NaPoWriMo Day 5: "Love Fragments after a Line from Kiss"

For the second day in the row I've done a mashup of the two prompts, one of which was already a three-part challenge.

Today's NaPoWriMo prompt is to "write a poem that incorporates at least one of the following: (1) the villanelle form, (2) lines taken from an outside text, and/or (3) phrases that oppose each other in some way. If you can use two elements, great – and if you can do all three, wow!"  And yes, I've done all three. The villanelle is unrhymed, but so is the one in the example.

Today's Poem-a-Day Challenge prompt is to "write a stolen poem. And no, don’t steal anyone’s poem! But you can write about doing such a thing. Or stealing hearts, stealing time, stealing minds."  

The idea that came to me was the opposition of stealing love/giving love, which sent me to Google and to Kiss's "I Stole Your Love," and Patty Ryan's "I Gave You All My Love." Let it be said that I am not a Kiss fan in any way -- I don't know that I even know that song -- but their name seems fitting and good for a title.

I started the poem as a game or exercise, not aiming for anything deep but just to pull it off, but it ended up tapping into a core emotional formation I write about or out of a lot.

Love Fragments after a Line from Kiss

I stole your love;

forgive me, my heart was empty, since

I gave you all my love.

*

The windows rattled, shelves were bare,

my useful talents few,

and so I stole your love.

*

A bird traced a path in the empty sky.

The thought of you flew across my mind.

Thus I gave you all my love.

*

Without a word, for years

I lay my flowers at the feet of your image;

which is to say I stole your love.

*

Letting go of you at last,

no you was left but in the universe,

so I could still give you all my love.

*

On that day you pass the line of the horizon

may a wave wash by with the sound of my name --

the one who stole your love,

who gave you all my love.

           

--Draft by Anne Myles. Do not quote/copy/cite without permission.