Poetry response

Inspiration poem:

Why it was love - Catherine Randall Craft

Three times crying in your arms -
span of twenty-four hours

began to wonder if my tears
could really be caused and
comforted by the same thing

space between us
didn't matter, felt the
soft thud of your heartbeat
next to mine all the same

and I turned my head into
your hand
so my tears found their way
down creases in your palm's skin -
folds of past and future -
wet salty fingertips held so close to my eyes

then being suddenly drawn closer
so my face and your touched -
I love you
into your shoulder and
into my ear
your cheek left stained with saline from mine -

if I begin to apologize, you kiss my stomach

and speak of my responsibility
in maintaining your sanity -
in my mind I interrupt you
with I love you -


My response:

By Jacqueline White
September 4, 2001

You walk up to me.
You look in my eyes and see right through this façade.
The word “Hello” escapes your lips.
A simple “Hi” slips from mine.

I wonder what’s happened to us.
I worry about what will come.
Fears of change, the challenge of rebuilding, faith in love.

My mind races –
kiss me and make it all better,
hold me and tell me it will be okay.
You drop your bag and wrap your arms around me –
you always knew.

I close my eyes and breathe in
your scent, your memory, my own longing.

You pull away;
I let you go as I did before.
Our silent conversation is reassurance.

Gingerly you take my hand.
We stand in the midst of a conflict
between past and future, but,
at least for now,

we face it together.