There are four questions of value in life, Don Octavio.
What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made?
What is worth living for and what is worth dying for?
The answer to each is the same. Only love.
Love is elusive prey,
Love curves and flows
Down lonely love’s path,
Can I find love?
Love’s flower-shaped bell rings:
Love calls to hearts,
Stony in love’s graveyard,
Can love find me?
Love weighs like stone,
Yet, somehow, love floats.
Copyright 2015 Brenda Davis Harsham
We are weaned from our timidity
In the flush of love’s light
we dare be brave
And suddenly we see
that love costs all we are
and will ever be.
Yet it is only love
which sets us free.
— Maya Angelou (from Touched by an Angel)
Note: Perhaps you read and enjoyed my poem. Perhaps you thought, that’s not how I would write about love. Perhaps the quotes have inspired you. Whatever you may have thought, I invite you to please take up your pen or let your fingers dance over the keyboard. I welcome you to join in the Love Challenge, just comment here and give me a link. I will be happy to read your poem.
I dedicate this poem to Marlyn, who invited me to take up the Love Challenge, and gave me these rules (some of which I even followed):
- Write about love using only 10 lines.
- Use “love” in every line.
- Each line can only be 4 words long.
- Nominate 10 or so others who are up for the challenge.
- Let them know about the challenge.
- Title the post, Love in Ten Lines.
- Include a quote about love.
Dear Brenda, You left a comment for me, claiming that I stole your picture for my header. If you go to 100.000 picture on face book, you can find that picture. I didn’t steal that picture from you, I got it from face book, 100.000 picture. The way you left your comment was very offensive. But I got over it. I wasn’t thinking to answer your offensive comment, but because I like your posts I decided you need an answer. That picture doesn’t belong to any of us. It can be found in many places.
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Ellie, I don’t know how the picture ended up in FB. I publish to FB, and I have heard they believe anything published to FB is their property. I looked for it like you asked me to, but I couldn’t find it. Can you give me a link there? I had no intention of being offensive. That is a photograph I took with my camera, and the original is on my computer. I was just surprised to see it on your header. It’s one of my favorite photos of my neighbor’s rock wall. I would have given you permission to use it, if I had been asked, but if you didn’t realize it was mine I guess you couldn’t ask permission. You’ve called me offensive twice and you claim I accused you of theft. I didn’t accuse you of theft, I expressed surprise that you had my photo on your header. As for that photo, it belongs to the photographer, and that’s me. I guess you’re saying to me that you don’t believe it’s my photo. You don’t know me, but I wouldn’t claim ownership of something that was not my own. I feel sad that you would write me this comment. As if I had done something wrong. But I am glad you like my posts and photographs. Please consider the use of my photograph on your header a gift from me to you. I would appreciate attribution.
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Dear Brenda, in response to your comment, I had no idea that you took that picture. How it ended up in face book is beyond me. A lot of time I search for a picture that I saw in 100.000 picture, and I can’t find it. I didn’t see any copy right on it. I never touch pictures that I find in different places that have copy right on it. I am sorry for all these misunderstandings from my part. I will remove that picture right away. Your friend Ellie
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Ellie, you don’t have to remove the picture. Like I said, I would have given permission. If you’d just make a note in your about page that gives me credit, that would be enough. Of course, if you’d rather remove it, go ahead. I probably should watermark my photos, but I don’t have software to do that, and I haven’t gotten around to it. All my photos on my site are ones I’ve taken, which my about page indicates, unless the photo specifies otherwise. Have a great week ahead. Brenda
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Dear Brenda, As I said I am sorry about what happened. I’ve already removed that picture. Thank you for your offer to use it. That is not right. Hugs and love ❤
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Hugs and love, Brenda
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Love your poem, Brenda! Thanks for subscribing to my blogs. 🙂
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My pleasure! 🙂
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Beautiful, dear Bren! … I love this stanza in particular!:
“Love is elusive prey,
Love curves and flows
Down lonely love’s path,
Can I find love?”~
Also the feature is lovely and Lord Byron’s verses really stand out!
All my best wishes! Aquileana 😀
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Aquileana, so happy you like my poem. I found the repetition of “love” quite a challenge. I usually try to avoid any repetition. It made me squirm. But in the end, I liked what resulted, so I guess that says something about rules and rigidity. LOL Thanks for including me and lots of (((hugs))). Have a great week! Warmly, brenda
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Reblogged this on Mystic Mastery Blog.
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Your words of love are a wonderful read this morning Brenda 🙂
I think you must know Love well ….
Maya Angelou is a very wise and beautiful Spirit, her words make her immortal
and I do Believe you are a very wise and special Spirit ( with Faery blood within I Think 🙂 with much more to give the word
through your sight and words
Thank you for sharing a great post to wander within
Take Care…You Matter
)0(
maryrose
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Maryrose, I have experienced many piercing forms of love and loss, the two often go hand in hand. To love after severe loss is to push a boat out on a stormy sea without oars. To trust and have faith when it seems foolish to do it. And yet, love floats. And we float with it. And thank god for it, while it’s with us. I wish you healing and love, my friend. We all need them, don’t we? Many blessings, Brenda
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One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple. One day we will talk about LOVE! Add it on our list of “things to be done while in Montalcino” 🙂
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You talk about love often on your site. Some of your quotes are powerful. I would love to hear your own words, too. 🙂
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You know what? We should go visit together the Keats-Shelley house in Rome right in the shadow of the Spanish steps… certain words have been all spoken so well before we existed, my dear.
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So true! What a wonderful idea. A poetry tour of Italy!!
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who knows why Keats and Shelley did like Rome so much!
please take a look: http://www.keats-shelley-house.org/
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Perhaps it was the weather! 🙂 Or the food. Or the people. 🙂 So much to love.
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hey ! you are speaking to a (nearly) roman!
🙂
kiss!
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Exactly. You would be part of why I would love to live there! 🙂
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Very lovely, and absolutely true!♥ I think love is heavy, and yet causes us to float. Love is often complicated, or perhaps it’s not at all, just that ‘we’ complicate it?!
I do have one on love – but it’s an old one, when I first started blogging – does that count? Anyway, read at your leisure! https://wordmusing.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/true-love/
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I love your poem, Suzy, especially: “to know/ and understand/ before I leave this flesh and bone/ at least something/ of the depth of real love.” So many questions, and such fun trying to find all the answers. 🙂
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Thanks so much for reading! 🙂 Sorry I didn’t notice your rules for the Love Challenge until I’d posted the comment! Don’t think I know enough writers who’d up for a challenge like that. I hope you get lots who join in. You’re very good at theses challenges Brenda – wish I was too! 😀
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No worries, I don’t get upset about rules. As for challenges, sometimes I like them, and sometimes I duck them, and sometimes I come back to them after time passes. I always have too much to say. It’s a failing. 🙂
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A lovely challenge.
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Thanks! Going to take it up?
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Hmmm….think my brain is too befuddled at the moment. I can hardly string a sentence together, let alone a poem.
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It’s not an easy one. But perhaps you will come to it. In time. 🙂
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Love Maya Angelou. But am impressed with yours as well. Love curves…Beautiful!
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Wow, thanks! 🙂
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love your words of love.
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Thanks!! 🙂
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I always admire the way you gather so many elements into a post. It leaves me thinking long after I have moved on, Brenda. Lovely and deep, love your original poetry and the quote, too.
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Thanks, Robin. I really like the idea that you think about my posts even after you’ve gone on. I try to bring together elements that all add to the main theme. I think love is those purple flowers growing on a stone wall. And love is the stone wall itself. And love is friendship, like we have. 🙂 Hugs, Brenda
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All of the above. I will take the love challenge and try to write 10 lines about love, Brenda on my post tomorrow!
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I wrote this and supposedly set this to post at noon tomorrow. If you don’t see it, I will be checking on my wordpress tomorrow, quickly since my son is going to come by and haul a love seat out of my apartment. I hope you don’t mind, I used “loving’ and other forms of “love” in my post. I did not quite adhere to the excellent level of your poem, but I did tell them you were throwing out a Gauntlet of Love, Brenda! Smiles!
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Oh, and rules breaker that I am, my post is not written in lines of 4 words and did not name any others to follow suit nor did I write the title you suggested. I am a ‘maverick’ but I gave it a shot, in my own way, Brenda. Hugs and I know you will forgive me, anyway!
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LOL Excellent! I’m glad you took me up on it. I should be editing my novel at noon tomorrow. Perhaps I’ll take a break and find it during lunch. 🙂 And following rules isn’t the important thing — living and being connected is!
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Yeah! You can do it. I’ll try to check back tomorrow.
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stunning !
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Thanks!!
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your piece is absolutely lovely – elegant, touching – perfect. I adore it. xx
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Oh, my, I’m blushing. Thank you, Kimberly!
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xxxxx
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XOXO 😀
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Your poem fulfills the challenge in impressive seeming-effortlessness. Takes hard work to flow like that! Well done, and well felt!
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Thank you, this wasn’t easy! I had more I wanted to say, and yet less. Love is a difficult topic to say anything new about. I liked that you found new ways to talk about love. Well done to you, too!
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your ten-liner is very vivid and precise, i love the last 2 lines.
again, thanks for joining
;D
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Thanks, Marlyn! 🙂
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Loved your poem and the one from Maya Angelou. So pretty. Have fun with your challenge. I will not participate this time. Thought about it, but I have too much going on right now. 🙂
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I’m glad you had time to read. If you feel a poem growing like a seedling, you can always change your mind. 🙂 I find sometimes, a poem will just not let go. Have a great Sunday!! Warmly, Brenda
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You never know about me. I may change my mind in a heartbeat. I did think about it. I just couldn’t think of anything to write. 🙂
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And that’s just fine. 🙂
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