Love Made Me

Love made me shy when I wanted to sing

like bird song sonata with golden hue.

Love made me soar on the happiest wing

on grand sails of splendor through sapphire blue.

Love made me bliss like a new morning flame

like fingertips touching the hand of day.

Love made me bloom when you whispered my name

pressing my petals in pleasure to lay.

Love made me reflect upon every word

like a willow with sleeves in the river.

Love made me listen and listening heard

light strings of rain that made the leaves shiver.

Love made me fall like the folds of a gown

or the unbraiding of Rapunzel’s hair.

Love made me soft as a feather in down

or the sound of silence when snow falls fair.

Love made me spill all my secrets to tell

like the rapids of a waterfall vein.

Love made me blush like a rose in the dell

plucked by the wind in a zither of rain.

Love made me cling like a moth to the moon

or bottle-green moss in a forest square.

Love made me sweet as a meadow in June

whose fragrant flowers are scenting the air.

Love made me more than I thought I could be

and made me wish I was perfect for you.

Love made me silk like the silk of the sea

whose dreaming dampness was channeled for two.

Love made me drown in a backwash of tears

as if a thundercloud burst in my breast.

Love made me shoulder its shadow for years

like Atlas holding the sky in the west.

Love made me leave when I wanted to stay,

and my heart hemorrhaged on blades of grass.

Love made me waver as I crawled away,

and your silence shattered like shards of glass.

Love made me curl into bittersweet cry

like autumn leaves huddled in patchwork heaps.

Love made me still, with a yearning to fly,

like a child dreaming whenever she sleeps.

Love made me whole, and it made me divine.

Love encased butterflies within my heart.

Love made me weak; yet, it strengthened my spine

when the harvest moon dimmed its light to part.

Love made me turn for a moment undone,

halting in the hope of a sign from you.

Love made me numb as you set for the sun

knowing the sun would soon set in me too.

Love made me new as a garden in spring

or a river-washed range of desert sky.

Love made me a pen, whose point is to sing,

to tug loose the tears that wade in the eye.

Love made me a cloud to rain in my soul,

to drink in the ink of the ocean’s swell.

Love made me a petal and petiole

to rise in glory before glory fell.

Author's Note

Reviews

[William Liston]

This is so beautiful. As always, your words flow with such grace and wonder that I find it hard to believe that any human being could compose it ... it seems to have fallen from the heavens.
The way you illustrate the varius shades of love, its tender moments, its passionate moments, how it gives one courage, how it can tear one apart, how it endures ... is so vivid and enthralling that while reading, I found myself holding my chest. This may be my favorite of yours for (to me) it epitomizes your style - the poignant delicacy in your expressions, the abstract beauty of your descriptions, the sheer wonder and openness of your imagery, the etheral nuances that bleed through your every line ... I could go on and on.
The lines that especially struck me in this piece (though all of them were brilliant) had to be:

"Love made me a pen, whose point is to sing,
to tug loose the tears that wade in the eye."

Excellent work!

- William Liston

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Dear William,

Thank you for taking the time to not only read the poem but for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful, insightful, and beautiful review. I really appreciate the feedback from such an accomplished writer as yourself.

Linda Marie

[FJ Davis]

An insightful and comprehensive ode to love.
Masterfully done, Linda.
Love makes us everything but smart--except, in the painful sense.

[Pryde Foltz]

Exemplary craft and expression here, Marie. Gorgeous write.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Pryde.

[Cortez]

Love in your poem is the guide, answer to all you seek, whether the answer be negative or positive.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you.

[Edie Blue Starfish]

This is most beautiful Linda. Your writing is flawless and meaningful.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Edie.

[barleygirl]

I agree with your sentiments -- love makes people better than they ever could be, & I'm not talking about romantic love & ga-ga giggly moments. Since I'm not wild about romantic writing, I started your poem with the feeling that some of your imagery felt a little stale in the typical romantic genre. But you quickly step up the momentum & your poem develops into a more multi-layered story, which I prefer. To me, the main point is that love can disappoint, but still it's love making us willing to heal & try to understand & move on to the next loving situation life offers. Being open to the life-changing divinity of love (as your poem shows us how to do) is one of life's greatest gifts (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you, Margie.

[Chris Shaw]

It is such a treat for me to find a poet who has such beautiful poetic expression, who writes in form and can convey deep emotion in what she writes. Being a lover of imagery, that is important to me as a reader, and you paint with words. You are a true artist.

Chris

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you so much, Chris.

[BlackPrince]

This is such a wonderful poem coming from a deep place of love and truth which is your creative heart and passionate soul. There is beauty and sincerity. These words are divinely inspired.
From beginning, development, middle and finale, your words sweetly hold me till the very end as though I could read on forever in your picturesque depiction of love myriad attributes.
The rhyme scheme is unforced, though as a poet I am well aware of the perspiration of inspiration before the final finished product; yet that is the beauty and reward of poetry as a divine creative outlet.
You’ve truly done a wonderful work of art here, a masterpiece in its freshness and uniqueness.
The rhyme structure is wonderful. The rhythm and flow are smooth.

You’ve done justice to love.
Well done.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you so much.

[Rye]

Oh wow! Ever so poetic and lovely, I really like your style.
You have talent.

[Christy the Poetic Hear..]

Your word flow with harmony, sweetness and beauty. Your imagery is vivid and breath-taking. Your poem is so deep that I feel like drowning into each of your word. Each line is a pure treasure in itself. And I also think that love makes all of us whole and divine. Wonderful and amazing writing!!! Well done!!!!

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

Thank you.