Yellow. He replies as we make our way to a café
nearby, I glance upon the side of his face,
he is the same as me– like coffee with milk in it.
The green city bustles with beauty,
with stone lions facing the sea, and gondoliers
passing by; I can feel
the magnetism growing as the waiter arrives
with flat whites, as
smooth as dialogues he opts to throw at me next.
“You can’t lie to Poets. The words that come
from them are both breathless
and fervent, belonging only to moments
and moments alone, one cannot
hope to sift through them without giving
in completely, for they are as primroses, both
feminine and flamboyant.
They aren’t just meant for plucking.”
I stare open-mouthed, unsure of what
to say or do, as coffee spills–
his monologue, fills me with saffron fire
and the slightest gasp that escapes
from lips, bathes the probity,
he is what coats this ground in petals.
Poets lend their hearts each time they write.
I tell him, as the sky outside transitions
from ochre to cream.
“We breathe reason upon delicate curves,
borrow the saltiness from the ocean
and lyricism of lemon and honey
while the world dives beneath our waves
and melt of their own volition.
To be utterly vibrant, one needs to be able
to sever that sense of shame.”
He reaches over and tucks a strand
of hair behind.
“I am often intense but mean well.
There is something about you that makes
my embers burn.
Breathe in me a little louder and hold me
there, I like depths where one can drown.”
I smile as we head out, “we’ll always have Paris.”
Photo credits: Pinterest
Poem inspired by the title of Wallace Steven’s poetic masterpiece,
“Re-Statement of Romance.”
Sarah is our lovely hostess at dVerse Pub where she asks us to write
and have fun with “yellow.”
For Napowrimo Day 12 👄 “We’ll always have Paris.” [from the film:
Casablanca (1942)]
Posted for Poetics: Everything Yellow @dVerse Poets Pub
Oh, that’s lovely. I always feel your poems are painterly – you have such an amazing sense of colour, and you use it so well in your writing. This feels like an arthouse film – romance and coffee, and a meditation on the meaning of poetry. It’s a great read.
Thank you so much, Sarah 😀 so glad you enjoyed it! I had fun writing to the prompt 💄❤️
“To be utterly vibrant, one needs to be able
to sever that sense of shame.”
Beautiful lines, Sanaa. 🙂
Thank you so much, Kitty 😀 so good to see you 💄❤️
What a lovely conversation into the heart of the poet. Words are magical and can me swoon and drown as well. Happy writing for this month!
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Grace 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you! 💄❤️
NaPoWriMo is a roller-coaster this month, so I thank you for your warm wishes! Sending love 💕💕
I just read your poem, and as soon as I read your last line I thought: Casablanca… and the whole poem shifted from romantic to something much more sobering.
I think there is no other movie than Casablanca that has generated quotes that are still in use today…
That’s so true. Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
The romance in your poems always makes my heart flip, Sanaa! I like the way your poem starts with ‘Yellow’ and then meanders through Venice, a place close to my heart, and the line about primroses being feminine and flamboyant. I also like that your poem is (99.9%) in present tense, which makes it immediate, as if I’m there with you and, as Sarah said, like an art house film, which makes ‘He replied as we made our way to a café’ slightly jarring.
Typo oof! I ll change the line to present tense. Thank you so much, my dearest Kim 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
sigh….you’ve done it again! The Queen of Romance!
I am especially smitten by these words, although all taken in are wonderful:
“for they are as primroses, both
feminine and flamboyant.
They aren’t just meant for plucking.”
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Lillian 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
You have me swooning, Sanaa! No one does romance better than you. 💖💖
Thank you so much, Punam 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I can feel the heat in this: “he is what coats this ground in petals.”
One beautiful line in a wholly beautiful poem.
Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
Who has never fancied herself as Ingrid Bergman? Very romantic 🙂
Thank you so much, Jane 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Poets lend their hearts each time they write. I love this!
To be utterly vibrant, one needs to be able
to sever that sense of shame.” And I love this also!
Very excellent poem, Sanaa!
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Excellent poetry, Sanaa. That line about severing the sense of shame is so TRUE!
Thank you so much, Mrityunjay 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Sulphur and saffron here, cultured fire. The slow burn of desire.
Thank you so much, Brendan 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Sanna, you turned yellow into the loveliest of poems ~~~ Love is in your heart and soul. Thank you for leaving me a comment.
Thank you so much, Helen 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Such wonderful images…it needs an entire film.
Thank you so much, Kerfe 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
gadzooks Sanaa, everything you write is just so full, so abundant, so deliciously sensual. how can i do anything but be open and present to this swirling majesty?
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Eric 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
So full of sensory images, Sanaa! Yes, like Sarah said, an arthouse film, like Before Sunrise.
Though it’s hard to top Casablanca. 💙
Thank you so much, Merril 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Love this, as I read your words I feel I’m with them, overhearing, enjoying the scenery❤️🌹
Thank you so much, Ellecee 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
I think of beautiful yellow things in the context of springtime, but had not thought of romance in yellow before. This is lovely!
Thank you so much, Priscilla 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️