I

Kiss-curl, curved as a bird’s beak,
pecking at one fair cheek,
star-lit halo of an expensive
rinse, gold-fish pout with
a hint of rubies; I’m done
with love’s frills
& flounce.

Dopey eyed, droopy lids dropping
pearls, that sideways glance:
the drugged look - so over
rated. To hell with playing
the debutante mermaid,
emerging from her moss-
green strapless dress,
shoulders moist, mani-
cured caress.

Riding the wave, foaming, frothing,
swishing tail, at every bubble
blowing champagne of desire:
to hell with playing the
eternal Venus, rising
from her shell.

That damned fool-of-a-moon, so full!
Candle-lit dinner-table for two,
casting shadows: leaves in
wine, trees cut in glass,
white-wings hovering
over plates;

humming birds flying with spoons.
Silver silhouettes in blue pools;
I’m done with narcissistic
drowning.

Eager as hell, the emerald earrings,
beady-eyed harpies, darting
to & fro, scenting a kill
& you:

the diamond stud.

II

If this is it: love, my arch enemy,
I’m done.

Let’s go to the desert & die of thirst,
cracked lips, flesh singed, bones
on fire; raving mad in heat.
Let’s go to war, fatigued:
ravaged & scarred,
desolate

in defeat, drinking rum from tin cups.
Come let’s sit between this rock
& a hard place, talking of
battles - lost. Drums of
war, the musical
score,

amidst the shelling & flares of Kalashnikovs.
Amidst the wounded & the dead,
let’s show our battle-scars,
that ring of clear blue sky,
through your big toe,
clean as a whistle,

when I fired & you didn’t jump.

Let’s talk of how you were holed up
for three nights, without food
or water, how I pushed for
that final assault & you
staggered out: eyes
blinded,

hands in the air.

How you hid that sharp little steel blade
in the curve of your bleeding heel
& stabbed me in the back
as I fell in love with your
flinch of pain.

Lets talk of how I forced your
brutal surrender.

25 Responses to “…in love & war”

1. Roy Conant Says:
   May 13th, 2009 at 10:32 am

   Gorgeous — now I have to figure out what it means. There are a few twists and turns here that scramble the mind, but the clues to the unraveling are undoubtedly present as well. Note: Did you mean “glace” in part I?

2. yann rolland Says:
   May 13th, 2009 at 12:13 pm

   I am overwhelmed Clematis, you have such a talent for expression….Is the poem means you don’t believe anymore in LOve, It would be both wise and foolish (inspires me)….Love and war, you know that is not a quiet place or feeling on earth….thanks for the beautiful and great poem…..

   yann

3. Aziz Alkaabi Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 12:52 am

   I believe the poet is still in love!

4. Ida Werrett Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 12:53 am

   I am with yann here, a little overwhelmed and a bit lost for though I found the poem very enjoyable, expressive and most interesting, I must be a little slow because every time you took a new turn I fell off.
   Ida

5. clematis Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 1:28 am

   glance - thanks for pointing the error - well i’m happy to receive a reaction at least - i could almost hear your groan at the length: oo i’ll be getting back to this! but of course do get back for the unraveling - was hoping you would interpret - or give me a clue at least - the war images were playing riot in my mind - i guess in this day & age with images of war so prevalent - i just had to use it - couldnt get away.

6. clematis Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 1:49 am

   thanks yann for such kind comments - maybe not believing in the kind of fairy tale romance - which is hardly love in any case - but love is not war either - as one grows older so the concept of love also changes - understanding support & all those things come into play - but i suppose its not about that love either - maybe its just about the dynamics of love - everchanging like shifting sands - never able to feel the solid ground beneath - which is not really all that great. maybe its about the complexities of love. personally i dont believe in any definition of love. or any one kind of love as the right kind - people differ & so does love - i mean love is of many kinds - love is such a broad-based word. one can go on talking about it till kingdom come. of course everybody has the right to love & be loved - but is there any right kind of love? right kind of love is pretty subjective.

   i dont think i’ve answered anything about the poem - i’m afraid i just fell in love with certain images here & got kind of carried away & that’s the honest truth. & i’m really happy if the readers enjoy the read!! that’s it!

7. clematis Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 1:56 am

   aziz - you are a dark horse & very right! i love love & the concept of love - love is overwhelming - love life death - are the big three - roaming in this vast jungle - better to love all three!!

8. clematis Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 2:01 am

   ha ha! ida! i’ve enjoyed your comment just as much!! i’m so happy i have a reader in you!

   i’m really glad you enjoyed it inspite of the turbulent roller-coaster ride! you should have kept that seat-belt securely fastened!!

   thanks a ton for reading & commenting! i’m all smiles!!!

9. yann rolland Says:
   May 14th, 2009 at 2:20 am

   thanks Clematis for the enlightning comment that secured my opinion…

   yann

10. clematis Says:
    May 14th, 2009 at 2:48 am

    i did have qualms about using war or the images of war - not to belittle the tragedy of war

    but since love was an enemy here - war was the natural outcome - guilty of poetic convenience - i’m afraid the two parts of the poem had to be yolked together with violence - metaphysics - i do admire donne more than the existentialists - nothing was too absurd for him especially in love.

    imagine asking his mistress to give in just because the flea that bit him now bites her & in the flea their two bloods mingled be!

    i mean how ridiculous can that be - but he argues the whole thing like a lawyer - point by point - stating his case.

    whereas the existentialists like kafka would have turned themselves into a flea - equally ridiculous - thereby missing all the fun.

    …in love & war - is short form for the cliche: all is fair in love & war

11. Roy Conant Says:
    May 14th, 2009 at 4:24 am

    foget the flea, brandi forme…. LOL

12. oxygon Says:
    May 14th, 2009 at 10:21 am

    Aw shucks, clematis! Your comments leave me with little left to say except to build on what is now obvious! I shouldn’t have been so lazy last night, and not post my thoughts. I wanted to say that it seemed that parts 1 & 2 were a kind of fusion, where the game of love and war exhibited similarities with respect to conflict arising out of the goal of conquest. The speaker in part 1 seems to resist being conquered, while at the same time freely taking part in the game—flaunting her considerable wares that are expressed in such astonishing imagery. In part 2, war was taken more to a literal level, but the game of war still supports the mood, tone, and context of part 1. Oh, well, next time I’ll try to comment before succumbing to the wine! But let me conclude by saying this is a magnificent poem, expressed with such heightened language that the mere reading without any attempt to interpret, is a worthy experience in itself. Congrats—

    art

13. oxygon Says:
    May 14th, 2009 at 4:32 pm

    I can’t help but think of the “diamond stud” being some kind of reference to the male ego, and it seems the lover is ready to move in for the “kill”—a kind of emasculation? Ah, love and war, the game where the napalm of the heart meets the ice of defiance! I think Dr. Erich Fromm would have really gotten into this. I read his famous book, “The Art of Love” back in the Sixties. A minister friend of mine chided me for openly brandishing a copy of a manual on sex! Ignorance is not bliss.

    art

14. oxygon Says:
    May 15th, 2009 at 10:19 pm

    Hi clematis. I hope my comments didn’t do your great poem an injustice, but if they did, I will stand duly chastised, and as always take my lumps with grace and humility.

    art

15. Roy Conant Says:
    May 18th, 2009 at 3:24 am

    I’m back and I’m going to take this a little at a time to see where it leads — I have no preconceptions. So, part one:

    Kiss-curl curved like a bird’s
    beak, pecking at one fair cheek,

    Okay — this might be intended to describe a kiss on another’s cheek, but the way I see it, the only way it could be curved like a bird’s beak is if the corner of the beak is pecking at the kisser’s cheek.

    star-lit halo of an expensive rinse; We know that would be a hair-do, right? And, if it’s a halo it must be blonde…

    gold-fish pout with a hint of rubies:

    lipstick lips puckered like a gold-fish feeding…

    I’m done with love’s frills & flounce. — All that you are done with

    So, stop me before I go too far if I am wrong…

16. clematis Says:
    May 18th, 2009 at 3:42 am

    stop!

    you dont have to go line by line - its kind of embarrassing

    i was hoping for some psychological unraveling - you’re so good at!

17. clematis Says:
    May 18th, 2009 at 3:51 am

    art - your comments do more than the justice it deserves!

    i’m really not offering any explanation ‘cos i dont have any - i’m hoping roy will oblige

    but i’m so happy you noticed - the diamond stud!! yes!! indeed i am!!

    came in a flash - that bit of inspiration! fitted rather well - after all that preamble of pearls rubies & emeralds!

    great way to describe the male of the species..dont you think? rather flattering of course & tongue-in-cheek
    not right either in all cases - but all in all very apt & picturesque! more than kind!!

    really happy you noticed that - very satisfying!

18. clematis Says:
    May 18th, 2009 at 4:01 am

    roy - i was coming here to answer art & ask you for more - dont get me wrong - was really thrilled with your first reaction

    but your clues to the unravelling - kind of made me hope for more.

    was really hoping you’d unravel the whole damn silly senseless enchalada - trample it with heavy boots & blow it to dust!

    if you want to go line by line its ok with me - i’m not complaining in fact that’s like asking for the moon & getting it.

19. Roy Conant Says:
    May 18th, 2009 at 4:02 am

    Actually, close reading is how I get to my presumptions and conclusions. I can appreciate this in an ephemeral way, but if I do there will be no meaningful and, perhaps, not even a meaningless comment forthcoming.

    If it works, it works because the components complement each other as I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that they do here. Once I know that, then the mystery and the meaning become apparent upon closer examination….

    I’m confused, why would this embarass you? I think a line-by-line explication looks like a lot of fun…

20. clematis Says:
    May 18th, 2009 at 4:03 am

    its ok if i wont be getting it - but you could say something more.

21. clematis Says:
    May 18th, 2009 at 4:05 am

    looks like i might - ok go ahead please…

22. Roy Conant Says:
    May 19th, 2009 at 3:37 am

    You will be getting more! But, the Hennesy’s has gotten into my head tonight and I’m afraid I must sleep it off — Still can’t quite figure why that Canadian chick would make Rusty Nails with single malts (think I save her by intervening) — seems like a real waste to use McCallans in a mixed drink… LOL

23. clematis Says:
    May 20th, 2009 at 1:37 am

    that’s like this poem i just read about bloody mary & why should tomato juice be thrown into perfectly good vodka

    or any fruit juice for that matter.

    roy - i was not happy with the formatting of this poem - the line breaks etc. - seemed a bit tame to me - i just changed it -forget about fetching the moon

    just tell me what you think - does this read better?

24. Roy Conant Says:
    May 28th, 2009 at 2:52 am

    Oops — just came here and saw your question. I’ll read it tomorrow when my eyes are less swollen from, would you guess it?, lack of sleep…

25. clematis Says:
    May 28th, 2009 at 3:06 am

    o this ole thing - no bother -

    thought you thrived on lack of sleep

    i think i could have guessed it!

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