
I cannot tell which of the wounds I acquired hurts the most. I gather all of them in a large wicker basket. Every summer morning I sort them out. I re-live each of them.
I see how the Lie walks hand in hand with the Betrayal, and how the Betrayal indulges herself in the sweetest of wine. Oh, that irresistible taste of black grapes that melts in her mouth. It almost makes her attractive.
The Envy wears red lipstick and high heels. She dances naked on a wooden table. At every turn, she spreads poisonous confetti in the air, and lowers her eyes. I try to decipher the meaning of her gestures. I cannot.
The Greed, with her childbearing hips, indulges herself with poor souls who live at the margins of the city. The children are hungry, and the mother long exhausted. The beds are cold. The moonlight enters the room through broken windows.
I feel the pulse in my temples. Exhausted I go over the meaning of love and sacrifice. I try to restore them to the right place.
Love is the consummation of all acts leading to the warm meal one hands to an old man during winters. It is the sum of all unknowns. It is the finger that draws stars in the darkest of skies.
Sacrifice? You tell me.
Sightly revised version of the original published in Women: Splendor and Sorrow :I Love Poems and Poetic Prose
Gabriela Marie Milton
#1 Amazon Bestselling Author
Books:
Woman: Splendor and Sorrow :I Love Poems and Poetic Prose
Passions: Love Poems and Other Writings
A wonderful poem.
Thank you so much dear Alethea.
You’re very welcome π
πΉπΈπΊ
A nice one.
Thank you.
Gab, the magician.
I paused for a moment. You are right. Love you. Hope everything is ok.
You telling me?
Yeah, I’m been busy lately. Hugs.
Hon, this short communication may have led to some wrong interpretations. Anyway, take care.
xoxo
I don’t really get it, sorry.
Will do. You too.
I got it. That’s ok.
Lost in translation. Lol
π
It’s rich and provoking. ππ
Thank you so much sweetheart. Sending lots of love.
Right back at you π
xoxo
Envy and greed are the ways of the world. Love has become the out layer. Wonderful poignant words woven together so well.
Thank you so much Tim. I am afraid you are right. It’s sad.
Truly sad.
It is indeed.
Sending hugs to everyone
xoxo
Exquisite summation of love…if life could only be all about that…
Thank you so much for your wonderful words Heather. You are right…. If life could only…
I hope everything is well with you. Sending love.
My pleasure. All is well hereβ€οΈ
Glad to hear that Heather πΊπΈπΉβ€οΈ
“Love is the consummation of all acts leading to the warm meal one hands to an old man during winters. It is the sum of all unknowns. It is the finger that draws stars in the darkest of skies.” Love this line. <3
I am thrilled you liked it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
xoxo
You are most welcome!
πΉ
Somehow this reminds me of divorces, nice poem. β€οΈ
Hi John, did not think of it like this, but now that I read it again… π
Enjoy your day. Stay on the shade.
It’s a different perspective I guess, have a great week and stay cool too!
I love to hear the perspective of my readers! You made me think.
Thank you. Enjoy the rest of your day.
You are welcome, and you too!
Love it β€οΈ
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means a lot ππΊβ€οΈ
You evoke so sharply, it is so beautiful it hurts. πππ’
Instantly I seen those other images surfacing my mind.
You know probably how I love Cohen…
“I caught the darkness
It was drinking from your cup
I caught the darkness
Drinking from your cup
I said, “Is this contagious?”
You said, “Just drink it up.””.
L. Cohen
Dear Gabriela, take care, always.
I consider you a friend,
And only hope you do the same.
ππ¦π
Aw… Miriam, love you. You are my dear friend. Thank you for your beautiful comment. It means the world to me. I know you love Leonard Cohen. I love him too. Darkness. The lyrics are from Darkness if I am not mistaken.
Lots of love and hugs to you hon.
xoxo
Yes indeed. A beautiful song, as they all are, to me anyway. He did save my life, in a way.
Thank you dear Gabriela,
Sending love πππππ
Hold you close to my heart ππ
My pleasure hon. I hold you close to my heart too. Take care. Enjoy your day β€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ
This is beautiful. I love the description of Envy!
Thank you so much Jeff. I am glad you liked that.
I hope finally love will triumph! The images you evoke are sharply drawn. Love it. β€οΈ
Hi my dearest Punam, thank you so much for being here and for commenting. I really appreciate your support. I am sorry I was not present too much lately but please know I read your beautiful poems.
Love you hon. I hope love will triumph and I hope you are well.
xoxo
I feel the pain of betrayal in this one. Thank you for sharing.
My pleasure. Thank you so much for your comment and your support.
This is amazing dearest Gabriela… how you focused on the very wound- givers that swirl around our lives, our loves and do it with your unmistakable poetic flair. Bravo! Envy, Greed, Betrayl can slice us and maim us forever, if we don’t learn to love and forgive..the “unlovable..the “unforgivable. Your word choices, your metaphors always excite my imagination..I love this piece!!
Thank you for your beautiful comment my dearest Karima. I really appreciate it. Sending lots of love your way.
xoxo
…and always for you Gabriela β€οΈπ€ππΉ
ππΈπΊπΉ
So beautiful, Gabriela. You’ve given pain a sheen of grace. π
Thank you hon. Such a gorgeous comment. I am humbled by it.
πΈπΊ
Really so true said dear friend Terveen! Too goodπ€ππ
Thanks. π
My pleasure dear friend! By the it’s a very humble request to you to please do visit my site also!
Have a nice day dearππ
βπππ
Incredible.
Very grateful for your appreciation. Thank you.
xoxo
Amazing! Bravo!
Thank you so much Susan. I am humbled by your words.
xoxo
<3
πΉ
Such a thought provoking poem Gabriela
Thank you so much my dearest Sadje. I hope everything is well with you.
Thanks a lot
xoxo
One of my favorites from the book
Thank you so much Mich. You are a gem.
Really so true said dearππ
What rich, vibrant imagery! I love the emotion, word play, and overall narrative. <3
Thank you so much Jaya. Very glad you liked it. I hope you are having a wonderful day.
xoxo
Even your prose blog posts are poetic. Lovely post today.
Priscilla, that means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. Enjoy the rest of your day.
xoxo
Loved it β€π₯
Aw, thank you hon. I was just reading your beautiful poem. If you do not find my comment, please look in the spam folder.
β€π It is an absolute pleasure to read your poems. β€π
Thank you for showing love for my poem. Gonna check spam first.
Take care.
Love β€
xoxo
lovely
Thank you dear.
xoxo
wl
I was moved by this poem.
Thank you so much Liz. It means a lot. Enjoy the rest of your day.
xoxo
You’re welcome, Gabriela.
πΈπΉ
Very emotional poetic linesβ€οΈβ€οΈβ€οΈ
Thank you so much ππΉ
Fantastic description! Youβve painted perfect and philosophically precise portraits, one by one to make a whole. Reading your words is a lovely experience.
Thank you Francisco. I am glad you enjoyed the piece. I hope you had a productive day and your evening/night is magical πΉ
Youβre very welcome Gabriela! You too, πΉHave a great magical Tuesday too!
πΈπΊπΉ
Fantastic
Thank you so very much πΊπΈ
I can relate to this beautiful poem, I collect my sins also in a basket and taste them once in a while. Contemplation mixed with regret. Alas, you can’t turn back time to undo them.
Thank you so much for the praise and for sharing your thoughts. Indeed there are things that we cannot undo.
Wow. Very very beautiful and impressive poem. I love it so much. β₯οΈβ₯οΈβ₯οΈβ₯οΈβ₯οΈ
Thank you so very much. I am glad you like it. Have a wonderful day.
Superbe texte, Gabriela.
Merci. ππΉπΉ
Merci infiniment, Francine.
xoxo
Beautifully written, Gabriela…”I gather all of them in a large wicker basket” π«
Thank you so much my dearest Navin ππΈπΊ
You’re very welcome, dearest Gabriela π«πβ¨
πΊπΈπ«
A gorgeous write, Gabriela. The reflective nature of the write is so engaging, and the characters you create from concepts, amazing. β¨πΉπΈπΊ
Good morning and thank you so much for your beautiful words Jeff. I am so glad you enjoyed the piece.
Have a wonderful day my dear friend.
xoxo
Is it because our wounds all seem to meld together into one huge scab that constantly gets picked at and regrows? Or do we compartmentalize our wounds and examine each one individually, trying to decipher how they took hold of our lives, perhaps even our souls? This book, along with Wounds I Healed, will be my forever companions, especially now that I’m taking a little break from the hectic world around me. Time for vacation, time to rest, reflect, recharge, recoup. I love you and all you do Gabriela! Bless you always. xox
Good morning my beautiful Nancy. Those are great questions. I wish I could answer.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for taking these books to vacation with you. Have a wonderful vacation. Rest and recharge. Be happy. Be you. You are fabulous. Thank you for the love. Sending you much more.
xoxoxoxo
β€οΈ π πΉ π π«
β€οΈπΊπΈ
A haunting and thought-provoking piece Gabriela! βοΈ
Thank you so much Ingrid. Sending love πΉ
π₯°
xoxo
“Love is the consummation of all acts leading to the warm meal one hands to an old man during winters. It is the sum of all unknowns. It is the finger that draws stars in the darkest of skies.” Love this!
Thank you so much Sandra. You made my day πΊπΈ
An awesome read, thank you ππΌ
Thank you Adam.
So wonderful
Thank you so very much πΊπΈ
Nicely penned, Gabriela. I enjoyed this.
Thank you so much Stacey.
xoxo
My comment seems inadequate in response to this. But I love it.
Sacrifice is the willingness to suffer for love.
Thank you so much for your comment.
Amazingly put together ππ€π₯
Thank you very much πΉ
Oh, this is magnificent! I can see each of them in imagined figures/people: Envy, Betrayal, Lie, Greed, and more! Just a wonderful read!! πππ
My goodness , thank you from the bottom of my heart for your beautiful words. I am so glad you enjoyed it ππΊπΈ
You are most welcome π π
xoxo
This was very interesting to read. Well done. β¨
Thank you πΈ
You’re welcome. ^^β₯οΈ
i read it two times and i’m amazed by the way you wrote it!!!
Thank you. I am really glad you enjoyed it ππΉ
The use of imagery is amazing in this prose. I really enjoyed how you humanized the sins. Absolutely wonderful job!
Thank you so much for your wonderful words. I am humbled by your comment πΈ
Youβre very welcome! Thank you for sharing your work for everyone to enjoy π
πΉπΈ
Your words never fail to bring me to my knees in awe and respect,.. an inner knowingness Gabriela.
Beautiful my dear friend!
π
Aw.. love you Cindy. Thank you. Have a beautiful rest of the day hon.
xoxo
Maravilhoso e profundo ππππ
Obrigada.
xoxo
πβ£οΈ
xoxo
This is such a powerful, evocative poem. Everything in it just works starting from the first line. βI cannot tell which of the wounds I acquired hurts the most.β The double meaning of βhurtsβ is simply brilliant here. Hurts as in inflicting pain on you; hurts as in having pain inflicted on themβa meaning that becomes available when you anthropomorphize your wounds as archetypes of feelings which can misshape the soul. Envy spreading poisonous confetti in the air and then lowering her eyes! Yes! Thatβs exactly what she does. Betrayal walking hand in hand with the Lieβyes, because Betrayal always accompanies a lie. βEvery summer morning I sort them out. I relive each of them.β Again, yes, thatβs what we do when weβve been hurtβlike a dog licking its wounds we keep revisiting them. They hold us in thrall unless we break their hold with forgiveness. This whole piece is just brilliant. Thank you.
Dear Steve, you took my breath away with your comment. Again, I am extremely humbled by your praise.
Glad you noticed the double meaning of “hurts.”
“Envy spreading poisonous confetti in the air and then lowering her eyes! Yes! Thatβs exactly what she does.” It does, doesn’t she?
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for reading my work and commenting. It means the world to me.
Every morning you sort them out!? (It made me smile). I doubt btw that envy π naked at the table… it rather sits in the corner, looking at those who dance. Have Sun at your path βοΈ
Just beautifully written and I love all the wonderful visuals. Sending hugs, Joni
Thank you so much my dearest Joni. Sending lots of love back to you.
xoxo
You are always so welcome. πΉβ€οΈπ€π¦π·πΊπΈππΈ
β€οΈπΉπΈ
Excellent, Gabriela. I don’t know how I missed this one.
Thank you so much. I am so glad you liked it.
xoxo