2.22.2011

This Average Heart.



A Poem For Saint Valentine (Belated).






This average heart
Both belongs
And does not belong
To me.

Scarcely do I give it thought
As it beats out my life
In its cage of bone.

Prisoner of mine
Yet ruled not by me.

It leads and I follow
Because I cannot do otherwise.

I cannot guess
The expanse of self
Contained within
This modest heart.

This sacred captive

That delights
And surprises
And tortures

As it stoutly pounds down
Thrum upon thrum
The measure of my life.




5 comments:

  1. This is a beautiful poem, Jen. It truly captures the heart of a heart.

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  2. A very cleverly worded conceit! Very nice.

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  3. I love cleverly written poems - this is a Five Star submission!

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  4. Interesting to consider one's heart a prisoner. Yes, this will stay with me today.

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  5. Thanks, all! We may be prisoners of our hearts, but they are prisoners of ours, too.

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