Witnessing a Breakup At the Diner
“To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves.” – Federico García Lorca
help her remember
what it is to dream deep
to believe
in what was
in what is
in what can (not) ever be
wrap her in amorous embrace
what it is for passion to envelope
to stir
an untamable soul
an unmistakable desire
an undeniable magnetism
remind her to let go
what it is to say goodbye
to deny
all reason
all logic
all inhibition
bring her closer
what it is to eclipse
to obscure
any light
any distance
any breadth
that could come between two luminaries
that shine bright
that shine together
that shine transcendent
forever & never again.
16 thoughts on "Witnessing a Breakup At the Diner"
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I really like this, H.A. It reads like a guidebook for how to deal with the post-breakup. Especially like “remind her to let go/what it is to say goodbye/to deny” — surrender.
Thanks, Bill. I love the idea of this as a guidebook. I am glad you enjoyed this.
This poem is much more tender than I anticipated from the title. I like the way the form fans out, like talking points written on a napkin, elaborated in the moment. Well done.
Thanks, Bud. The young man looked like he wanted to say something sweet and desperate. I wanted to shout, “Say it!!! Tell her!!!” Thanks for reading!
The title is perfect and the epigraph yes!
The stepping and the spacing really work and the Isolated landing.
Love this,
“remind her to let go
what it is to say goodbye
to deny
all reason”
Thanks, Coleman. I appreciate your kind feedback. Being present for that moment, even at a distance, broke my heart.
I remember the ache of a significant breakup. These lines resonate deep in that experience:
“help her remember/ wrap her in amorous embrace/remind her to let go/bring her closer.”
Thanks for reading, Pam. Yes, those experiences are difficult. I felt for the young man sitting across from that young lady in the diner. I wanted to tell him to tell her what he was feeling. It was so painfully obvious that he cared for her and loved her deeply.
Beautifully done with form, epigraph and capturing the emotions!
Many thanks, Linda! I am glad you enjoyed it.
You’ve done a great job of speaking to both tenderness and pain.
Thank you, E. E.
The heartache was palpable in the moment. Thanks for reading!
I like the look of this on the page/screen.
Thanks for reminding me of Lorca!
Thanks, Tom! Yes, Lorca. One of my favorite writers. So glad to bring him back to your orbit! May you read his work and find joy and inspiration. Thank you for reading and for your kind words.
This is one of those occasions where the epigraph guides the reader into the poem–the form and the flow of the words gives a meditative and guiding energy.
Thank you so much, Shaun. I wanted to use that epigraph for a different poem, but it fit far better for this one. I appreciate your kind words. Thanks for reading!