It is dangerous to love a poet
who blows emotion into rainbow animals;
orange giraffes, pink dogs, purple monkeys–
her balloon bestiary handed off to anyone
who stops to admire her skill and their lightness.
That some are shaped to your likeness is completely accidental,
she says, bouncing your persona palm to palm until it pops.
It is troubling to love a poet
who paints seduction in shadows
on metaphorical flesh, concentric patterns
traced on paper when the lines you want her to read out loud
are written by vessels under your skin, shivered
and goosebumped for lips busy kissing or cursing a muse.
You will always be the interloper in that marriage.
It is lonely to love a poet
who stays up until dawn, choosing the right shade of red
to spraypaint your name on the moon, her graffiti
bold enough to read from any bedroom window–
no solace when her side of the bed echoes scent
and is empty of presence. In her chase of the right word,
she will not hear you murmur her name as you sleep.
It is useless to confront a poet.
She will take the pain you bring,
clay thrown on the wheel of her vision
spun and shaped to perfection,
glazed with a sad you will never see,
fired to a form that sings unbreakable passion.
It is joy to love a poet.
Her words lift from beyond the depth of bone
to wing from lips, floating each shade
in the spectrum of feeling your name evokes,
and you are caught, dazzled
and doomed as any moth or firefly, chasing
and breathing the lit cloud only she owns.
Amazing work Susan. This is so good.
Nick, thank you.
I was streaming an album off The Guardian when I read this poem. It fits really tenderly with the third track. This is really effective.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2012/sep/27/tim-burgess-exclusive-album-stream
Oh, how wonderful was that! Thank you for sharing it, too.
Welcome. Sometimes you stumble upon music that lets you read without being distracted at all. I really liked the poem, very clever.
Thank you, Glyn. It is always a joy when music and poetry meet like that. Gorgeous music, and glad you liked the piece too!
How true ~ delightful
Thanks, Polly!
This is absolutely stunning!
Oh, thank you so much!
Wow – love the spraypainting on the moon especially Susan!
Holly, thank you! Going to make it one gender throughout to lessen confusion.
Love, love , love this one. Good work. I shall give it to my husband. He will “get it”.
Perhaps Shakespare should have said:Heavens knows no fury as the danger,trouble,loneliness and confrontation in loving a Poet yet nothing compares to its joy.Sheer ecstasy!!.Bravo Susan.
Thank you, Victor!
This is WONDERFUL!
Julie, thank you.
Beautiful words Penny. Very nice poem indeed.
Very nice photograph too!
Thank you, Lara.
to love a poet
and to experience with her the joys
of the right word found,
at the wrong moment,
muse’s inconvenient timing….
Hahaha–that too, Noel. Fantastic response (again)!
“clay thrown on the wheel of her vision”—
Susan you do this so very well. I love this.
Thanks, Audra. have to say I am fond of this one
Oh Susan this is beautiful. The last stanza is so passionately true.
Welld one, my friend 
Celestine, thank you! This one came over me all at once.
Really really enjoyed this one
Bruce–thanks! You get a double dose at your place, don’t you
SD, this is a perfectly splendid poem, exactly correct in reflecting the poet’s predicament…
Lindy, thanks so much.
I have copied your poem, keeping all due credit to you of course, and have it at my desk to read a few hundred more times. You really hit home with me. Please do offer it for publication in many other places, as I do believe it to be a masterpiece, at the very least among other poets…
Lindy, thank you. I will take your advice and send, after some tweaking.
Do you really think you need to tweak? Please no…
Just a teeny tiny bit. But, thanks!
Nicely done. So many shades of love. Yet the poets actions are always the same (which justifies why its useless to confront a poet). It like the poet is the one consistency in life.
Thanks, Terry. Think you are right about the justification
Susan, thank you for writing this. It evokes a feeling of being understood and accepted. I am so grateful for this poem.
Heather–thank you!
One of your better, witty, reflective, encapsulating.
Thanks, Nelle. I really like this one
Very easy to adore, love, you…
Oh, thank you, Mari. The same goes for you too!