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"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?"- oh please, do not
do that.

It's been done. And by a far more talented poet than any of us
writing today. Those who go the way of the bard, are going to fall
hard and fast upon the pavement of contemporary life. The first
thing to remember is that we do not have ruffled cuffs, or carry
about expensive snuff bottles, and we do not thou and thy.

The next thing to remember is that we are talking about the
intimacies of everyday life, so I'd avoid the moors and the cliffs
upon which crash the thunderous throes of passion. Save that for
the dime store novels ladies furtively tuck beneath their pillows,
while hubbies snore blissfully ignorant, beside them. I would
eschew as well the confusing of erotic, genital poetry, with
a plainspoken, honest look at the ways one's heart is tied to
another, and all the reasons why; that's a good place to start.

The best way to write a love poem is to think of particular image
of the beloved, and describe it. Try for one concrete memory,
one picture of joy or tenderness: one simple thing. Be as real
as possible, and do not stray into generalities describing all love-
or 'what the world needs now is love sweet love'- but what, in that
one afternoon or morning, happened, and tell what you see. How
he or she looked putting on their shoes- a stray hair escaping
a hat- the way they played with a dog.

Then expand this image and description, with the incident
that surrounded it. Did he or she forget their keys, was there
a snowstorm that prevented the two of you getting together, what
pain, joy, exhilaration did you feel? Be very specific, very focused
in your recollection. Make them breathe right off the page. I can

honestly say there is one suite of poems written by one of our
featured writers here, that has touched me by doing these very
things in writing of his love for one person. If you are truly
interested in how to get it right, take a moment to visit Kenneth
Gurney's site. I direct you specifically to his PDF file, Podcast #2.

These are 10 short poems that touched real and vulnerable places
in my heart and gave me the gift of seeing 'Annie' through his
eyes, and living in those moments with them. I cried from the pure
tenderness of the experience, and if you are that deeply moved
by love poems, they will have cracked love open like a nut,
allowing the reader to taste its sweetness.

And because we are all, to one extent or another empathic
readers, if your audience is moved by what you've written when
you write of the loves of your life, you will have- in a small way-
given that love immortality-- not sloppy sentiment, not pulsing,
manipulative, erotic thrills or rhymed Hallmark-- but the one true
thing we all long for: someone to love us, and someone
who wants to capture that emotion for all of time.




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