I know my muse.
Her silence comes to life
fills my mouth with words, smokey
sage, tantalizes my lips, fingers
my tongue with herbs, fills
my nostrils with seduction, spices,
perfumes -- leaves me a swirl,
tangled in vines, a victim to her
promise, the rise of tomorrow.
She nestles in my arms, fingers
tracing the flow of rivers, flooding
gates, sweeping banks. Her breath
grows out of me, tidal sweep crashing,
petals of roses, magnolia and chrysanthemums.
She climbs through my branches,
breaks off leaves, makes fans to ease the heat,
leans against my torso, beats a tattoo
against my chest -- her hands, wing beats,
her eyes laugh as day bursts into light.
I know my muse.
When my mouth is full of ashes,
love shuddering through the house
restless and uncomfortable, unable
to be still, flourish, I practice
breathing, to be ready when
she steals mine. I wait for the door --
tossed back, broken lock, unhinged --
announcing her arrival with thunders
of light, turning my salt streams to rock candy
I know my muse.
Find her to lose her to find her again.
12:27 PM
11/18/07
Janet’s Java
Alexandria, VA
Author notes
I wanted to speak to both love and creativity. I find them entwined.
In a list
- My Favorite AP Poets • next in list
- Me and poetry • next in list
- Inside of me • next in list
- MY FAVORITE POEMS TO READ (other authors) • next in list
A contest entry
- Sensuality by Amarige.
450 points, ended November 22, 2007, 14 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 66 of 66
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My fingers do like to dance on words too..
my mind just like's to eat them up then my pen spits out whats left..
and I can only hope it makes sence..
it almost always does to me..
but not always to the reader or receiver..
yes I did enjoy them again.
's for you today!!!
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yes wow...very romantic, I love it!
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Thanks,
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Wow, when I sit down to read this I find it alluring. You allude to so many other things when you are writing this poem and I think you have done a damn fine job at that. You are an amazing poet and I love this poem. These are my two favorite lines:
She nestles in my arms, fingers
When my mouth is full of ashes,
Such imagery to lead us to think that you maybe talking about a secret love that you are unwilling to let anyone see yet, but at the same time you creep into the senses with this imagery allowing us to see that writing is your mistress and you adore her and dedicate your work to her.
Well done!
Amadahy Rayne
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We learn early that we need to be creative. Life is flat unless we can answer that need. In the end I have learned my muse and wait sometimes for her to run her fingers down my spine or split me with a shaft of light so I can become vibrant and able to pour her gifts on to the page.
Thanks for stopping by.
Love, Tom B.
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Very creative piece..wonderful use of words and the feel of passion is so strong here..you did a wonderful job and I liked your author comment..best wishes
Amarige
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"I know my muse" a simple , yet sooooo profound statement. I love the interaction between the both of you at some part of the write-it gives it that feeling of sensuality . You seem so well aquainted with her ....maybe she is somewhere writing "I know my Tomis"
For the both of you bring forth such words of "being together as one".
I know mine as well "Terpsichore", and if I am not mistaken Erato also has a lyre. I believe she has invited Terpsichore and HER lyre for a visit to make some great music together [as mine sure has been very elusive as of late]. But I feel better now----hoping that the both might be together with their lyres [making music and dancing to it] and have chosen you as the third partner
I loved it all...but the first stanza really said it in such "Tasty" words that indeed did invade all the senses. Thank you , and may you and yours have a Thanksgiving that is all that you wish it to be,
much love,
xoxoxoxoxo
reenie
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Perhaps we shall meet only because our muses cannot longer stand be separated.
This one wrote me as much as I wrote it. vision often works that way. Just as there is a universe in a raindrop, so is there a wonderous forever in every moment. i was able to see a little of the moment I wrote this in and so can share the blessings.
May you have a wonderous Thanksgiving where all the love in the famiy is both celebrated and shared.
Love, Tom B.
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You know Tomis I think what I like the most out of this poetry is just the simple statement..
I know my muse...
Powerful stance within this line. Yes you do an outstanding job with the metaphors and bringing us to the brink of feeling but the raw sensual aspect & power within that simple statement is enough to take my breath away...maybe it's because my muse does this for me.
All the best in the contest
Much love & Many Blessings~
~Joy
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To know, to have an experience of: is this not what we look for in relationships? At the same time is this not what often is the most frightening: to be known, perhaps to be found lacking?
It has taken me forty years to be able to say i know my muse. There is a lot in the statement it is true. All of the metaphor and simile is but the color and kinesthesia: fireworks. You have found that from the beginning all that was/is true. Love, Tom B. -
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God have I ever
Much, much love to you Tomis
along with your family at this most Thankful time of the year and may I also add I am Thankful you are in my life now also..Even if I'm not on here much anymore..you are in my life far more than this place shall ever be
Blessings~
~Joy
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Everyone else has said it for me...
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I am glad you stopped by. Your foot prints are missed. Even when you tiptoe past.
~ Tom B.
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Oh, my friend, you show me things with your pen, and in the murmur of images, I hear the world breathe through you. This is a place I long to know, where encumbrances fall away and tapestries unfold the symmetries of mind in endless design and heartbeat, like cutwork embroidery or eggshell art. It is yet that fragile for me. Exquisitely done! ~Karen
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That is a pretty incredible thing to say. I have only really begun to know my muse and I sit and wait often. I fight with words and then she shows and they glide almost as if with a mind of their own. Thanks for enjoying it. Love, Tom B.
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"She climbs through my branches,
breaks off leaves, makes fans to ease the heat,
leans against my torso, beats a tattoo
against my chest -- her hands, wing beats,
her eyes laugh as day bursts into light."
Lovely penning, Poet. I laugh when people say their Muse has deserted them. I tell 'em the bitch won't let me sleep or even finish a load of laundry. 
Of course, I say that with respect & gratitude. I don't ever want to be left alone, without inspiration to guide my hand. Good luck in the contest, my Friend. 
Wanda
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I envy you. to often I beat on words only to find them dead on my tongue and flightless when set free. Thanks for all of your sweet words. Love, Tom B.
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Wonderful metaphors! Languidly sensual... pure delight for the senses. I was captivated. it read so organically. I was almost jealous of passion directed toward this other woman! Yet the undercurrents whispered of a relationship often filled with turmoil. passion is often that way. Wonderful work!
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When we create, at least it is true for me, i want all of my energy to become a part of a new life. I am vibrant. Yes it is a stormy relationship, for she demands all of me and I use her mercilessly.
Thanks for the wonderful review.
Love, Tom B.
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fills my nostrils with seduction, spices,
perfumes -- leaves me a swirl,
tangled in vines, a victim to her
promise, the rise of tomorrow.
mmmmm all the imagery in here is making me dizzy. the sights, the smells, even the sounds. your words just bring me to another level.
i just love reading you. fullstop.
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You are with me from the beginning, I was not long on this site before you began cheering me on and tantilizing me with your own splendor. Ro, you will always be in my heart.
Love Tom B.
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Very good
All life's inspiration occurring around you and not a thought clicks without the muse. A happy unique way of describing the inner voice or spark of creativity that exist within your heart and mind. You are a complex personality that makes room in life to listen to the inner child, moral voice or creative spirit that dwells just inside your conscious awareness. A well thought out and imaginative acknowledgment of your "muse" ...may your relationship be long and personally gratifying. Good write!
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Beautiful commments. You have caught so much of what I was trying to show. Thank you.
Peace & Light
Tom B.
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Tom,
This is just utterly beautiful!...I don't know where to start, but to say your Muse is beautiful! Don't change anything about this write. I can't say what is my favorite part, because it is all beautiful. Very sensual and flowing write. I wish it was mine, lol.
My muse is a *****, well, she took a 3 month vacation without any warning. Slowly she is creeping back in.
I am just in awe of your beautiful words. Outstanding!
God Bless,
Sassy
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This is a reflection of my muse. She slips in as is her wont and gets me to write what ever she demands I am glad she chose to favor me with this. Thanks for enjoying it so much.
Love, Tom B.
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wow!!! such a sensual piece... im sure ull do gr8 in the contest. you have managed to do exactly what you intended in your notes. a really great piece
hugs,
georgie,
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Thanks for the cheers in your review. Glad you stopped to share your joy with me.
Love, Tom B.
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Just great!
Just a great write w/ tremendous use of words
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Thanks, glad you enjoyed it. Appreciate you taking the time to let me know.
Peace & Light
Tom B.
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This was very good. Great imagery and word choice lead the reader into a voyeuristic world as we watch the interactions of you and your muse.
The only negative I have is the way your lines brake. The last word of each phrase should be the beginning of the next. As it is written, it makes we want to pause at the end of the lines.
Keep writing.
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Thanks for the compliments. Two things about the line breaks. I use them for pauses that show up when I am reading them at open mics. Second, I use them for what is called enjambment which is a way to expand meaning within the poem.
Like all art work you have to decide what form, style is correct for you. It is a long hard search and in my experience, when you have found it, you are tempted by some new path. We keep growing and changing. It is part of what makes life so delightful.
Peace & Light
Tom B.
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I wish I knew my muse..
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Mine knew me, well before, I knew her. Like most things in life you get no ownership and no sense of control, just, better a being ready for the moments when it all shows up.
Peace & Light
Tom B.
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My muse and your muse are very much alike it seems.
I very, very much love this poem. It is so sensual, sexual, spiritual, wild, free, beautiful, earthy...oh, everything!
Your muse, she is your lover, and your soul, your environment, the things you smell and see and taste and hear and feel and know in your heart.
This is something unspeakably precious and wonderful. And yet you somehow convey it in words that we can all understand. It speaks to our hearts as poets.
Each time I read this poem, I fall in love with it all over again.
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Wonderfully delightful review. I am more than complimented. I couldn't ask for more. I am glad that this poem danced for you and can only say Thanks for sharing your joy with me.
Love, Tom B.
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This is one poem I'm going to read over and over, it's beautiful and sweet the first time I read it, then the second time I see a little deeper into it.
Thank you for writing such a sensual poem!
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this is one of the nicest compliments, I have been given. what more could a poet ask for his poem than that someone should wish to dip into its words again and again. Thank you.
Love, Tom B.
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Everything you said ----
is summed up beautifully in the last short stanza and couldn't have been said better.
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Thanks. You know well how flighty muses are
Peace & Light
Tom B.
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oh yes. Once again you say what we sense, put words around that most fleeting and errant of visitors, words that frame rather than trap, with all senses involved in this most private of communications. Beautifully done. I most like the way you describe her - bursting through the door, at her time.
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I take that as a high compliment, to be able to "say what we sense" My muse snuck up on me at a coffee shop and repeated the first line at me till I realized I should let it write itself.
Love, Tom B.
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love and inspiration are both entwined very clearly and beautifully within this piece, so intrinsically wound together with your words...
lovely, absolutely - intense and emotional and such depth to this piece!
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Thanks for the beautiful review. This is one of those poems that showed up when I was trying to write something else. I have found that where my creativity lives is in the same space as my spiritual connection. There is a place of immediacy, vibrant that lives at the center of my being. Glad it touched you.
Love, Tom B.
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Wonderfully and awesomely written, my friend!
Most beautiful and creative
Wishing you the very best in this contest!
Bravo! -
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thanks for enjoying it so much.
Love, Tom B.
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Brilliant imagery..smiles..
Once again you weave such amazing poetry...
A delight to read..smiles
Peace and Many blessings
~A~
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Thanks for sharing your joy with this as well letting me know how much you liked it. Thought you would enjoy this one. Love, Tom B.
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I agree with you author notes, totally!
Your words are always enchanting, bringing forth images that stun the eyes into knowing.
"She nestles into my arms, fingers
tracing the flow of rivers, flooding
gates, sweeping banks. Her breath
grows out of me, tidal sweep crashing,
petals of roses, magnolia and chrysanthemums."
What a wondrous picture this paints. You know how I am about the "waters".
For many years, I denied my muse(s), writing from what I thought was the sum of me, and God (nothing more). Recently, I have re-discovered my Muse(s), for I have two, in Literature and Theatre... Melpomene (Tragedy), and Thalia (Comedy). They poke and prod at me constantly since my acknowledgment of them. Sometimes I wish I had kept my need for them secret, but that is nearly impossible. LOL
I love what you've done, and where you've taken this poem Tomis. I wish you well in the contest.
Always ♥
Renee
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Once again you have caught what I was trying to say and allowed it to touch you. I appreciate the gift. This was just a surprise for me since I hadn't intended to write it. I was going to do a more sensual poem focused on just love and the first line of this kept knocking. I have learned to listen and it wrote itself. My muse rarely allows me to contradict her desires.
Love, Tom B.
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Yes. Especially stanza 5--something about the trasmutation of sorrow to joy, expectation to reality...that touches on what it is to love and to create. Well done indeed.
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I was going to write a sensual poem but they all felt standard and cliched. I have never become tired of touch so I don't want my descriptions to be tired. This one came as its own surprise, but so much of creation is serendipity. Glad it was as enjoyable as I promised. I hate to disappoint.
Peace & Light, Tom B.
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Like the creativity in these lines, the flow and the images one sees, tastes, smells, hears in this poem. Very sensual write, lovely entry to this contest. Liked how your muse has taken you on this journey of discovery.
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When we create, it takes all of us. I am glad you delighted in how she uses me Part of why, I think, we create is for the way we are used by our muse.
Love Tom B.
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*SIGHING*
Tom oh tom...From beginning to end I was holding my breathe and the ending was not of an earthly source.
Do you have a collection of poetry (book). I'm just
beginning to exhale.
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the closest i have come to a book is a list I have on line. I entered it into a contest. I didn't win. I will enter another one this year, book contest, that is. You are right I do need to get published. I am starting realize that these are honestly pretty good. Some comes from doing open mic readings. the crowd response is pretty good. Some is from this site. Just so you know your reviews do hae an effect.
Love, Tom B.
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I like the idea of being "seduced" by your muse. Mine seems to be more like a thief in the night! Either way they are a frustrating lot when they don't come around. And an almost "altered state" when they are here. Agony and ecstacy weel expressed here. Good luck in the contest!
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You couldn't describe the angst and agony mingled with occasional highs better. Mine is seductive and controling. I can be trying to write one poem and the next thing I know I have another one coming out of my pen.
Love, Tom B.
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Beautifully penned, beautiful language, beautiful images...This is one of the best honor poems to one's Muse I have ever read....you are master at this..you wove it all stupendously.
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To be called a master at anything is quite a gift. I am trying hard to learn as fast as I can and as surely as I can the nuances of metaphor and the subtlities of simile.
Still, I am honored to be gifted with such praise. Thank you. Most of all I am just happy if you enjoyed your sojourn in my vision as you danced with the rhythmns and words.
Love, Tom B.
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I was in no doubt your muse would be female, perhaps she has got you in touch with the feminine side of your character, in any case I am glad you don't lose her often. Love, C
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Just often enough
Love, Tom B.
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"her breath grows out of me" love this so much, as her just being alive provides you with inspiration that brings so much out of you. A very beautiful poem, I enjoyed reading this so much
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Glad to hear this touches you. A poet can ask no more. Thanks.
Love, Tom B.
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You have given a vivid picture of my inner soul, I could just dance to each sweet note your words just played on my heart. With me its love, poetry, music that run through my blood just like you became one with her. I'm glad you see your muse as woman, in her sensuality she is so beautiful. Thus you are the master of words,a dynamic poet. It' in your blood!
Wonderful write Tom...........novy
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It has taken me awhile to get a sense of my muse. The way she steals in and leaves words on my tongue, flooding my pen when I thought I was going to write something else. it is a dream she creates in me.
Thank you for understanding how our creative ablity so often has a life of its own. Enough so my wife calls her my other woman.
Love, Tom B.
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