Twilight becomes its second skin, nowadays
in a world
where precautions are of high significance,
where hands no longer touch accidentally on the subway,
how strange—
how strange it all seems now that we speak of it.
For fear that they would scatter I did not lift my eyes;
roseate blooms that hung,
I could share it with you; we may not speak to each other
on a daily basis but I’d like to think there is part of us
loosely connected, like the sidewalk
that connects to this house, where love affairs always begin.
Provoke the walls with thought;
come revive hours long wasted on a day like this—you can tell a lot
about a house by its belongings,
the plush sofa set, the items on the kitchen counter,
or coffee mug forgotten by the fireplace.
Disregard the fogged up window;
often the eye cannot see past the exterior, a touch to unravel gossamer
dreams, a kiss to usher away the clouds,
but what of insecurities?
What of doubts that plague once the moon is high in the sky,
surely a house has the means to rid us of these things?
Day after day I remind myself,
it’s not enough to live prepared, there are times when one has to absorb
the unthinkable,
a house is made up of the energy we pour into it; choose wisely,
emerge from the shadows—
I forgot how beautiful it is once the light from the orb hits;
house on other end of Mulberry Street.
Photo credits: “Closed wooden door,” by Anfisa, pexels
Laura hosts at dVerse and invites us to be voyeurs, peeping through
windows and doors- to conjure an imaginary house- make it literal but
move into metaphorical if we wish. Come join us! 💝
Posted for Poetics: “Outside Looking In,” @dVerse Poets Pub
44 Responses
the title alone is glorious! what a delicate way you built this house and furnished it too with hints and innuendo
“Provoke the walls with thought;” – brilliant line Sanaa
Thank you so much, my dearest Laura 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
(and thank you for the lovely prompt) 🌹
Hi Sanaa, loved the title and your poem. Great descriptions! 🙂
Thank you so much, Kitty 🙂 so good to see you 💄❤️
Wonderful metaphors running through the piece…
Thank you so much, Reena 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Ahhhh, this is so beautiful Sanaa! Love this and the imagery here. <3 <3
Thank you so much, Lucy 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
“The sidewalk / where love affairs always begin…”
fine work, as always, Sanaa. Thanks.
Thank you so much, Ron 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
You had me pulled in from the beginning. I especially liked “…where hands no longer touch accidentally on the subway…”
Thank you so much, Ron 🙂 so glad the poem spoke to you the way it did 💄❤️
This was pure magic, full of mystery and romance. Bravo!
Thank you so much, Beverly 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
This is absolutely stunning! I shall never look at a house the same again!!
Aww gosh! Thank you so much, Mary 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Beautifully written, Sanaa…if walls could tell stories!
❤️❤️❤️
Beautifully done Sanaa. I loved this line…
it’s not enough to live prepared, there are times when one has to absorb
the unthinkable
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
The first words I had in reaction have already been taken in others’ comments: glorious and stunning!
Your poem weaves, almost braids, scenes and thoughts of the narrator’s relationship.
Beautifully written.
Thank you so much, Jo-Anne 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Gorgeous, Sanaa!
<3
David
Thank you so much, David 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
the provoking the walls is too good, Sanaa. but this one took my heart: a house is made up of the energy we pour into it
Thank you so much, my dearest Rosema 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Home of the Other – always where the Beloved lives, with the rest of the city — is so much more … bowered, don’t you think? Walled further into the garden, remote and inaccessible. How much life does not start because of this. Well done Sanaa –
Thank you so much, Brendan 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
This is so beautiful, gorgeous and thought provoking. ❤️
❤️❤️❤️
This is incredibly beautiful, you brought the House on Mulberry to life.
Thank you so much, my dearest Helen 🙂 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
A mystery that flirts with being a plea. This is such a potent line to me:
“my eyes;
roseate blooms that hung,”
Thank you so much, Lisa 🙂 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I love the way your mind works. These things always seem to want to present as a ramble, but as you read on, they gain a kind of elusive coherence. I don’t know if I’m expressing this well.
Thank you so much, Alexandra 🙂 so glad you enjoyed it. And yes, I understand perfectly 💄❤️
Day after day I remind myself,
it’s not enough to live prepared,
there are times when one has to absorb
the unthinkable,
Love this comment Sanaa! It rings the truth of the way nature works. One has to take the good with the bad. It does not run smoothly. Good observation!
Hank
Thank you so much, Hank 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
favorite passages:
“provoke the walls with thought.”
“it’s not enough to live prepared, there are times when one has to absorb
the unthinkable.” “choose wisely, emerge from the shadows.”
Thank you so much, Tzvi 🙂 so good to see you 💄❤️
These lines say a lot:
“where love affairs always begin”
and
“choose wisely, / emerge from the shadows—”
Thank you so much, Ken 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I might have lived on that street for a few years…
The imagery here is stunning. You paint the house or rather the feelings it evoke so clearly it’s like I’ve been the one wondering about the house at the end of the street.