It is awkward
at first, both hands
on the ground,
both feet straight up
in the air.
Still the heart,
as it floats
above the head
pumps steadily
through the fear.
And the arms,
they know how
to hold the weight
though they’ve never
done it before.
But the head
as it hangs, it
vexes and frets
to find itself
so near the floor.
So it tells the arms,
Buckle, and it all
falls down—
the head, the legs,
the breath, the core,
it all falls down
except for the
voice that rises
from somewhere
not in the head
saying, more,
do it more,
please, more.
Love is Like This
May 10, 2012 by Rosemerry
It’s clever how you reveal what’s happening (standing on your head) as the poem goes, and the connection to love so enlivens it. Favorite part, though, is at the hinge of the poem:
“But the head
as it hangs, it
vexes and frets
to find itself
so near the floor.
So it tells the arms,
Buckle, and it all
falls down—
Like it.
love can indeed turn everything upsidedown; it can bring all of you crashing down; and you do it over and over and over and…again and again and…
i also like the implication (intentional?) of placing one’s heart over one’s head (“for the heart has its reasons, which the mind knows not” or similar words to that effect)
bravery. xoxo