credit – bistro39sandiego

Last week, anticipating Valentine’s Day, I went inside prepared to embrace or diss the Hallmark moment based on the mood of the group. Good thing. Although most of the gathered eight women professed varying degrees of dislike toward the fabricated once-a-year commercial lovefest, it was clear that some residue of longing clung to the date.

So I offered a two-part challenge. First was to write a love poem in a tight and limited form: three stanzas of four lines, where the first line held eight syllables, the next three just four each. The sum total of syllables equals 60 – hence called ‘The Minute.’ This was an admitted challenge for several, involving as it did some fundamental concepts of math and grammar. But they slogged through; two of them produced precisely the form suggested.

For the final half hour, they eagerly glued red silky ribbon, white doilies and pink plastic hearts to purple or lavendar cardstock, penning their messages of love in white opaque pen with a singularity of purpose. Sadly, I cannot share images of this work, as cameras are not permitted inside. Suffice it to say, some heartfelt messages and extremely creative artwork left the room, along with broad smiles and shared sadness at the group ending. Those were some loving minutes spent together!

HOW MUCH DO I LOVE YOU
With all the cells of my body
those cells love you.
Once I die, and
turn into ash

my love is so strong, anyone
who comes near you
will know how much
I love you, and

nobody in the history
of love ever
loved someone more
than I love you.

CS

*   *   *

US
I never imagined this love
til I knew you;
sharing yourself
opens my heart.

Know that I’m yours for you are mine
x’s and o’s
for you, lover;
our hearts belong.

You’re a gift that keeps on giving
our love above
n’ordinary;
‘tis forever.

JM