To fall in love is lack,
a loss of gravity;
the weightless sense
of jumping from a cliff
without a parachute.
To fall in love is windswept hair
and bravery
the kind of drop you think is end-
less until …
— smack —
you hit the ground
and realize that loneliness
is being wingless,
it’s blood
and broken bones.
Icarus by Henri Matisse
Tomorrow it’s Open Link at dVerse, join us at 9 PM for poetry. Gayle is hosting and you can share any poem you like. This is a poem loosely inspired by Angie.
From my original inspiration from Langston Hughes, from my pen to yours, love is a bottomless fount for poets to splash in.
That is the best part of reading poetry… it inspires you to write your own…
There are so many things I like about this poem like “a loss of gravity,” and “without a parachute.” But my favorite line is “To fall in love is windswept hair and bravery.”
“To fall in love is windswept hair” … I agree with this, but not the rest … not when it’s real.
Geeez! you captured that feeling so so so so so so well! the loss of gravity. the bravery. geez, this is one of my fave from you, Bjorn. 🙂
My favorite line is “To fall in love is lack…”. You feel completely helpless in coping with it, especially if it’s not returned. Really nice, Bjorn.
You’ve gone all out, Bjorn, and there is so much to comment on. I particularly like the rhyme strung our from the opening line – lack – to the single line stanza – smack. I also love the lines:
‘To fall in love.is…
the weightless sense
of jumping from a cliff
without a parachute’
and.
‘…loneliness
is being wingless,
it’s blood
and broken bones’.
I love ‘To fall in love is windswept hair’ and the way you have crafted this poem, especially with the pause, space and ‘smack’ in the middle.
Yes, the loss of gravity is perfect! I enjoyed Angie’s poem too.
A different way of looking at love Bjorn – lack, weighless, endless drop – then smack!
Sounds quite terrifying actually, it’s a wonder that we ever want to love someone!
Oh boy, did I just hear my bones crack?
Solitude and loneliness need not be synonymous … but the SMACK part? now that’s unavoidable when love ends! Great write, as always!
This was fanciful – and very real. loved.
With love, it’s just one damn thing after another; wonderful discourse on the human condition. One can see how some people, after the smack, side-step love for a time–until suddenly, across a crowded room, eyes lock & heart flutters
The next time someone asks “What is love?” I will know what to say “windswept hair and bravery” (copyright Bjorn Rudberg)
You remind me of the song ‘Truly madly deeply’ this is beautiful!❤️
Raw and honest, Bjorn. You convey feelings with such power. Very cool.
Ouch. Excellent.
Oh dear.. doesn’t last very long does it!
Much truth here, my friend. That ending hurt! Well-done!
Each line was so delightful to read. I really like the style of your poems, it makes me content more interesting to read. I really like the lines,
“you hit the ground
and realize that loneliness
is being wingless”
Lack of gravity in ‘falling’ in love juxtaposed to that other ‘falling’ … love is a very serious business methinks.
Perfect words used, depicts exact meaning, great one
To fall in love is windswept hair
and bravery
the kind of drop you think is end-
less until …
— smack —
LOVED this one, Bjorn. I key in on the word “bravery” here….to fall in love is bravery and then SMACK if you are let down….or SOAR if it is true love.
I do love the one sentence stanza and the shift in words and tenor in the last stanza.
this made me laugh…so well-written…so it is rise in love!
Falling out of love is certainly a lot more painful than falling in 🙂
So sorry, unexpected visitors last night have made me rather late in responding to your piece. This is very clever and skilfully woven Bjorn and the playfulness in tone only adds to its lustre
Hmmm, yes, and if we are always waiting for that crack of broken bones, we will never venture off the cliff… Great metaphors, very visual and auditive!
Love makes us feel so wonderful until something happens and reality comes rushing back in.
Sweet. I think. Wait, bitter? Falling in and out of love?
To fall in love or to be alone? Each choice has a price. The cost of one makes the other choice seem great. I like your description of both.
Very nice! The contrasts say a great deal.
Fantastic juxtaposition of the fall with the landing – beautifully done.