open hearts, open minds

We live in a time where technology rules. For some it completely consumes. For some it’s a release…

I met Wayne through my work. He is a brilliant landscape architect who my boss, with other co-workers, raved about and I was finally able to share in their enthusiasm after meeting him last week. He’s an inviting soul with charismatic energy.

After a short introduction and 20 minute drive a trust had conjured between us. Wayne began telling me about this man he had met and his attempts to begin courting him. Both hesitant with separate lives being so busy, Wayne persisted and remained confident in his intuition. He sent this lucky gentleman 11 poems, introducing communication and emotion through a new medium. I believe my immediate reaction was an overjoyed, “chivalry does still exist!!!”

I asked something along the lines of “why poems?” and his response was epic. He said he began writing his poems because of texting. He would start jotting down notes, thoughts, feelings, etc. and began combining these as a personal form of communication. How beautiful. How…unordinary. People proclaim and complain that texting has become the platform for passive aggressive and unclear communication. Wayne has decided to venture outside this box of confusion, creating a conscious and articulate and beautiful transmission of his words.

Not more than a day had gone by and Wayne began sending me the poems he had written for his hopeful love. I was flabbergasted. In awe. The trust bestowed to read such personal emotion. It was inspiring to say the least…and me being me, I had to ask if I could share his poetry on my blog. If you follow me you know that I have not posted in some time. And it is not for a lack of smiles or happiness, but it had been some time since I was truly motivated by another’s sincerity. So please, enjoy these words-written from the heart, with soul and compassion for love that is not lost…but wants to be found.

Poem for Loves Long Lost -------- What's become of all the restless animated kouros of my youth? Some perished so young And my heart weeps for them. Taken too young and made to suffer Long before their years as old men suffer in pain. Some are fathers with young men To carry their names and foolishness to the next loves of youth. And my heart is happy for them For they will relive life through their sons Some are alone And my heart reaches out to them For I am one. The passions of youth are memories now- will the embers ever spark to flame again? Perhaps if our hearts can remain open to the solitary possibilities. Could it happen again? If only I could learn to love old men. In youth it seemed more possible And some older men I knew But now my heart yearns for the touch of youth again. I remember the wildness The feeling of foreverness That immortal spark that made me Spend with abandon the young years. Now I remember how many realities I played out imagining life from a solitary nights connection. How many times love fell in Only to fall out by grey morning light How many years spent Imagining the potential of a youth in my life Only to know it was simply my hope Not theirs. Some loves long lost So long My loves

-Wayne D. Hand

#love #poetry #poems #chivalry #compassion #soul #happy #smile #communication