The RetroLounge Daily Poem Thread (Fri 2/24/06)

[RetroLounge]

Love After Love

The time will come
when, with elation
you will greet yourself arriving
at your own door, in your own mirror
and each will smile at the other's welcome,

and say, sit here. Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
to itself, to the stranger who has loved you

all your life, whom you ignored
for another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf,

the photographs, the desperate notes,
peel your own image from the mirror.
Sit. Feast on your life.

Derek Walcott

******************

RL

Checkout the Daily Poem Archive at:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=105x4723937

and if you want to see some of my poetry, see the blog at:
http://www.myspace.com/retropaul

[SeattleGirl]

1. RL, what a wonderful poem this morning!

One should never lose sight of oneself. Thanks for the reminder! :hug:

[RetroLounge]

3. Good Morning!

How are you?

:hi:

RL

[SeattleGirl]

5. Not bad for operating on 2 hours of sleep!

How are things with you? :hug:

[RetroLounge]

10. Better, thanks.

It's really hard and tough and sad and painful these day.

But I am okay in the midst of all of it and walking thru it knowing there is a good life ahead of me somewhere in my future.

:hug:

RL

[SeattleGirl]

19. I know there is, RL

You are such a good and wonderful man. Somewhere out there is a woman for you. :hug:

[RetroLounge]

26. or maybe more than one!

:rofl:

Sorry, I feel pretty silly today...

:D

RL

[SeattleGirl]

46. Hey, you could be right!

Or, you could just be silly! :rofl:

[In_The_Wind]

2. Love after love is the most important gift you can give to yourself.

[RetroLounge]

4. Good morning my friend!

Good to see you...

:hi:

RL

[In_The_Wind]

7. It's nice to see you too RL.

I love it when someone I care about calls me "my friend". :loveya:

[RetroLounge]

11. Feeling are mutual, of course...

:hug:

RL

[bigwillq]

6. HIYA Retro!

Another good one! :hi: :)

[RetroLounge]

8. Hello there!

Wassup?

:hi:

RL

[bigwillq]

13. Not much.

Woke up about an hour ago and logged on to DU to start the morning! :hi:

[RetroLounge]

14. Great way to start the day!

Have a good one!

RL

[bigwillq]

15. You too!

:hi:

[WritingIsMyReligion]

9. That's cool!

I like it very much!

:hi: RL!

[RetroLounge]

12. Good morning to you!

How is your day going so far?

:hi:

RL

[WritingIsMyReligion]

31. I just got back from my across-town trip to my grandmother's.

I was staying with her all week (school vacation week :bounce::bounce:), as my parents get home from a week in Las Vegas tonight.

It was okay, I guess, but she only has 56K internet access. I need my high-speed cable!

:D

[RetroLounge]

32. 56K internet access?

Yikes!

RL

[WritingIsMyReligion]

33. Yeah, no shit.

AOL :eyes::eyes:

[RetroLounge]

35. AOL?

Why doesn't she just use morse code?

:rofl:

RL

[WritingIsMyReligion]

45. That's what I want to know.

I always hated AOL. America Off Line, we called it at my house.

:rofl::rofl:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

16. My dear RetroLounge....

Hope after loss......what else is there?

:hug:

[RetroLounge]

18. Today I Feast on my Life!

I've had a good one all in all and there is hope for a better future...

Big hugs coming your way...

:hug::hug::hug::hug:
:hug::hug::hug::hug:
:hug::hug::hug::hug:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

17. Oooh

"You will love again the stranger who was your self."

That line gave me a shiver. :hi:

[RetroLounge]

20. Yes, that is one of those lines...

Good morning, and how are we doing today?

:hi:

RL

[miss_american_pie]

21. Very well, thank you.

How are you?

[RetroLounge]

22. Better today, so far

We told the kids about the divorce last night, and there was lots of crying and questions and tears and hugs. Then 15 minutes later the kids were playing and forgot about it. They are amazingly resilient, and this morning they both gave me big hugs and told me they loved me.

RL

[miss_american_pie]

23. Awww

Does it help to know I have no memory of my parents telling us? They must have, but it didn't make much of an impression.

:hug:

[RetroLounge]

24. Well, they handled it okay

They know we will always be a family and part of each other's lives.

We are both really good parents. Just not really good spouses, I guess...

RL

[miss_american_pie]

25. ...

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[lizziegrace]

27. Thanks RL

We all need to be reminded to be kind to ourselves. I believe you have an amazing life ahead. A woman for you? You're right, there are probably many! :)

My ex and I were always terrific parents. We just couldn't get the relationship thing right.

To new beginnings my friend! :toast:

[RetroLounge]

28. To new beginnings!

:toast:

and bittersweet endings...

RL

[lizziegrace]

29. A beginning

always starts with an ending.

:hug: :hug: :hug:

[RetroLounge]

30. Yup

it's Last Call, and you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here...

RL

[cassandra uprising]

34. That's a really incredible piece.

Thank you.

I especially enjoy the profound simpleness of the line

'You will love again the stranger who was your self.'

[RetroLounge]

36. Yes, I agree.

beauty in simplicity of words.

:hi:

RL

[cassandra uprising]

37. It's funny how sometimes in poetry

stillness can be captured with simplicity.

I have such a filter with my writing. It's like I take a little piece of gold and dress it all up to make it prettier, until you can't see the gold anymore and I end up with a shitty poem.

Always the battle.

:hi:

[RetroLounge]

38. Yes, that is the truth.

I pulled out a bunch of older poems I wrote and rewrote them. Mostly by cutting out words that were not needed, and simplifying the imagery, and they turned out pretty good.

:hi:

RL

[cassandra uprising]

39. that's how it's done my dear.

I'm glad to hear that your kids are doing all right. They have quite the genetic reserve of strength from their parents I see. It must be very difficult. But still it's good to hear that things are progressing as they are. :hug:

[RetroLounge]

40. They will be much better off

with happy parents living apart than miserable parents living together...

RL

[cassandra uprising]

41. Can I get a Amen!

I developed so much relationship baggage from watching, learning from my parents failed married. They should got divorced after 15 years instead of 30. Ah what doesn't kill you, platitude, platitude. You guys are doing right by yourselves and your kids this way.

[RetroLounge]

44. Amen!

:hi:

RL

[RevCheesehead]

42. Finally!

A poem which speaks to me. Me! :hug:

[RetroLounge]

43. Hello my good friend.

I miss you in my poetry threads. Welcome back...

:hug:

RL

[yvr girl]

47. Sometimes,

it's all you get.

[RetroLounge]

48. and sometime it is enough...

:hi:

RL