National Poetry Month: Day #12

Today’s prompt was challenging. We were asked to write a replacement poem–to take a common, tangible noun and replace it with an intangible feeling or emotion or idea. I chose the words “window” and “love”. I used a Wikipedia article describing the word window and changed out all window references for the word “love”. After that I began whittling away and lo and behold a poem did indeed emerge.

My thoughts in retrospect (as I truly started out with a blank slate in my mind–I had no idea where this poem would take me)… Love is like a window in that it allows us to see things clearly; it gives us a sense of awareness that is fresh and keen. Like a window, love allows us to breathe and to rejoice in the openness, but here is the warning: love is fragile–treat it with care.

window of love

when love opens,
a passage of light
and air and sound
makes us keenly aware
of everything surrounding us.

the frame encompassing
love forms to her shape
and can be seen
in the glazed look of modern love–
translucent in essence,
transparent in lifestyle.

held in place by the frame of constance and forbearance,
love is a visual reminder
to pause,
to look,
to breathe.

It doesn’t take much
to fragment desire,
to dash delicate hopes,
to smash dreams–

and
love
slams
shut
with a resounding
THWAP!
as tensions rise.

the closing of love–
easier than the opening–
locks shut
with a
simple
shattering
word.

***************

Here is the original Wikipedia article that became the poem. When I started I had no idea where to go or even what to do, but the poem knew. The poem flew out of the words in the article like the angel flew out of the marble for Michelangelo. Can you see the bones of my poem in here?

From Wikipedia:
A window is an opening in a wall, door, roof or vehicle that allows the passage of light and, if not closed or sealed, air and sound. Modern windows are usually glazed or covered in some other transparent or translucent material. Windows are held in place by frames. Many glazed windows may be opened, to allow ventilation, or closed, to exclude inclement weather. Windows often have a latch or similar mechanism to lock the window shut.