Friday, November 21, 2008

Waves (Letters: Part One)


(Letters is my series exploring a war-time
relationship across the miles.)


Dearest Patrick,

Remember our summer day by the lake?

You wore khaki shorts, I wore a lavender dress. You walked, I skipped. You brought a picnic basket. I brought a hunger. You wanted that bench. I coveted wildflowers.

We settled for leaning my lobster back against your white legs. I laughed as you fed me grapes off the vine. Neck tilted back, hair sweeping your thighs.

Do you remember crushed grapes? Our lips' sweeter wine?

After eating, you tried to talk me into swimming. But I convinced you to settle for the high tide of these arms. There, we shivered and clung. To the deepest end. Happy enough to want to drown. So happy I sobbed from the heat of seven suns. Bodies shimmering like strings, strung.

Do you remember our vibrations? The water I cried?

No.

We haven’t known this day, have we, my sweetest. My love. And with you over there for another tour of duty, it must seem that I’m clawing ghost castles from a drought desert sand.

But . . .

Winter is a nap, spring is a yawn. Our love will stretch its arms again. And until it does, let these words dive between your ears, and fill you with Leo’s lullaby.

An ocean does not freeze. The ripples from my shore will swell into waves, all crashing into you.

My darling. This flood.


---

Part Two is here


14 comments:

Vesper said...

Oh, Sarah, what a love, what a love declaration... so delicate and so powerful at the same time... so sad and so hopeful...

Beautiful beyond measure.

Anonymous said...

A mournful photograph lessened by the colors. That empty bench....

I hope those waves of words do crash.

But waves are not a touch. The sadness can't be washed away by a ghost in paper mailed around the world. I remember desperately thinking it could.

Very skillfully done! :)

Ello - Ellen Oh said...

Beautiful photograph and then the letter. sigh. got me so tearyeyed. I love your words.

You are the master. I am not worthy.

Sarah Hina said...

Vesper, thank you! I'm glad you were struck by those dualities.

I've always loved reading old postcards and letters, particularly war-era ones. To think of the care and longing that went into these missives sent across the miles. What a proof of love in the middle of such sacrifice.

Jason, no, the sadness probably doesn't really fade. But I think, in such cases, there is some kind of poor solace, even in the dark void of absence. Words matter.

Thank you. :)

Ello, thanks, my friend. :) That's really very sweet. I'm so glad that this letter touched you so deeply! Some pieces are struggles; this was not.

Charles Gramlich said...

A lot of great visualization coupled with strong emotions. Very good piece.

Aine said...

The "no" hit hard. Words are all that separated lovers have. They must create shared dreams on paper. So bittersweet. I hope they find some comfort in earthly connections like the moon and your waves.

Nice photo... seems familiar?
:)

Sarah Hina said...

Charles, thank you. This one was pretty potent to write.

Aine, you're right. I think shared dreams, and the knowledge of the love and desire behind them, do keep many people going when life turns cruel. That connection needs to be protected, and nurtured.

And yes! How did you remember that? :p

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

Love put on hold. Prayers that we will one day hold them in our arms again. Dreaming of fullfilling that lost moment - dying a little death each day - not knowing when or if....we ever will.

The love letters to our soldiers through the many years...

I hope one day we won't have to write to one man or woman who finds themselves in a conflict anywhere on this planet. Too much to hope for?

Sameera Ansari said...

Wonderful!Passion simply flows from it.

"Winter is a nap,spring is a yawn" - what an analogy :)

Awesome work dear!

Sarah Hina said...

K, knowing human nature, it probably is. But it is a small comfort that within the cruelty and agonies of war, the small beauties of human goodness can still be tapped.

I was reading through some WW II love letters recently. To have only words to sustain you is a great burden, of course, but I have to think that the longing makes the reunion that much more magnificent. And what a record of love to hang on to afterward! :)

Thank you, K, for the wonderful comment.

Sameera, great to see you again! And thank you. :) I think letters are great for draining all that passion onto a page. In some ways, they permit us to be our best selves.

After all, it's hard to come up with this stuff on the spot. ;)

KA Cole said...

Oh, my. This is lovely.

I am speechless. So glad I stumbled upon your blog.

I can't wait to read your book!
And, I'm adding you to my blogroll.

Regards,
Kimberely
www.unbearablewriteness.blogspot.com

Sarah Hina said...

KA, what a wonderful thing to say!! Thank you so much for stopping by and for the link. :)

I've been swamped this week, but I look forward to stopping by your blog, too!

Aniket Thakkar said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Aniket Thakkar said...

My journey... no a relationship with the letters finally begins... And I have fallen in love with it on the first meeting itself! I totally agree with you... Words always matter! At least that's all I need most of the time...

Let the floods flow!