Shadow and Alabaster

A remembrance of first love's kiss and a tale of the fall

Shadow and Alabaster 

The young lovers

By

Carlos Lorenzo Estrada 

She was like the taste of covetous fire

In the burning embers of Prometheus's palm

Aflame pliable in disposition toward emotive desires 

Like edges of dream consumed by an opaque vibrance of warmth

In the sweet frigidness of fractured marble 

She shaped herself into an image of Goddess

And I succumbed to the wiles of her profane iridescence 

A mere mortal captured within the solitude of vanities 

If I could but lay with beauty in her ivory arms 

and adorn her with a kiss of malicious avarice 

But I was caught in the allusions of myself 

And found I was trapped by her reality 

In the yearning distinct to her malleable nature 

The semblance of her contours silhouetted my own

Zephyr from parted lips too perfect to know their grace

And I breathed her in to know her secrets lost within her sea

We war in heavy battle no quarter given to our heightened ecstacy 

No lie nor truth pass between us only relevance in moment's brevity 

I was condemned to her in the places lost between virtue and innocence 

Once hidden revealed through nakedness in supple appetent of flesh 

Finding in the timbre of soft aching whisper 

her melancholic hunger to be free from this world

she became summer to my nights and winter to my days

Always hidden within the extremes of her shadowed heart

For at the heights of love I flew too close to her sun

And like Icarus wings I became undone

And with eyes like Medusa I am turned to alabaster

For her love has caste me to stone

Author's Note

My lovely muse who looks like Cate Blanchett ask me if I often think of my very first kiss. I told her no I never dwell on the past. She called me a liar. I said I was being honest, which she immediately slapped me and called me a misogynistic pig. I took offense and said I was a feminist. Which she called me a liar again with another slap and said she could prove I'm misogynist. I took up her challenge. She said if I wasn't than I wouldn't keep imagining her in a black see through silk nightie and thigh high sheer nylons. She has a point. Feel free to comment or leave thoughts. Thank you.

Reviews

[Soren]

Love at first sight, moonstruck, passion, lust, all have a way of dissolving into dust. I loved many of your classical comparisons, I oved the line "I was condemned to her in the places lost between virtue and innocence" There is a natural drive that draws us to certain individuals but once caught in this spider's web we often fall prey to more than we bargained for. So did many a Greek hero. Paris promised Hellen by Aphrodite in return for the apple of Hesperides. Buyer beware.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I couldn't have better described the theme of this poem any better than your thoughtful words my friend. Love is like the constant blowing winds or eternally shifting Earth. It is the moon that rises the sun that sets. Each brand new yet old in its ways. It burns anew in the heart's first fall, and pitches black there after in its evolving cycle. Love can be given, or taken, yet doesn't exist but can in physical form grow from union. It's a thing and nothing depending upon the individual heart. It destroys and can create. It is a question many philosophers ponder, yet fear to answer within themselves because of how revealing it is of them. We poets love this emotion because without it art is much more difficult to create. Love often has us biting the apple to know its secrets. Which reveals more about us than about it. Thank you my friend for sharing your thoughts with me on one of my older writings that actually reminded me of an old love that inspired it.

[Soren]

Words as poetic and wise as the poem itself

[Shannon O'Gara]

A wonderful poem with captivating imagery, you can feel the sensual touch in every line. Beautiful wording to express falling in love and trying to understand the enigma that is woman. These lines particularly struck a chord with me:

she became summer to my nights and winter to my days
Always hidden within the extremes of her shadowed heart

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

I too love that particular line. It is filled with particular memories from my youth. Love is an abstract that grows in every heart. Matures in wisdom and empathy. I loved stronger as a child, as a man I love wisely. Thank you again for your thoughts I truly appreciate it.

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

This poem was very captivating but so was your note, which stood on its own. One thing I really liked was your way of explaining, wording things throughout this poem. It was amazing how easy it was to feel what you were writing. I also enjoyed your educational words, thank you for that. Icarus wings and adventure is an excellent simile to falling in love. Reading this poem was an adventure, thank you for sharing.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Cyprian you are much too kind my friend. In my emotive style of writing I grasp at images that convey significance to the theme of the piece drawing from my education. From stories or fables that resonated with me as a child learning to read. I used characters of myth for this piece because the concept of love is mythical to our human mind. It has a divine quality and mythology to it. We idolize it as our greatest virtue and rightfully so. It was also my hope that if any younger reader should be unfamiliar with some of these characters they would educate themselves by reading about them. In that way they could have a better understanding of this poems composition. I have never taught in my life but if I could I definitely would use this type of approach in order to draw young impressionable minds into the art of writing and poetry. Thank you again my friend for sharing your thoughts on this poem with me.

[Cyprian Van Dyke]

I think it is an amazing approach to teaching myself. It's good how you think of the younger ones that may not know. I've long realized that one can captivate more with education than with simple entertainment, in that way you give them more to walk away with.

[Abon Hassan]

Human aesthetics is greatness without just that marble, that paint, that coal. The poem feels like undressing someone. Looking not at but into them. The implacable woman who cannot be reached, though through fire and stone, she turns us blind. I felt it, had it in my life. We men devote extraordinary attention to them, these muses.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

We as human beings are comparative creatures effusive in our praise or disdain for the concept of love. We immortalize it, romanticize it, paint it in iconography befitting its grandeur conceptually. In our reverence we give it divinity or hellish qualities when describing this emotion to others. I wanted to tell a tale of first love in a way that echoed a philosopher's vision of it. How would Plato or Socrates describe their first love? Along with its irreparable lasting effects upon them. The use of Gods and monsters would definitely enter the conversation. You aptly describe the undressing and looking into the deepest recesses of the soul which also eloquently defines this piece as well. Love is powerful because we give the concept of it power, perhaps deservedly so or to our detriment. Whether the wound of love is self inflicted or not there will always be a part of me which will remain stone. Thank you Abon for your insightful perspective on this piece. Your writer's eyes definitely see the deeper meaning within the words.

[Gee]

Now that is poetry :))
Tis like you are a Michelin starred chef and I run a burger van :))

[Neville]

.. you just reminded me of why I fell in love with ..... and of course poetry ........................... N

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

First love is magical it's just bad that most end with a heartbreak that can change a person forever. It too me a couple of years to recover. Some lessons in life can be harsh. Thank you Neville for your thoughts on this poem.

[Neville]

you are most welcome C ................ & truly .. N

[Dave Brown]

another excellent piece even beyond my ability to comment
I didn't even know what alabaster was
This (these) are the type of pieces I wish I was able to produce, but, alas!!!

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

You are much too humble Dave you are more than capable as I have seen recently with the art you have submitted. You easily weave through a mirthful poetic parable while also creating a total opposite of art as well. Very eclectic and reveals as a wordsmith you are capable of writing anything. It's why I'm a fan but also an admirer of the writer that you are. You are fearless and not afraid to write whatever you feel moved to. Thank you again for the kind words my friend.

[shadrach hah]

Hi Carlos, you are the true poet, this is such a beautiful piece, that touches deep the core. Your words tell of a love that one would like to have and then they change to an ending one would not want to have. You use such beautiful language giving this wonderful write an old-time feel. which I have always loved. Isn't it just the thing, you reach a Zenith and then the mighty fall. Definitely been there, my friend. An outstanding piece of poetry. Have a wonderful Wednesday....Mike.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you Mike for your kind assessment on this piece. You as well have a strong emotive style of poetry that calls to the heart. I know that I could not have written this type of poetry in my 20's let alone 30's. It has taken living into my mid 50's to truly grasp these important virtues in life. In my mid age now I have found it much easier to be more effusive and expressive in my style. Perhaps because of the full life lived and the scars worn proudly from it. A part of my culture has always been known for its passion but I feel the grace of my writing derived from my grandmother. Who herself enjoyed telling tales while cooking or gardening as I watched and listened to her in my youth. Those inherent qualities came from her. Thank you again my friend.

[shadrach hah]

You are welcome, Carlos. I always love the way you sing from the heart, no matter what the topic may be. You always bring beautiful, honest and poetic work forward. You are a star, my friend....Michael.

[Betty Hermelee]

to me, this a beautiful metaphor of wanted love, but maybe untouchable, for she is cold stone and a you can only imagine what you desire, she is perhaps not reachable. Or perhaps you are speaking of a past love which unfortunately did not work out for you...which ultimately turned to cold alabaster. But still you long for desire. I love the way you use Greek Mythology to show how perhaps you flew too close......
Great writing Carlos, Best, B

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you B for sharing your thoughts on this poem. It definitely was about past love and in particular my first. So much knowledge and insight is gain in that first attempt unfortunately it does little to help you during its process. We were both young and I really didn't know anything about the female mind and emotions. And I'm sure she didn't understand mine as well. But it was magical and truly felt as if we were living in myth. And like most Greek tragedies its eventual end leaves both forever changed. Perhaps I was more the shadow and she the alabaster. I may not have truly appreciated nor tried to learn the hidden aspects of her heart. That was my youthful failure. Thank you again B. I really appreciate your comment.

[Betty Hermelee]

You're very welcome...it was strong and showed so much, very complex writing, in awe!
Best, B

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I had those wings and flew too close to a certain love....she turned me to stone for 20 years, before the solid rock in me that was my heart, thawed enough to fly again.
j.

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

Thank you J for sharing your comment. Even after close to 40 yrs pieces of my heart still are stone because of that first love. Despite the painful lesson learned I would still do it over again not changing a thing. The first cut truly is the deepest as Cat Stevens sang. Thank you again my friend.