“Rummaging in our souls, we often dig up something that ought to have lain there unnoticed.” – Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, Book 2, Chapter 9
Rummaging in our souls,
we often dig up something that ought to have lain there
unnoticed,
when darkness spreads as though curtains closing
and the wind
kisses you like you share the same skin,
temptation
is a replica of lust based more on desire and conquest
a wet haze,
as thread of unblushing thoughts unravel
in a passing moment,
perhaps you and I will always be like the sun and cloud
in the presence of one
the other forever immersed in rays that are painfully white
the gestures of hands simply won’t suffice,
when the heart
longs for something more than rogue pigment of your lips
succulent and sweet
like late summer and salmon berries,
I wonder
if I can steal away your breath and its faithfulness to you?
Photo credits: @sasha_borisovich, Instagram
Posted for Poems in April @ Real Toads
Also for Midweek Motif @ Poets United
How charming! Such a delightful verse — it’s lovely how you built on the deeply ponderous line, and weaved it into this storyline with its quirks and evocative imagery. I love, love this bit: “and the wind/kisses you like you share the same skin,/temptation/is a replica of lust based more on desire and conquest”. The longing is palpable throughout.
Arz kiya hai,
“Lo suni gayi humari yuun phire hain din ki phir se
Vahi gosha-e-qafas hai vahi fasl-e-gul ka maatam”
Waaah waaah! ❤️ To that I would have to say;
“agar sharara hai to bhadke jo phool hai to khile,
tarah tarah ki talab tere rang-e-lab se hai.”
Thank you so much, Anmol 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
(and thank you for the lovely prompt) 🌹
“the wind
kisses you like you share the same skin”
What a beautiful line, Sanaa. It brings so many images and thoughts to mind: how close the speaker and subject must be, how close the speaker is to nature… It makes me wonder about the wind’s lips.
Thank you so much, Magaly 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
What a great quote! I like the way you developed the idea in your poem!
Thank you so much, Kerry 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
Oh Sanaa, you’re such a romantic! What love words, romantic song so wonderfully developed from Tolstoy’s quote. I love every word, I truly do. Impressive! <3
Awww gosh! ❤️ Thank you so much, Khaya 😀 so glad you enjoyed it! ❤️
There are hidden corners/aspects of the soul, but I strive to get to know them–it’s hard to imagine that they should remain hidden. On the other hand, I know the temptation you speak of, and am delighted you express it so fully in this poem, allowing me to feel it with you, including that kiss.
Thank you so much, Susan 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
Oh, I love that last line! Beautiful poem
Thank you so much, Susie 😀 so good to see you ❤️
I love “Perhaps you and I will always be like the sun and cloud”……..that is a very sage observation. I am thankful I am at the stage of life where my biggest temptation is a jelly doughnut. LOL.
Thank you so much, Sherry 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
Desire is a torment. But I love the sun and the cloud, in love!
Thank you so much, Annell 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
Wow! You excel yourself.
Thank you so much, Rosemary 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
How close and emotive the reader feels when he (or she) reads your words and memory puts them back too to trysts of the past and that longing that remains still in their mind. Beautifully written Sanaa.
Thank you so much, Robin 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
We were different (somehow). I like it all, Sanaa, but especially the lines, “when the heart longs for something more than rouge pigment of your lips succulent and sweet …” makes me wonder, …
…
Thank you so much, Jim 😀 so good to see you ❤️
I like how you describe temptation. “and the wind / kisses you like you share the same skin,” My favourite lines.
Thank you so much, Sumana 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
This is a deeply evocative write
“and the wind
kisses you like you share the same skin,
temptation
is a replica of lust”
Where indeed is that fine line between reason and indulgence
Thanks for dropping by my blog today
much love…
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
Much love …
How romantic!
“when darkness spreads as though curtains closing
and the wind
kisses you like you share the same skin, . . .
“I wonder
if I can steal away your breath and its faithfulness to you?”
Thank you so much, Sara 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
You picked a fruitful line to develop into a poem and you’ve done Tolstoy proud, Sanaa! I especially love the line:
‘…the wind
kisses you like you share the same skin’
and
‘thread of unblushing thoughts unravels
in a passing moment’.
Thank you so much, Kim 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
I wonder… should “kisses you like you share the same skin,
temptation” read instead “kisses us like we share the same skin…” ?
the rest of the poem uses “you” and “I” . I think you took Tolstoy’s line and did a great job with it!
Thank you so much, Margaret 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️