shelf life.

what is the shelf life
 of a love?

 does it fall somewhere between
 the missing toothpaste cap
 and the day the mystery
of what comprises your beauty 

is revealed?

 or does it start the crumble
 the very day
 he catches your smile
 and claims it for his own?

 for a thing once possessed
 fast becomes dogeared and worn
 the gilded facade faded
 in well used places
 and as such, often

easy

to abandon

Reviews

[Greg Close]

Nice piece. I really liked the phrase "does it start to crumble the very day he catches your smile and claims it for his own?" When love is expressed as possession of another, or a feeling of being possessed... can it ever survive? Can such a love survive meeting the *next* thing that needs possession... Very powerful image/metaphor. In many cases, just too true.

[Creepy Swine Guy]

It's a nice poem. It sets one's mind to thinking. But I propose yet a third option. Perhaps it never existed. Perhaps it was always a measure of what one could get from another ... hot sex, domestic security, self esteem, proof of social value ... and perhaps when all benefit has been mined, the illusion of love fades.

Wow Jennie ... I think your poem might have spawned a poem in me. Thank you Ma'am.

[Moonflower]

For me, this was a harsh reality. Truthful, poetic, Heart breaking~

[deleted]

Very beautiful piece! The anxiety of falling in love. Cliche is me saying we can't live with it and we can't live without it...lol. I think that you are a very consistent, well poised writer. I enjoy reading your work. Keep exercising your gift.

[Sheila Kline]

An interesting pondering of love......conceived, born, and already decaying from the first look! Your metaphors are well crafted, with thoughts to examine as to reality, and the concept of lasting love....... eternal love, or love doomed? It reminds of me of "To be, or not to be...that is the question".
Wonderful write!...so glad you reviewed one of my poems so I could discover your talented works!

[R J Askew]

Ach, wistfully sad, esp 'the day the mystery of your beauty is revealed' as there can be few things as -- yawn! -- blown as an ex-mystery! Also the 'very day he catches your smile' is great as THAT moment of catching is perhaps one of the finest moments there is, after which most of what follows is probably totally organised by nature, the greatest fixer of all. 'For a thing once possessed...' is great wording and, again, spot on. I read a study of love once that determined the shelf life of rhapsodic love to be 18 months maximum...you know, the full physical infatuation. I think it was shown that after 18 months the edge had definitely gone off the physical respones...the eye locks, the little touches, the obsessive attentiveness. Endorphine heaven's end. But what hell, when you are in the zone, who cares about life outside it?!

[W. Michael Anthony]

This is a beautiful and somewhat tragic piece. It describes ... no ... displays the tragedy of a love decayed with much compassion, insight, and frailty. Its beauty springs from its frailty, I believe. You succeed in displaying the softness of a woman's entangled, confused, broken heart. while maintaining your perspective in the dialogue. The passion and, again I say, frailty are both endearing and attractive in their sincerity. The realism of your words is astounding to me. I am truly impressed.

[deeps]

This is such a wonderful write here
I really liked this one.
This is very well said.

[Michael X]

Phenomonal work, I really enjoyed reading this, the meaning is to to per say a scenerio, as to what
could be, but in many ways already is. the pondering of love and its many facets.
What I liked most was the original metaphor. what I liked least is the word "the "instead of "to"
before crumble; line 8, but it doesnt take away fromthe over all artistic passion.
You are an amazing poet. A pleasure to read.

[Sean M. Addams]

very deep piece .... very real to me too how what you thought was good can quickly fade... nice job on this... hopeful that what you meant in this piece...