Wednesday Words 2.3.16

scooter on lolo pass

When I love a man, I will climb on the back of his scooter on a balmy summer night wearing only a t-shirt and a thin cotton skirt.

There are things I won’t say:
Where are we going? Or, It might get cold, or, Maybe I should stay home and work.

Because he loves me, he will stop before the road turns up the mountain, rub a palm across my knee, and he will say, Are you OK?

What he means is, Are you warm enough? Are you sure you want to go further?

When I love a man, I will rest my hands loosely on the bones of his hips, hooking my thumbs through his belt loops. I will lean forward and tell him,
It’s going to be a beautiful evening.

He will know that what I mean is,
Let’s wring as much wonderful as we can out of the twilight of our lives.

*********

Last February, I began making a Valentine, which I talked about here and here. Because February 2015 was a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad month, I didn’t finish it. When I came across it in July  or so, I tossed it. It hurt too much to think of finishing it. But I thought of it the other day and went looking for the poem fragment, which I knew was different from the last version recorded here. I think I will not try to revive this card for February 2016. I need something all new. But I wanted to get this version into my notebook.

10 thoughts on “Wednesday Words 2.3.16

  1. Marian says:

    I think this more spare version is quite beautiful, Rita. But I’m glad you’re not reaching back for it now. This post has reminded me of one of my favourite movies — Meet the Robinsons*. One of the main characters has the motto, “Keep moving forward”, a little saying that I absolutely love (even though I don’t always do a very good job at it myself).

    (*Yes, this is an animated children’s movie. What can I say; I think most of my favourites — movies and books — are actually children’s 🙂 ).
    Marian recently posted…Soul-Sustaining Scenery Versus the TreadmillMy Profile

    • Rita says:

      Thanks, Sarah. It’s not my favorite piece of writing, but somehow posting it here makes it feel finished. Not sure why that was important, but yeah: moving on.

  2. alexandra says:

    Rita, this year, for some reason, I find myself thinking of my husband, and marriage differently. It has become someone who is vital to my life, and a presence so part of every day, that the thought of life without them frightens me. In the past, when I would hear of someone losing their spouse, I always felt sad for them. But now, it’s my stomach that drops at the news. IT’s different, and not deeper, but more dependent. This was lovely.
    alexandra recently posted…I’ve Already Faked it 3 Times TodayMy Profile

    • Rita says:

      Thank you, Alexandra. I love reading your writing about your marriage. Sometimes I feel such a sense of loss in the face of those who have experienced marriage that lasts their whole adult life. I wish I could know what that is, to love and build a life with someone from youth through old age. You give me glimpses of that. Do you think it’s changing for you as your children are getting launched into the world? I can feel some shifting in me. Rather, under me, perhaps. They have been the foundation for so long, and they can’t be in the same way.

  3. Stephanie says:

    Rita this is beautiful. I haven’t commented much here, but I’ve been reading and thinking of you. I admire your courage in words, action, questions… I am happy for you and the thought that you now have a space in which to create and heal, one stitch, one brushstroke, one crafted sentence at a time. Thank you for sharing it all here with us. Wishing you a fabulous day today…
    Stephanie recently posted…January: A Month of Insights and DelightsMy Profile

    • Rita says:

      Thank you so much. I’ve been reading you, too, and not commenting much. Often have time only to read these days. It’s so nice to exchange direct words with you. I’m hoping we both have a fruitful, creative year ahead of us. I think it’s our time, you know?

  4. Kate says:

    I like this new version and I’m glad you shared it. Love poetry is hard for me – seems like it’s either too sappy or too dense. You walk the thin line of real and sweet but not saccharine or overkill so well.
    Kate recently posted…January LifeMy Profile

    • Rita says:

      Aw, thanks. I rarely write love poetry (like, never) because that line is so hard to find. Hesitated to publish here because I thought it might be a little too sweet.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badge

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.