Vijaya Sundaram

Poet, Musician, Teacher, and Amateur Visual Artist

Air and River — A Love Poem

Air and River – A Love Poem
©Vijaya Sundaram
February, 14th, 2014

I love you.
And without you,
The earth is breathless,
Atmosphere absent.

With you in it,
There’s air, and air currents,
And spaces to breathe,
And spaces to feel,
And wind blowing gently
Through my hair.

With you in it,
There’s a song in my life,
Like a river flowing
Through dark and sunlit woods,
A river bearing gifts in secret,
Building a shore, building life.

Sometimes, the air currents disturb,
Sometimes, I feel the wind blow me
Off my feet, bearing me aloft.
Sometimes, the river sings shrill,
Making me long to press my ears
To still that river-song.

Sometimes, I long to rip through
That atmosphere, plunge headlong
Into another space.
Sometimes, I yearn to plunge
Myself into that river, and
Float, unresisting.

But that way lies death.
Perhaps another life, too.
But I don’t wish it, no.

For I know, I shall
Always, always, want both these,
This air to breathe, this river of song,
This love,
My love.

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