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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

You Hold My Sky


You Hold My Sky
 by Melissa Campbell

Today I forget for just a crazy minute
your making love to me,
and how you, a man of your word,
honor every promise for better or worse
and walk the narrow path without looking back
even in the darkest places.
In my weak I forget
your solid determination,
how your muscled arms pull me up
time after time,
and your soft lips kiss me clean,
how with gentle loving
you cover my shame,
and I drink peace.

In this haze of insanity I forget
all the things you are to me,
how I delight in your offering, 
and gain strength from your resolve,
how, when I search for solace,
you rest my soul.
I forget the trace of your finger
turning my heart to you,
how you feed me grace,
and wrap your arms with forgiveness
around my insecurity,
holding me perfectly still,
never letting go.

In the fog I forget.

I stand under a lukewarm spigot,
watch water trickle slow across my skin
and know it's not enough
to quench the burn inside.
My heart splinters ominous
and I can't stop the rage of it,
so I pumice mercilessly
and hope to punish
the grit no one wants to know or see.
And the storm keeps roaring,
and I run to hide
in an ocean of nothingness,
but there's only me.

And while I forget, get lost in crazy,
soul-battered bleed of regret,
you put your hand on the latch of the door
and say it's okay.
You tell the kids I'm just stressed.
I look in the blue of your eyes and know
you won't leave no matter how hard I push,
and I see love beaten there,
not yet crushed,
and I realize,
as my heart drains empty
and I drip naked in a puddle...

...you hold my sky.

For my husband, a man who won't be shaken.   


This poem is part of the Random Acts of Poetry hosted by The High Calling. 

Also linking with other poets at One Shot Wednesday.

Photo Credit: flickr - Mayr

30 comments:

  1. Beautiful love poem, Melissa. He sounds like a special guy.

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  2. Beautiful poem. Thank you so much for sharing! That's the kind of man I am looking for.

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  3. What a powerful poem and what a testament to your love for him.

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  4. this was so beautiful - did you read it to him?
    the whole poem is beautiful - but my heart melted like wax on the last lines...as my heart drains empty
    and I drip naked in a puddle...

    ...you hold my sky.
    WOW!!

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  5. "You hold my sky."

    That's a huge expanse to hold. Lovely thought.

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  6. The way you have portrayed this with your photo ... so powerful.

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  7. wow. beautiful piece...and such tender devotion...and commitment...lovely one shot!

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  8. Honorable sentiment, and a pillar a stregnth to the speaker. Heartfelt lines. Nice One Shot!

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  9. Very strong piece. Sounds like he provides a great sense of stability for you.

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  10. Strength is important in a marriage..there are so many ups and downs and a pillar one must be...bkm

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  11. That is truly the most beautiful thing I have ever read! Such love, honesty....

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  12. Beautiful. Bare and tender and just Absolutely. Beautiful.

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  13. I've lingered here tonight ... soaking in the story of your man, and your daddy with the pie, and your list of grateful joy ... and more.

    All of it, girl.

    You shine.

    So glad to make acquaintance with you. And so sorry it's been this long 'til I've come by to deliver my hello.

    A sister,

    Jennifer @ Getting Down With Jesus (and contributing editor at The High Calling)

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  14. Beautiful, beautiful love poem.

    Felt this so deeply.

    Cheers!

    Lady Nyo

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  15. What a wonderful tribute to your man, who's also lucky because he has such an appreciative lady.

    (Reciprocation is a beautiful thing!)

    Nice One Shot, Melissa!

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  16. Wow. Beautiful isn't quite strong enough. This is absolutely gorgeous. =3

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  17. What a great guy, and such a lovely poem for him.

    Thanks for your visit and gracious comment.

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  18. Absolutely Beautiful.And Human!

    Life needs balance.So thus love.Weakness needs strength,And the strong needs someone weak to compliment their strength.Give and Take!

    Touched my heart!

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  19. What a blessing to have such a wonderful relationship....your beautiful poem is a lovely tribute to you both. :-)

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  20. What a strong and powerful work written so well and so tenderly about such surging emotions. Well done. Thanks Gay @beachanny

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  21. Dear Melissa
    Very beautiful and your words 'and your soft lips kiss me clean,' painted a lovely picture... your last line was perfect. I enjoyed it throughly...

    ॐ नमः शिवाय
    Om Namah Shivaya
    Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
    Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com

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  22. what a wonderful tribute to someone you hold in high regard..great emotion shared here...thanks pete

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  23. Wow...searching for words...all I can say is this is pure lovely. Simply beautiful. Thank you for this.

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  24. this was truly beautiful!

    thank you

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  25. a poem of love of relationship and of hope---may it heal my inwardly and give me all that I thought got lost with time...


    Come along and join the challenge to think beyond...visit the linkhttp://wizardmeetsvagabond.blogspot.com/2010/06/recall_11.html

    and share your own imagination triggered by the image...the comment section is waiting for you....



    "Helping readers to think and increase their imagination power so that they can express their thoughts better"

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  26. Thanks everyone. This one was healing and holy for me.

    Blessings,
    Melissa

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I welcome and appreciate your kind words and comments.