mark which offers his yearning not rest.
Photo credits: Aaron Westerberg, 1974, Pinterest
Skylover Wordlist: Circle, moonless, apparition, root, canary, cage ❤️
Posted for the Writer’s Pantry @ Poets and Storytellers United
48 Responses
The “poems birthed from his ribcage” still jumped at me. It’s just so… alive with flesh and blood and ink. The same goes for the “canary heart”. So vivid.
Thank you so much, Magaly 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
Ah yes – as I was just saying to Helen Patrice re Thich Nhat Hanh – smell is so evocative.
I too liked ‘poems birthed from his ribcage’ – a new twist on the old Adam-and-Eve / man-and-woman story. And I love the choice of words in that ending: ‘not rest’ so much more exact and meaningful than ‘no rest’ would have been.
Thank you so much, Rosemary 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤
Thank you for using my #skyloverwordlist, Sanaa. You really create magic with a list of words. This poem is awesome.
Thank you so much, Kerry 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
elemi – such a word!! I like the poems in a jar… feel I should do that at once!
Thank you so much, Rajani 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
This is such a sensual poem, Sanaa, and I love the scent of geranium and cedar. My favourite lines:
‘my canary heart colliding with the wild sky of darkness
and light’
and
‘I place my poems birthed from his ribcage
into a jar’.
Thank you so much, Kim 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
A beautiful sensual write Sanaa – your words are hypnotic.
Anna :o]
Thank you so much, Anna 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤
So many delicious fragrances running through this poem
Thank you so much, Jae 😀 so good to see you 💄❤
Oh! you write the best love poems and I am lost in these poems of yours…………
Thank you so much, Vandana 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
“Cushion-deep” feels so luxuriant. Both soft and encompassing. I, too, love the “poems birthed from his rib cage” straight from the heart.
Thank you so much, Lori 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
Sensual and absolutely beautiful!
Thank you so much, Linda 😀 so good to see you 💄❤
Overall, this poem invokes melancholy images of my past but this line brings hope:
“With each breath, a new promise takes root
my canary heart colliding with the wild sky of darkness
and light–”
A new promise with each breath – something I remind myself everyday with My One.
Thank you for another beautiful, resonating word painting, Sanaa
Thank you so much, Joel 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
Poems birthed from a rib cage can’t help but be poems to treasure!
Definitely 😉 thanks for stopping by, MMT 💄❤
I think this is one of your best. Your choice of words had me mesmerized. Lovely, sensual, sexy, beautiful – just a few words to describe this.
Awwww gosh! 💄❤ Thank you so much, Myrna 😀 so glad you enjoyed it! 💄❤
You have a wonderful skill in drawing me deep into the scents and emotions of your lines–this is just wonderful.
Thank you so much, Chrissa 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
I agree that scent is enormously evocative … I can still ‘bring back the scent’ of past loves, and it feels delicious.
Awwwww gosh!💄❤ Thank you so much, Helen 😀 so glad you liked it! 💄❤
Your poem comes to life with all those clever images you write
Happy Sunday Sanaa
Much❤🌷❤love
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so good to see you 💄❤
Much love …
There is nothing stronger than the scent— the longing in your poem is so strong here … love it.
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤
Beautiful as usual.
💄❤💄❤
I love the last stanza here Sanaa, the imagery is so wonderful. Is that a Sargent painting??
Thank you so much, Audrey 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
(the painting is by Aaron Westerberg)
So much wanting and anticipation in this piece. You can almost hear the subject sighing as they long for the next encounter with their beloved.
Thank you so much, Rommy 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
“My poems birthed from his ribcage”…what a great reference. Your words are such beautiful art with their own power to heighten the senses.
Thank you so much, H.Hennenburg 😀 so good to see you 💄❤
So beautiful and rich with the intimacy of love.
Thank you so much, Susie 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤
How beautifully written Sanaa. ‘Poems birthed from his rib-cage’ struck me as so significant as I could imagine the girl resting her head on his chest and feeling as though his whole body was talking to her. A delightful poem indeed.
Thank you so much, Robin 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤
Oh my, this is beautiful!
Thank you so much, Barry 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤