North Star

I was made for holding on,

not this letting go.  But:

I try. I release you

 

I release every beautiful walk

we never took through the

mountains, as I do.

 

The expected pain does not come,

there is instead the warmth

of your thoughts, holding me

 

I let you go gently, knowing it to be

what nature spoke to you,

differently than she did to me.

 

I had to do something with you:

every time I look in your eyes,

I see I have loved you some

eight lives past.

 

This means, of course,

we have to come back, at least one more

time around. We will not get it right,

this half century.

 

What does one do with this information?

I place you north, set you as the star

my hemisphere, half a lifetime,

a planet’s conscience

revolves around.

 

I set my compass to you,

trusting it more than fickle terrain.

 

I know that I can test new waters

by comparing them to the taste of

your undiluted wellspring.

 

That is some comfort.

 

A dream that is not murdered,

that remains nourished, finds roots

lives on somewhere beyond

the blue place.

 

I will want to breathe poetry

every time I see the night sky

I will want to write it every morning,

because you walk the same world as me;

 

From time to time, I will face north

add your whispered name

to night sounds, let go

liquid diamonds I will not let you

 

ever see by day. It was Diaz who

said, the half-life of love, is forever.

That sounds about right, from here.

 

Author's Note

translated into Spanish at:

http://www.writerscafe.org/writing/zorra_encantada/1632847/

Reviews

[Mary]

Oh my, this is so touching! I have never experienced a "good bye" with such deep love, so gentle, and with such hope. This touches my heart in the chamber of my personal memory of long ago deep love parted. That kind of love is rare, and we are both fortunate to have experienced it. If there is life after life, we both may indeed get another chance.

[Poetic Beauty]

There are loves that last a lifetime even if two people can not be together. There is beauty in the sadness of this piece. "Because you walk the same world as me". That says so much in one line.

[LJW]

BRILLIANT.
BRILLIANT.
YOUR BEST EVER.

[Sari Segale]

"I will like to breath poetry" in letting go we learn that"I have love you some eight lives past",
gentle, powerful, mature, wisdom in your writing, beautiful poetry.

[kmartell]

"warmth of your thoughts" evocative
"the blue place" "" because you walk the same world as me"
"half-life of love is forever"

You have a very mature voice training itself more and more with each thing you say in your writing. I like the title: North Star. it is apt, and compliments the poem. (Oh is see that kortas agrees about your maturity... ah confirmation is a nice thing...)

[Ken Simm.]

The only correct thing I can say about this thing of personal beauty is.... I see. And I do. I wish I had the mind for this. I wish I had written it. This is beauty.

[W.k.kortas]

In the hands of a lesser writer, this might have gotten bogged down in syrup and shreiking, for this is clearly the end of something--but the end of something experienced by someone of sufficient maturity, and it is expressed with a palpable feeling of loss, but with exceptional control and a wise discretion to boot. to echo a prior review, your work keeps getting better and better.

[gombeggar]

I do believe your poetry is ever increasing in strength and beautiful wordings, dear

[emmajoy]

Rachael, this is beautiful. Each and every phrase, line, is a diamond, i'll be back to bathe in its brilliance... later. x

Came back so long after I called at your poet-s door. But in a way, the belated visit has opened my heart even more to this beautifully written poem to a love - distant love, to whom you speak in the softest yet most longing manner. Your phrasing hangs naturally and yet has so much shape as if language truly is the true passion ,

' I will want to breathe poetry -- every time I see the night sky -- I will want to write it every morning, -- because you walk the same world as me; -- '