The One

When, at The Met, we turned a corner

And her eyes lit up with excitement,

And she breathed a little faster

Seeing a large canvas of timeless

Beauty and inexplicable melancholy,

I knew that she was the one.

 

When I opened the car door

And she, seeing a book on the passenger

Seat, paused, and looked at me

To ask permission to reach out and

Move it as if it were a sleeping child,

I knew that she was the one.

 

When I saw her clutch pearls of wisdom,

Unearthed by sad, silent man

Of yore that toiled to teach,

To know, and to be known,

Trampled on by the many

I knew that she was the one.

 

When, seeing her in the mirror of my mind,

Regal, gentle, and kind,

I greeted her with a smile, but

All about me laughed,

And said I had lost my mind,  

I knew that I was the one. 

Reviews

[Soren]

A great poem built line upon line of being enpassioned by little things that not only are instantaneous but also build one upon another. The surprise comes in the last stanza that like the awakening that happens in relationships we find that it is us that sees what is special, it is us that makes the relationship we are the one. Very nicely done in all respects from the form and construction of the poem to its wording and images but most of all to the revealing of the message in the same manner that it actually happens in our mind.

[Kelly Scheppers]

The beauty resonates throughout your verses, and oh, how exquisitely you have captured her. I loved the second verse the most, how she moved the book from the passenger seat, as if it were a sleeping child. So glad to have come across this one, Laz. You are truly a gift!

[Eilis]

The scenarios you describe in the first three stanzas are romantic and, when experienced, create a sense of fullness and urgency and can make us think we have found that thing that will fill the emptiness. But gazing a bit closer we can see that they are moments that move the imagination to believe the person we are viewing is what we would hope for in our ideal. So often we build these kingdoms in our minds that we believe would bring us completion but when, in time, we reach the place and receive what we thought we wanted we find the emptiness is still there.

Your poem makes me think of this. And also of a sonnet and how it moves through a train of thought only to shift the narrative at the finish. I appreciated that shift as it mirrors experience. Realizations are not easy to arrive at but often they arrive rapidly and we see our entire foundation changed. Learning to see ourselves and be able make peace with the past and move into an open future is a wonderful thing.

[MCS]

sounds like a difficult journey. are you happy with the outcome?

[jacob erin-cilberto]

God, it takes years and years to get to that point, which is mentioned at the end of this poem.
That discovery usually comes at a much older age...and then we ask ourselves..."Was it worth the wait?"
I would imagine so.
j.

[Marie]

How wonderful to find love for oneself in the very busy world we live in today. We give our love to everybody who is meaningful in our lives, but we forget to bless ourselves with it. If we don't learn to love ourselves in an unselfish way first, we will never be able to love another completely. I love this very spiritual write, Laz. Superb use of allegory, depiction and I love how you describe Love as her to complement you being he! A classic write! Wonderful work! Thank you for sharing, dear poet...

[emmajoygreen]

Your mind seems more than able to see very clearly, Laz! You led the reader slowly - near cautiously, through a diligent flight, perhaps, surprised yourself. Happy man, what a denouement!

[Laz K.]

haha, just having started the journey toward self-love, i did surprise myself!
don't we all look for that ideal person we think could just "get us" and complete us, and all that?
more often than not, it ends with disillusionment. then, the search continues. what are we really looking for? understanding? acceptance? does it really take two to tango? haha, but i don't have to explain anything to you, emma. you know how it is. :)

[emmajoygreen]

Actually you do have to explain, Laz.. Please do.