The qualities which a man seeks in his beloved are those
characteristics of his own soul, whether he knows it or not.
-Plato
there's music in the background,
piano keys hitting softly
touching every thought
that is displayed
beneath my
fingertips within the hours
before I took more than
the pills more than
the regret
of the drink I wished not to
salivate
beneath the
ember-smell
of the morning that woke
me to dreams of wanting something
more than myself and only
thinking of you
I wrote you
a letter that I
had not sent
never would
or the inclination
to
I wrote you
another book
felt
you between the
pages
of each tear
I cried
there was something more than me
there was something more than
you
it was more than just a touch
more than
a look
it was simple and elegant
I could feel more than
your hand
on my heart
on my
chest
loving me
too
yet not
you never did
I
never did
I held on to the locket that
disappeared in the fields
the love that I felt wasn't real
or I hoped and dreamed
each tear was just recognition
or definition
of something
anything
I can see you standing once again
in the library, the lights out, the darkness
estranged from itself
I can see you standing once again
holding on to me not letting go
pure happiness
love
that exists and not just said
I cried last night I didn't want to
yet did
is that personal enough for you or must
I shed more tears must I tear
my dreams in front of you and show you the
anguish I feel in compulsory reflection
"I have loved and lost..." and loved again
and never again and envied others
no jealousy has bled me
just fuckin' envious letters in bottles
thrown out to sea
age broken in turmoil and all other
drowned apathetical distinctions
I am the man with a soul who doesn't
know where his is at
out to sea
or beneath the water held in my eyes
I am the man with a heart who doesn't
know where his belongs
beneath the leaves
or out to sea on the ship that sails expectantly
I cried last night
tears down my cheeks
and onto my pillow
I didn't wipe them away
I wanted to feel them
I wanted to feel...
David Garrett Arnold
March 09 2006
Author notes
One of my own favorite poems.
In a list
Comments
1 - 12 of 12
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I liked the beginning and the end the best. the middle was a little too long. The rest of the poem was great, the beginning has good descriptions and flow.
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I can easily see why this is one of your own favorite poems. It's just beautiful, Scribe. I'm glad it was spotlighted. It deserves to be. 
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Just remember that what is rubbish to one is gold to another, this poem has soul and to me that is all that matters, I could not care one bit about holding patter or form when it comes to speaking of what is in a heart.
I like it, I like it so!
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I have skipped the first two poems on your page. (meaning I read them and didn't like them well enough to comment, they were a bit cliche)
I'd warn you that I'm not in that great a mood and therefore unneccessarily harsh, but I know you're able to handle that and take it for what it is.
This poem, however, I stopped to comment. It has a graceful flow and decent beginning.
There is also smooth transition from line to line and paragraph to paragraph (which you're not always good at).
In fact, the whole first stanza is worth complenting.
In the second stanza, I would only point out that 'inclination' has too many syllables for the lines and opt to be altered to 'inclined'.
Loved the lines about the library.
That is all I have to say.
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Please don't take this the wrong way.
I like this. You could work it to death if you wanted to, tweaking the little things to perfection and undoing something bigger that I see in here. Try it once, don't change a word just take out a tab or two and ruin the whole thing. -
AMAZING
This is one of my faves now. I love the rhythm that you develop in your words early on, and how you kept it going through the whole piece. But then, you've always been able to do that
This was beaufitul. I could actually feel the heartache screaming out with evedry word. Well done
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I loved this poem.
It's flawless, I think. I didn’t read too many of your poems. You don't post a lot for some reason.
I like your ability express your feelings:
"there was something more than me
there was something more than
you
it was more than just a touch
more than
a look
it was simple and elegant
I could feel more than
your hand"
It was great...
I would just add to it: it was more than love.
I can relate to this poem. I really don't need the punctuation, your lines shorter and longer make the work of voice and tone, pauses and periods.
I like the quote of Plato you use here too.
Good poem!
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and also one of my favorites of yours. I have always totally fucking adored that title, also.
"no jealousy has bled me
just fuckin' envious letters in bottles
thrown out to sea"
I once wrote a poem about your poetry... or how your poetry made me believe about you... or something like that. It also put you at seaside. I wonder if it was this poem which created that idea? Ah, nevermind. I actually still like that poem. I like this one more, though.
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Link to your poem?
-Nam
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You've actually read it... and gave it gold in one of your contests (as an alt)...
http://allpoetry.com/poem/2065398 -
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So long ago. You should've entered that into the "Rip Nam's Heart Out" contest under Nicole Hannah's account. Definitely would've placed.
I listen to a song once in awhile (usually when I drive on long trips) called "Almost Lover" by A Fine Frenzy. Sad song but beautiful.
-Nam
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Exquisitely sad, powerful, and well written. I can see why you like this one. This moved me.
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