The Love She's Never Known

The Love She’s Never Known

mark teague July 31, 2014

When she was but a child,

Those whose task it was to teach her Life and Love

Praised instead a prettier sibling, ignoring her gifts,

Thus teaching her that Life is Pain, and Love is Shame

 

Then when she was a teen,

Those whose call it was to teach her to trust in God’s Love

Smote her innocent heart with rulers of Steel and Scripture,

Thus teaching her that Life is Fear, and Love is Guilt.

 

When only Sadness and Madness are shown,

When comparison and insult only are thrown,

We cannot wonder, or be surprised

Why, with trembling voice and doubting eyes,

She fears to reach out for The Love She’s Never Known.

 

When she became a young wife,

He whose privilege it was to Love her all her Life

Spat back what she offered in trusting Love

Thus proving for her that Life is Misery and Love a cruel Myth

 

 

 

And now that she is a woman full grown,

Those whose honor it would be to bless her Life with Love

Find themselves stymied, resisted and doubted,

Since Love has brought her little but anxiety and sorrow,

And those who proffered it were ever proven Liars.

 

Now a Man  into her Life has  blown

Who seeks to free her Heart of stone�"

He, too, is rebuffed and oft distressed,

Yet never doubts that Tenderness will reward his Quest:

To Gift her Life with The Love She’s Never Known.

 

Will she, CAN she welcome into her chest

That Troubadour? Can he ever pass her test,

And bless both their Lives with The Love She’s Never Known ?

Reviews

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I am this daughter, this child, this teen, this woman. In every aspect, I am this woman. It took many years of personal healing to allow myself to open my heart and love fully and completely. Regrettably, the one and only time that this happened, my loving heart ended up being hurt in the process. I have prayed for God to send another great love into my life, but this has yet to happen. Knowing and tasting the sweet fruit of love, I cannot settle for anything less. So, for me, it's all or nothing; and without it, I have accepted that I will probably be alone. I'm okay with that. It's better to have the memories than nothing at all.

[Rick Puetter]

Dear Mark,

This is an all-too-paninful and common story. And it is a perpetuating story. When one is hurt and damaged one passes on the hurt and damage. It is hard to reverse the trend.

You have captured here the pain and the heartache of when this happens and how difficult it is to open one's heart again, being so afraid of being injured once more. You poem puts a knot in my chest as I recognize how all-encompassing, emotionally-binding, and oppressive this can be. How can one know love if it is never shown? How can one trust love if it is never shown. How can one believe in love if it is never shown. Breathe deep. This is hard. It takes a gentle and patient hand to undo this damage.

Gripping poem, Mark.

Very best regards,

Rick

[Mark]

Thank you so much my friend. That a poet of MY humble caliber can "put a knot in the chest" of one of your caliber is indeed high praise. Enjoyed our visit in SD, best to Rosa, cheer-oh!

[Marie Anzalone]

Mark, I fear that you write the untold story of so many here in this write. Thank you for sharing her story.

[Mark]

This means so much coming from you, whom I so deeply admire in all her womanly, and compassionate qualities. That I can have touched a poet of your ineffable abilities is truly a mark of a goal achieved!

[bob, small b. aka invs]

well done. we all leave legacies. for some, like your protagonist, she inherited a legacy of distrust. how sad. but how very well written.

[Mark]

As you might suppose, this is not erected from whole cloth, but is a record of an ongoing pursuit, not unlike my earlier "The Ghost"--another pursuit of a lass rendered paralyzed by the Lies of Life and Love....

[Ruth]

Oh, this is so poignant Mark...resonated deeply...reminds me there are jewels amongst the mud, good to see you :) x

[Mark]

Thank you Poppy...I don't know where my Muse up and left for, but (as ever) the
nighness of an attractive female seems to have summoned her! Did you also see
the SECOND title I penned this week, "K-20"?