This poem, a vibrant declaration of love and a yearning for shared experiences, unfolds as a heartfelt plea to a beloved. The speaker’s desires range from the deeply intimate to the lighthearted and adventurous, painting a picture of a relationship brimming with passion, vulnerability, and a shared zest for life. The poem’s opening lines evoke a sense of creation and nurturing, requesting the beloved to “fix a heartbeat,” “grow a rose,” and “create a winter night.” These metaphorical requests symbolize the desire for a love that is life-giving, beautiful, and capable of encompassing a full spectrum of emotions, from the warmth of summer to the quiet introspection of winter. The speaker seeks not just physical intimacy, but also spiritual and emotional nourishment, requesting their soul be fed with “soothing words” and “genuine prayers.” This desire extends to a longing for shared memories, symbolized by the request to “pitch hands with memories,” suggesting a desire to build a rich tapestry of shared experiences that will bind them together.
The poem’s central theme revolves around a deep and multifaceted connection. The speaker envisions a love that is passionate and sensual, expressed through requests for physical closeness, like “caress my warmly breast” and “bath my longing burns with a kiss.” This physical intimacy intertwines with a desire for shared vulnerability and emotional connection, as seen in the plea to “dance with me in our blindly nakedness.” This image suggests a desire for complete openness and acceptance within the relationship, a willingness to be seen and loved in their entirety, flaws and all. The speaker envisions a love that transcends the mundane and enters the realm of the extraordinary, expressing a wish to “marry our days with eternal pleasures.” This aspiration for an enduring and deeply fulfilling love suggests a commitment that extends beyond the immediate present and into a shared future.
The speaker’s desire for shared experiences extends beyond the purely romantic. They express a longing for intellectual and artistic connection, requesting the beloved to “tell me stories,” “sing me country,” and “tag my life with paintings of Picasso.” This desire for shared cultural experiences suggests a yearning for a partner who can engage with them on multiple levels, stimulating their mind and inspiring their creativity. The speaker envisions their love as a precious artifact, worthy of preservation and admiration, proposing to “store our love in a museum where enviable night robbers are our daylight guests.” This metaphor elevates their love to the status of a masterpiece, something rare and valuable, admired even by those who might covet it. This desire for recognition and celebration of their love underscores its importance in the speaker’s life.
The dynamics of the relationship depicted are multifaceted, encompassing roles of dominance and submission, playfulness and seriousness. The speaker expresses a willingness to be both the “script” and the “clay,” indicating a fluidity in their role within the relationship. They invite the beloved to “pet me as a dog” and “play with my softness,” suggesting a desire to be both nurtured and shaped by their partner. This willingness to be molded suggests a deep trust and a desire for mutual growth within the relationship. Simultaneously, the speaker expresses a desire to be the beloved’s “super woman,” suggesting a capacity for strength and protectiveness. This interplay of roles points towards a relationship built on mutual respect, where both partners can take turns leading and supporting each other.
The poem also celebrates the joy of shared experiences, both grand and mundane. The speaker recalls a humorous anecdote from their travels, exclaiming, “was that a snake we just ate?” This shared memory, seemingly trivial, becomes a cherished moment of laughter and connection. This willingness to embrace the humorous and unexpected aspects of life together underscores the speaker’s appreciation for the simple joys of companionship. The speaker’s desire for a love that endures through time is evident in their contemplation of old age. They acknowledge the inevitability of aging, referring to their future selves as “proverbial dry bones,” but refuse to let this prospect diminish their zest for life. Instead, they express a desire to look back on their lives without regrets, proclaiming, “let’s say, ‘we lived.'” This forward-looking perspective, coupled with a determination to embrace life to the fullest, underscores the speaker’s appreciation for the preciousness of time.
The poem concludes with a poignant reminder of life’s brevity, comparing it to the stature of a “midget.” This stark comparison serves to emphasize the importance of living fully in the present moment, cherishing every shared experience. The speaker’s final call to “drink our ghostly past away” suggests a desire to let go of any past regrets and embrace the future with optimism and enthusiasm. The poem, in its entirety, is a passionate and vulnerable expression of love, a testament to the power of human connection, and a celebration of life’s fleeting moments. The speaker’s heartfelt pleas and vivid imagery create a powerful and evocative portrait of a love that is both deeply personal and universally relatable.
