Speaking of love affairs, last year Miska commissioned my friend John Blase to write a poem for me, his poetic reaction to a picture the two of us hold dear. I love the poem, as I love all John’s work. I love the picture. I love the ‘us’ that makes this holy work.
There’s more to this story, perhaps I’ll share it sometime.
Holy Work
We’ve sat close together in
this strange and beautiful
providence long enough now
to know the secret to love is
more skin to skin than eye to eye.
I have felt your grief and joy
as you have felt my anger and doubt.
And we have both felt the urge
to sacrifice. to make sacred.
Some would call this mere empathy
but I find their lack of imagination
deplorable. No, our love affair stands
in this world of contradictions
with the fundamental texture
of one fiercely earned: it is palpable,
or as the Italians would say:
L’ho provato sulla mia pelle–
I have experienced that on my own skin.
This alone is love’s holy work.
an even loyalty, steady and clear.
breath-taking. both the photo and the words.
thank you, kelli. I know both moments took my breath away.
I love this! The photo and the words.I also really love the light fixture! Being married for 4 years,I truly do understand that skin to skin,flesh of flesh love surpasses an eye to eye relationship. The covenant is so important and it is what keeps my wife and I close.I pray it always will…
I’m betting it will, Terrence. And getting a great light fixture can help…
What a creative gift! Wonderful words, artistically describing a love that you know is holy because you know its designer.
it was a great gift – that’s part of the rest of the story…
L’ho provato sulla mia pelle-
I have experienced that on my own skin.
Yes, beautiful picture, beautiful poem..
so glad you’ve experienced it, Anj.
All of this – gorgeous. Thank you.
I was really happy to share.