I offer the posting of the following poem to those who contemplate the often unspoken things that really matter in life. Comment follows the short poem by Stephen Dunn after you've had an opportunity to read it and interpret is in your own way. - Quest Blogger, E.R.F.
Long Term
by Stephen Dunn
On this they were in agreement:
everything that can happen between two people
happens after a while
or has been thought about so hard
there's almost no difference
between desire and deed.
Each day they stayed together, therefor,
was a day of forgiveness, tacit,
no reason to say the words.
It was easy to forgive, so much harder
to be forgiven. The forgiven had to agree
to eat dust in the house of the noble
and both knew this couldn't go on for long.
The forgiven would need to rise;
the forgiver need to remember the cruelty
in being correct.
Which is why, except in crises,
they spoke about the garden,
what happened at work,
the little ailments and aches
their familiar bodies separately felt.
"Long Term" by Stephen Dunn, from New and Selected Poems. Norton 1994
Long Termby Stephen Dunn
On this they were in agreement:
everything that can happen between two people
happens after a while
or has been thought about so hard
there's almost no difference
between desire and deed.
Each day they stayed together, therefor,
was a day of forgiveness, tacit,
no reason to say the words.
It was easy to forgive, so much harder
to be forgiven. The forgiven had to agree
to eat dust in the house of the noble
and both knew this couldn't go on for long.
The forgiven would need to rise;
the forgiver need to remember the cruelty
in being correct.
Which is why, except in crises,
they spoke about the garden,
what happened at work,
the little ailments and aches
their familiar bodies separately felt.
"Long Term" by Stephen Dunn, from New and Selected Poems. Norton 1994
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Among readers of poetry, accepted form often leaves comment and critique to the unique interpretation of the individual reader. Still, some of us are so inspired by the carefully articulated thoughts of a poet so as to open our minds to deeper thoughts of our own. .
In reading "Long Term", by Stephen Dunn, as posted in a recent e-edition of Writer's Almanac, I was moved to my own thoughts about lasting relationships moving beyond the unrealistic fairy-tale ending: "and they lived happily ever after". Dunn's words bridged my own thoughts to the more realistic view of the genuine challenges and imperfections in otherwise perfect human relationships.
The author's words go further in the genuine, though not altogether joyful reality, unmasking the pretense of traveling life's journey together without cracks and wrong turns taken in the road.
I found that thought to be sadly true ... or, more precisely, disturbing in that stories like Cinderella and her Prince are indeed make-believe.
Still, with insight, Dunn presents a view, which though not uplifting to souls of soul mates, is honest in its appraisal of humanity, but without presenting it as an affront to the truth of the heart and spirit of the human condition.
The truth I see is that we are able to cope with and recover from the pitfalls of our imperfect nature and ultimately realize and accept that the imperfections of human nature are perfectly human!
It would be interesting to hear other perspectives on the endurance of long term relationships and this moving poem, and its not to be forgotten poignant references to the fierce challenges of forgiveness. More on the complexities and spiritual strength drawn from forgiveness soon.
In reading "Long Term", by Stephen Dunn, as posted in a recent e-edition of Writer's Almanac, I was moved to my own thoughts about lasting relationships moving beyond the unrealistic fairy-tale ending: "and they lived happily ever after". Dunn's words bridged my own thoughts to the more realistic view of the genuine challenges and imperfections in otherwise perfect human relationships.
The author's words go further in the genuine, though not altogether joyful reality, unmasking the pretense of traveling life's journey together without cracks and wrong turns taken in the road.
I found that thought to be sadly true ... or, more precisely, disturbing in that stories like Cinderella and her Prince are indeed make-believe.
Still, with insight, Dunn presents a view, which though not uplifting to souls of soul mates, is honest in its appraisal of humanity, but without presenting it as an affront to the truth of the heart and spirit of the human condition.
The truth I see is that we are able to cope with and recover from the pitfalls of our imperfect nature and ultimately realize and accept that the imperfections of human nature are perfectly human!
It would be interesting to hear other perspectives on the endurance of long term relationships and this moving poem, and its not to be forgotten poignant references to the fierce challenges of forgiveness. More on the complexities and spiritual strength drawn from forgiveness soon.
- Ephraim Richard Fortunato
