Is it treachery or sin to sense
that tenderness is war and tactics?
I felt neglected when you slept.
I went crazy when you sighed.
But when your hands in salacious fire
captured me, I melted darkly ardor.
Before the attack, with night our witness,
I grabbed the prized fruit of your venom.
Were we ever closer to an end than this?
We softly schemed with fingertips on skin
and went to sleep — knowing not
if tomorrow would bring rage and fury.
Is it treachery to sleep, when safety
depends on balance of destruction.
Nude by Edvard Munch
Today we revisit old prompts with Kerry at Toads. My choice was to take a little bit of three of the prompts proposed. I will also link up to Poetry Pantry tomorrow.
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September 2, 2017
Whew – this sounds like a very complex relationship. And this one, to me, sounds more treacherous than positive!
Oh my Bjorn, your relationship poems are so dark and….destructive.
But when your hands in salacious fire
captured me…wow. Salacious fire….makes me think of an illicit encounter or three. The illustration looks almost skeletal and the face, a skull. Good job linking the pic with the poem.
I am lost in wonder in the relationship here brought to life.
“Salacious fire” and “darkly ardor” stood out for me….and the complexity of human emotions.
I wonder why that strange emoticon is showing instead of my profile photo….how odd.
when tenderness is war and tactics…the end is already there! Nicely put…
A most unique blend of love and war. It is amazing how the terms suit either scenario very well. I guess it all comes down to this human need for supremacy. Détente during the hours of sleep may be fleeting.
A re-enactment of the song, “Eve of destruction?” If they scratched each other enough to draw blood they should exchange it so as to cement their bond. The prized fruit was a bit of surprise.
..
The art of love it seems is not so far from that of war. Crafted delight.
kaykuala
Is it treachery to sleep, when safety
depends on balance of destruction.
An uneasiness in such a delicate situation is to be expected
Hank
I love the tempestuous undercurrent – it feels passionate
Volatile!
I like the way you created a complex poem from all three prompts to convey the complexities of a relationship, Bjorn. I especially loved the opening lines:
‘Is it treachery or sin to sense
that tenderness is war and tactics?
I felt neglected when you slept.
I went crazy when you sighed’.
I loved the start of this superb poem; ‘Is it treachery or sin to sense
that tenderness is war and tactics?’ Thank you for sharing it.
My goodness this is good! Especially “We softly schemed with fingertips on skin and went to sleep — knowing not if tomorrow would bring rage and fury” took my breath away!
Chicks. Whaddayagonnado? Love poems which are also true poems must show edges and descend. Like the Japanese say, love and happiness is rooted in piss and shit.
This singes with passion, burns at the core. Very well put.
I liked it!
Destruction interruptus?
Relationships are complex beasts. And the complication grows when we only glimpse at one side of things, like in this poem. The speaker tells us his story, but the subject remains silents. We can’t know if the speaker’s fears are unfounded. Maybe he’s a bit paranoid–it would be hard not to be when the heart is full of such passion, such want, such chaos… Love and war, destruction and balance are so big, so personal to the heart and mind, so difficult to see for what they are…
My favorite parts of this poem are the speaker’s fierce passion, his questioning of everything, and the fact that (even in the madness) he gets to sleep for a bit…
I love the rhetorical questioning and the Gothic pulse of the poem – especially:
“I felt neglected when you slept.
I went crazy when you sighed”
Beautiful tension!
Intriguing, as i read; i imaged The Tango.
Happy you dropped by my Sunday Standard today
much love…
I think this shows how thin that line between love and hate can be. There is so much passion, but it seems it will burn rather than warm the ones involved.
How often this must happen where their love is like a ride on a Ferris wheel but you don’t want to do it all the time.
Beautifully penned.
You had me at ‘Is it treachery or sin to sense
that tenderness is war and tactics?’ You pose a question, that gives me pause.
I”ve known couples like this. Exhausting to breathe their air, yet they stay together. This is a great capture of that kind of relationship.
Wow! There is fire in this relationship. It appears there is uncertainty of when and how strong the burn will be. Love it!
Wonderful mix of hot and cold here and stretching of language– I especially like the parts re melting dark ardor. Thanks Bjorn. K.
“the prized fruit of your venom”
What a startling, and strangely alluring, image!