Love Life Poem by Tom Billsborough
Love Life
Love Life and not the shadow
Stalking you below,
Its blind obedience deceives,
As histories do,
Concealing its intent
To govern your tomorrow.
Study the clouds as they perform their sculptures,
The subtle greys chiselling the pure marble
And the light's pale ochre.
Seek the jasmine nebulae
And the rare orchid by a rocky shore
Touch to possess the magic of hair and flesh.
Nothing soothes more than a mutual caress.
Smell lavender and meadowsweet,
And the wild garlic
Pause a while to taste the saline samphire.
Listen to melodious stream,
Its complex rivulets between the rocks
Echoing a fugue or cello suite by Bach,
So aptly named!
Love life and not your shadow,
Fill your senses with Immediate things,
Not the false concepts of origins.
Or the doctrine of sin.
It's true, we should all take this advice, but how many of us heed this? We all think there's plenty of time to idle along admiring the view. Well said.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
Delivering Poems Around The World
Poems are the property of their respective owners. All information has been reproduced here for educational and informational purposes to benefit site visitors, and is provided at no charge...
4/23/2024 5:55:35 PM # 1.0.0.1119
This poem is a feast for the body and soul. I love the lines nothing soothes more than a mutual caress I agree fill the senses with immediate things not the false concepts of origins or original sins words like pause, listen, touch, fill, smell, hear, hear, love life and not the shadow I really enjoy and appreciate your poetry. Thank you Tom
Dear Norah, The poem was inspired by one of my two favourite poems, Anabasis, by the French Nobel Prize winning Poet, St Jean Perse, The poem which is the length of a small book is packed with this feeling for immediate things. i must have read this poem at least a thousand times (I'm not kidding you) but it never loses its freshness. If there's a better poem written since Eliot's East Coker I'd love to read it. Amazingly Perse is not represented on Poem Hunter! This may be because most of his work consists of very long poems. I have tried to redress the balance by submitting a translation of one of his earlier poems Eloge which reminds me of my state when I get up in the morning (i.e. a complete mess) . I must press on reading your poems. I think there's about 35? Many regards Tom Billsborough