Carol A. Hand
This morning I thought of you,
my once long ago Ojibwe lover
Sometimes I wonder what could have been
if we had met sooner before both promised to another
The way we laughed and loved perfectly balanced,
your deep and hearty roar blended with my lilting song
Colonialism molded us into reluctant wounded warriors,
our joyfulness somehow seemed so wrong
Poignantly, I remember your beauty and deep pain,
and the sense of responsibility you tried to drink away
Yet the memory remains of how, together, our carefree laughter
once lit up an Albuquerque restaurant on a long-ago,
long-ago,
long-ago
day
Photo: Quilled-Rose on Birch Bark
***
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Ahhh.. it touches the heart, Carol. A gorgeous poem of love, loss, love, memory.
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Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Cynthia ❤
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Very, very nice. Stirs a remembrance in me I dare not think about, “what could have been.”
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments, Peter. Yes, the “what could have been” questions are sometimes the most painful to consider…
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The poem resonates for me in the sense of what might have been a love forgone. But I was lucky and still am if only my luck continues. We were not so unfortunate, Chantal and I, but found ourselves in each other’s arms some 39 years ago and thus we have remained. So much would have and might have been so different. The thought has often crossed my mind that we might have parted and all that has since come to pass and been so good might not have been. The thought is therefore always accompanied by both a feeling of grief for what might have been forsaken and the (frightful) recognition of just how fortuitous love truly is.
It is most eminently a gift of chance, an accidental if impassioned encounter, however brief or extended in time, and yes, it can be lost, as surely one day it will be lost, as all things eventually do pass on, inevitably, inexorably, to become a long, long-ago day . . .
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Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights with such eloquence, Norman. I’m grateful for your thoughtful comments.
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So beautiful, Carol. Touching my heart and bringing back memories of long ago.
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Thank you for your lovely comments, Izzy ❤
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Lovely, Carol. So filled with longing. Beautiful and sad.
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Thank you for sharing your lovely thoughts, Diana ❤
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Very moving, Carol. Some things never make it to the future.
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Thank you for your always thoughtful comments, Inese. Your words are so true. Choosing which paths to follow is never an easy task, and looking back, I know I chose wisely although I still sometimes wonder – “What if…?”
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I know what you are saying. Sometimes we wish we had more choices, but sometimes we’d better had only one 🙂
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❤
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What a lovely tribute to a lost love! I could almost hear the echoes of your shared laughter. 🙂 ❤
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Such delightful comments, Natalie. Thank you ❤
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My pleasure❣😘
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❤
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That is a lovely poem Carol. You captured love without blame when blame could have taken over. That is powerful storytelling. Did you write this recently? Bob
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Thank you so much for your lovely comments, Bob.
I’m not sure how to answer your question. The poem flowed through my fingers onto my keyboard yesterday, but I think it has been etched in my heart for decades, inspiring the work I’ve done over the years. Loving, as painful as it sometimes is, saved from the fate Gibran describes – from “… the seasonless world where you shall laugh, but not all of your laughter, and weep, but not all of your tears.” For that, I remain truly grateful.
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We all have hidden stories and memories that will go with us to the ground and stories of kisses that never cristalyzed and potential happiness that never was…aren’t they the sweetest of all our memories?. Lets cherish those memories as they are sometimes the stuff our dreams are made of. Hugs to you
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Thank you for sharing your lovely, wise insights, Silvia. I agree. Memories of “perfect” moments of loving connection that remain untarnished by the messiness of life “are sometimes the stuff our dreams are made of.” They’re sometimes what sustains us and inspires us to become more compassionate. I send hugs to you, too, dear friend ❤
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Oh Carol..that is worth so much more than just a ‘Like’…my words aren’t adequate to express how my heart was stirred by yours …. much love from over the pond xxx
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Ah, dear Pat, your kindness always makes my day a pleasant one. Thank you my friend from across the pond. ❤
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Such a wonderful post. Beautiful thoughts and memories.Arouses softness and tender feelings.
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Thank you so much for your kind and lovely comments, Veena ❤
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