“African Love Story” for dVerse Poets

39 Replies

African Love Story

In this day and age
Almost everyone has a tropical love story.

Show of hands–
How many here?

There was a war.  Danger.
And there were disapproving fathers
And careers.
And yes, I know that some
Love stories survive them all.
But ours didn’t.
And he didn’t.

So just for a year and a few months
We were in love in a warm climate.
A torn love story with a sad ending
With me as its only living remnant.

Imagine yourself
In that story
Full of hormones and atmosphere

It is a meditation remembering
Sand and moonlight under the Southern Cross.
Or cocks crowing before you fell asleep
Long rolling nights in a village
Where almost no one spoke your language.

Perhaps you were a prisoner of love
As I was years ago.
Non-protesting, dizzy and dumb for passion.

Would I have stayed for love if I’d known
It was the whole business of love I’d leave behind,
And not just my beloved?

Would you?

 

 

The dVerse prompt is ‘Where Does Love Go?”

39 thoughts on ““African Love Story” for dVerse Poets”

    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      Right. So many seem to have forgotten that love is a way of life…not just a feeling between two people. Would that more of our leaders realized this, but thankfully, more of our population seems to be demonstrating it.Hope this is true at election time.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓
  6. kim881's avatarkim881

    I enjoyed your African love story, Judy: the conversational tone in the short lines and direct address, which drew me into the story itself, being in a ‘torn love story with a sad ending with me as its only living remnant’ – love that metaphor! And love didn’t leave; it was left behind.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
  12. shaun tenzenmen's avatarshaun tenzenmen

    Love may not survive, but the story does.

    Does the bittersweet ending imply that you opted not to love (someone else) ever again?

    The final question is a nice invitation for the reader to sit with their own choices too. Excellent Judy 👏

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
    1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

      No, I did meet someone 13 years later and we married.. and I had several love affairs between but none that lasted. Then, when my husband died, it again took me 13 years before I fell in love again. But every love has been so different from the rest. I put off reading my husband’s lifetime collection of journals until a few years ago and he had written in one of them that he thought Andy had been the love of my life, but I wish he had told me this, because in fact he got that idea from poems I’d written before I met my husband and I didn’t, in fact, love him more than my husband. Sad, sad.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply ↓
      1. shaun tenzenmen's avatarshaun tenzenmen

        “But every love has been so different from the rest.”

        Yes. The love I have for/with my wife may not be as exciting (now) as some of those previous short fiery bursts. This feels better.

        That is a difficult situation, when you cannot talk about it with the other person any more.

        Liked by 1 person

        Reply ↓
        1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

          Yes.. Wish he’d told me. I would have assured him that good comes from the very worst that happens to us and he was the good that came about after losing Andy.

          Like

          Reply ↓
  14. Helen's avatarHelen

    Well, well ~~ for me it was Bay of Islands, New Zealand and fellow named Sam. I was the one who had to leave, return to US, Visa ready to expire. Your beautifully crafted poetry resurrected a ton of memories.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply ↓
        1. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

          There definitely were two guardian angels the second time.. Andy and whatever stopped the bullet in the gun pressed over my ear and fired…It was a miracle. Everyone at his trial testified that I’d been killed and I thought I had, too. They left me lying in the street when they loaded Andy in the Taxi. I was up above my body looking down and wondering if I still had any power over it. Then, zoom I was in my body, sitting up. Everyone had run away so didn’t see it.. but Andy was looking out of the back window of the cab and made them come back for me. Even the man who shot me thought he’d killed me and weeks later, when he was caught, apologized to my friend. She was the one who told him both Andy and I were still alive. Now I’ve told you the end of the story before the rest of the book. They never found the bullet, but at least it wasn’t in me. And the gun wasn’t jammed as he eventually killed two other people with it..Mystery of life. Unbelievable but I can give you names of people who will tell you it is true. Including my sister who was visiting me at the time. What a vacation she had!

          Liked by 1 person

          Reply ↓
          1. Lisa or Li's avatarLisa or Li

            Oh my gosh, Judy! I do believe you because I believe I’ve been saved by them more than once. Thank goodness you and Andy and your sister all made it through that ordeal. Sounds like Andy wasn’t so blessed another time.

            Like

            Reply ↓
            2. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

              Would that make a good prompt for dVerse Poets, Lisa? It would certainly be interesting reading the results, as I’m already curious about what your experiences were.

              Liked by 1 person

            4. lifelessons's avatarlifelessons Post author

              It is run collaborating with you on this, Lisa..I may use the same story. Although I have another…I’ve put it on my blog before, though, too. Do you remember it? Hard to believe I was kidnapped twice in my life but it is true.. And escaped each time by a miracle.

              Liked by 1 person

  17. Dora's avatarDora

    A love story doesn’t come into its own unless the stakes are high. As they were here. And the questions reverberate through the years once the die is cast.

    Like

    Reply ↓

Leave a comment