Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Magnolia


They will meet under
a magnolia's leaves
as northern buds pucker
with a pink, southern heat

She will touch
his lips,
that neck,
the grip of his chest

but only with her eyes

as he ripples atop
the stiff, new grass
and pitches a sun
across its sky

Until she shares,
with the bud that
swoons into its bloom,
the debt spring owes
to winter’s terrible
abstinence


16 comments:

Aine said...

Erm...I need to stop reading blogs when the kids are around...

I'm officially declaring you the master of romantic sexual metaphor. Your writings will be banned from school libraries. :D

as northern buds pucker
with a pink, southern heat


I tell you... **shaking head and heading off for a cold shower**
;)

RachelW said...

Ooohhh, I love this one! It's so beautiful and sensual, with glorious year-god type imagerly. Glorious magnolia buds, too. They are one of my very favourite warm-places trees.

David Cranmer said...

The whole piece is beautifully done but "and pitches a sun
across its sky" is my particular favorite line.

Karen said...

I proclaim you the queen of romance! This is filled with sensuousness -- the northern buds that pucker, the pink, southern heat, his rippling atop the stiff, new grass, the bud that swoons into its bloom...even her holding back and the abstinence. The imagery is overwhelmingly sexual and beautiful.

I feel terribly inarticulate when I read such exceptional verse. I just want to say WOW!

Sarah Hina said...

Aine, glad I could turn the heat up a notch! And I would kill to be banned from a library. ;)

But I have no idea what you're talking about with that metaphor...

:P

Rachel, this tree is on my grandfather's property. I can't wait to take some photos when it's all in bloom!

Thank you very much for the kind words. I love anticipating spring. :)

David, thank you. :) I liked the idea of his controlling the sun. And so casually at that.

Karen, you are never inarticulate. And "WOW" just so happens to be my favorite compliment! :D Thank you.

And I do think spring just has to be the most sensual of seasons. Not a bad way to be reborn, all in all. ;)

Anonymous said...

Part of me feels the touch of the equinox here. A momentary embrace of balance, before the world races to heat, to growth after the catharsis of conception.

Maybe that's it. That window of conception. When life wrestles the reigns from death, and for one moment, they stare eye to eye.

Sarah Hina said...

Jason, I like seeing this as an allegory, though I was probably thinking more a little more literally. ;)

But it does work that way. And I was certainly cognizant of representing a brief, but potent convergence. The understanding and appreciation of restraint, before it's pushed aside.

Charles Gramlich said...

Winter's terrible abstinence.

What a great line!

Aniket Thakkar said...

I second Aine completely...

You can even make the 3 stooges look sensual... :)

Your work shall be put on a seperate section in the children library... 'The forbidden scrolls of Sarah Hina'. :)

Need I say, that I loved it? :P

the walking man said...

Now that we are near on done suffering the bleak season, there can't be much more of springs debt left. I have these city planted trees out front and I look to them to tell me when the account is replenished. The trees are beginning to save again, I can see the pregnant buds; soon they will have the wealth un-encumbered by the lien winter had placed on them.

Catherine Vibert said...

Sexy as hell. I love the way she touches with her eyes... And the final line, oh yum, that's why I love you Sarah.

Sarah Hina said...

Charles, thank you! It does feel that way sometimes.

Aniket, nobody can make the Stooges look sensual! Although I did just hear that Johnny Depp is taking the role of Moe in the movie. :D

Thank you for the kind words--this one was a pleasure to write.

Walking Man, when those buds bloom, it's pretty easy to forget everything that came before. And yet I think we remember winter's barrenness in our deep appreciation of spring's becoming.

Cat, I hope you're living what I'm preaching. ;) Thank you, my friend. I had a feeling this would reach you.

K.Lawson Gilbert said...

Delectable with appealing imagery and visions, Sarah.

as he ripples atop
the stiff, new grass
and pitches a sun
across its sky

powerful!

Vesper said...

Sarah, others have already said what I was thinking while reading your poem... I loved all images of it and the promises they hold... just beautiful...

Sarah Hina said...

K, thank you again! Spring's strength is definitely returning. ;)

Vesper, thank you very much, my friend. :)

(I have been meaning to write, btw. And stop by your blog. I'm sorry for being lax on both counts! I've missed your lovely words.)

Rose DesRochers said...

Sarah, a most beautiful and sensual write. Thank you for sending me your link.