Words of Love
Harper Perennial and Fifth Estate are delighted to bring to our readers a small selection of Brian Patten’s celebrated love poetry. Why not choose one to send to a loved one… or if you’re not in the mood maybe something more cynical? Brian’s moving and compelling new collection of love poetry is available here…
All poems will be sent out the morning of St. Valentines Day… and sent anonymously!
If you’d prefer to pass on one of Brian’s poems as a downloadable jpeg, then click on the title you desire.
Poem One:
For no other reason than I love him wholly
I am here; for this one night at least
The world has shrunk to a boyish breast
On which my head, brilliant and exhausted, rests,
And can know of nothing more complete.
Let the dawn assemble all its guilts, its worries
And small doubts that, but for love, would infect
This perfect heart.I am as far beyond doubt as the sun.
I am as far beyond doubt as is possible
Poem Two:
Love comes and goes
And often it has paused,
Then come back to see
The damage it has caused.
Poem Three:
Poem Written in the Street
on a Rainy Evening
Everything I lost was found again.
I tasted wine in my mouth.
My heart was like a firefly; it moved
Through the darkest objects laughing.
There were enough reasons why this was happening
But I never stopped to think about them.
I could have said it was your face,
Could have said I’d drunk something idiotic,
But no one reason was sufficient,
No one reason was relevant.
My joy outshone dull surroundings.
A feast was spread; a world
Was suddenly made edible.
And there was forever to taste it.
Poem Four:
That dress won’t stop you growing older, no matter how you wear it —
Nor will this baggy shirt I wear disguise any more
A stomach growing fatter by the hour.
Now that we no longer have Time’s currency to squander,
Let’s get used to the raw material we are,
Let’s celebrate this far harder adventure
And stop carrying about the dead weight of Ago.
That dress, this shirt; we place them over chairs in rooms
Beside beds that set sail each night without expectation,
With us the crew, held together by love and by the faith
That we are buoyant enough to see any darkness through.
