What is there so fragile as this kiss?
To bend her close, as she is sleeping;
to watch her from her dream awaken
into morning’s evanescent beauty;
to suffer her up into the heart
of warmth, into these arms’ embrace.
Thus, in the Musée Rodin: that embrace
unrequited, that interdicted kiss,
incised and polished, those hearts
enmarbled in a frieze of sleeping,
as if in that purgatorial beauty
they are from a spell still unawakened.
August sculptor, in us you awaken
glimpses of remembrance, when we embraced
such canticles and myths – the frail beauty
of childhood, a mother’s fragile kiss
in the cradle as we are sleeping –
revenance from a chiselled heart.
There they are, in the second circle’s heart,
that dolorous hostelry of awakened
misery. Motionless as if sleeping,
arms ellipsed in an arrested embrace,
eyes mute of all light, lips parted to kiss,
souls at the precipice of beauty.
Camille, Rosamond, Aurora, la belle
au bois dormant, Francesca, the heart
of Guinevere, awaiting a kiss
from one who is himself unawakened,
caught in each other’s eternal embrace,
together waiting, longing, sleeping –
Dreaming, perchance, of when this sleeping
unfastens its raiment of beauty,
subjugates reason to this embrace,
lets love conduct them both unto one heart,
stirring flesh into a pliant awakening.
Your eyes, your face, your lips, your kiss
Stir now this beauteous world from sleeping.
From dissolution’s heart, from night’s embrace
let us awaken, thus – the kiss.

Short link - http://bit.ly/s4thekiss
ReplyDeleteWow! What good idea to merge the marble in the real world (already a paradox) with the fairy-tale and make it that much more true. My favorite true bits "himself unawakened" -- exactly the inner metaphor, but never thought of it that way before. And...."the dolorous hostelry of awakened misery." Brilliantly faceted and real--as all fairy-tales, indeed, are.
ReplyDeletefrig. That is all.
ReplyDeleteHart Crane - "Kisses are,--
ReplyDeleteThe only worth all granting."
That interdicted kiss, a frieze of sleeping,that dolorous hostelry... A beautiful sum of all the beautiful phrases.
Too many powerful lines for me to chose from. Your mastery of the poetic art is awesome.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for the kind words.
ReplyDeleteVery, very beautiful. The imagery is stunning. Thanks, as always, for sharing your talent!
ReplyDeleteGorgeous write...
ReplyDeleteSo creative. Your imagery of the statue and your acknowledgement of the power of memory are truly special.
ReplyDeleteSam-- this poem takes wing and soars into the stratosphere; you scratch the stars with it. Exquisitely lyrical, consummately crafted. A poem I would be prouder than proud to have written. So many stunning lines and I especially love:
ReplyDeleteThus, in the Musée Rodin: that embrace
unrequited, that interdicted kiss,
incised and polished, those hearts
enmarbled in a frieze of sleeping,
as if in that purgatorial beauty
they are from a spell still unawakened.
awesome... lots of deep beautiful lines...
ReplyDeletehave a great week ahead!
JJRod'z
sam, i really just marvel at this...great references and your word choice is divine itself...well crafted....
ReplyDeleteI'm blown away with the beauty of your writing.
ReplyDeleteVoluptuous writing...sounds like a great way to wake up!
ReplyDeletefrom night’s embrace
ReplyDeletelet us awaken, thus – the kiss.
Yes please!
Beautifully written!!!
ReplyDeleteSuperb!
ReplyDeleteSome great lines in this.
ReplyDeletelets love conduct them both unto one heart,
ReplyDeletestirring flesh into a pliant awakening.
Your eyes, your face, your lips, your kiss
Beautiful!
when this sleeping
ReplyDeleteunfastens its raiment of beauty,
subjugates reason to this embrace,
great poetry