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Saturday, February 12, 2011

Love loves love




Love loves love

The hoof loves the ground
because it's there
always

and yet always
changes
at her touch.

They begin to look
like one another,
the hoof and the snow-covered ground.

Soon, anyone passing the mark
the hoof leaves in the snow says,

Look, a deer.



Listen to a podcast of this poem, here.







This poem is part of One Stop Poetry's
A Saturday Celebration: St. Valentine's Day
Click on the link above to read more poems devoted to love.


I am adding Sting's rendition of "My One and Only Love" today, Sunday, but still in time for Valentine's Day. The video includes artistic representations of Cupid (Eros) and Psyche through history. Lovely!




92 comments:

Penny said...

Lovely verse. Very emotive.
Coffee please!
Drop by at mine when you are free, help yourself to a drink!

http://pensrandomjottings.blogspot.com/2011/02/st-valentines-day.html

Ruth said...

Thanks, Penny, cream or sugar? Oh, it's Valentine's Day almost, definitely sugar.

Susan said...

Oh, I just love it. I'll have to show it to David. The picture is perfect, too.

Happy Valentine's Day, my dear friend!

Brian Miller said...

lovely...have quite a many deer that slip through here...bur dear are much more rare...smiles.

Ruth said...

Susie, oh I'm glad you like it. Can you believe that heart-shaped hoof print? I was excited when I spotted it about a month ago. Happy Love Day, my dear. xoxo

Ruth said...

Thanks, Brian. Yes, more rare and precious.

erin said...

Nice, as though the mark we make might be of its own doing as is the deer's print. Wonderful relationships.

I hiked deep into the woods yesterday, my summer route now under snow and silence, all about me, deer tracks.

Happy V to you.

xo
erin

Ruth said...

Erin, there is something in that silence, when the deer are not around, but their presence is there, the mystery of how the tracks appear somewhat known, but never seen.

Cait O'Connor said...

Susan has written what I was going to. I just love this poem.

Arti said...

You know Ruth, I've heard the saying that when a couple have spent enough years together, they begin to grow more alike in looks. Your wonderful poem and photo here remind me of that. I particularly enjoy your phrase: "... because it's there always, and yet always changes at her touch." Molding together. "... and the two shall become one." That is love. Thank you, Ruth, and Happy Valentine's Day to you!

Gerry/Strummed Words said...

The deer footprint filled in with snow in the shape of a heart. Heartfelt sentiment.

Ruth said...

Thank you, Arti. Don't you love seeing elderly couples like that? Their movements even seem in tandem, their body shapes, their clothes. I find it so sweet. Happy Valentine's Day, my friend.

Ruth said...

Thanks for your visit, Gerry. I find the photo a bit of an optical illusion: Is there a depression, or a mound?

Ruth said...

Cait, thank you so much.

Ruth said...

Thank you, OldSchoolHaiku.

Lorenzo — Alchemist's Pillow said...

Perfect. I feel like a deer, I'll just paw the ground here a while mutely and appreciatively.

cathyswatercolors said...

Hi Ruth, first things first, i never got to comment on the D post. The commercial was stunning and i hope that it will inspire. My husband friends and i have always enjoyed the city. We have attended many of the yearly concerts, events in the D. Now my kids continue the tradition. I worry, then i remember i did/ do the same. You just have to be smart and watch your surroundings.... sigh. I hope your wish comes true and that someday we can take our grandchildren to the city. Unfortunately most of the city's beautiful historical buildings and homes are destroyed:(

Now about love. We do get in the love groove as time passes. Funny thing, lately i have been noticing how people kiss, as a response to say an accomplishment or as a thank you. I must say i find the full mouth kissers the most interesting and for sure the most passionate. I wonder about them, how passionate they must be and so able to give,share and yes love.

xoxo from your Irish/Mexican cheek kissing, soon to be mouth kissing friend... xoxocb. ( geeze i hope this makes sense and i dont sound to dirty!:))

Ruth said...

Lorenzo, we have many deer here at the farm, and lately they have come up by the house, pawing around in the bird seed that we scatter for . . . well, birds. It's like love, isn't it? It is there to be felt by the ones who find it.

Ruth said...

Cathy, you know Detroit well. You live it and breathe it, love it too. The more we do there, the better for the city.

Your observations about kissing friends is something I notice too. I am open to all of it (Inge and I greet sometimes cheek, sometimes mouth -- she is German, is that why? ) and find myself awkwardly trying to figure out which way the person I am greeting with a kiss wants it done. :)

Anonymous said...

Lovely! This poem has a stillness about it that characterizes some of the best moments of love between two people. Happy Valentine's Day!

knot eye said...

Love is everywhere, isn't it?

Peace, hp

Maureen said...

Such a delightful poem and your reading of it is wonderful. A very bright spot in my morning, Ruth.

Unknown said...

I looked at the photo a few times wondering if it was raised or not.

You have brought beauty to my morning , Ruth,
and I thank you for it always.

Love is everything. It is.

Louise Gallagher said...

What I think is cool is you captured the heart shaped footprint a month ago, savoured it and let it express itself through your delightful poem today!

Love your reading of it too!

More Than Meets the I said...

There is such loveliness in both the photo and your words, Ruth... Thank you dearly :)

Bruce Barone said...

Love the poem.

sandy said...

Very nice.

Ruth said...

Thank you, Karla. Yes. I suppose the "point" of the poem is that something new is created from the love-meeting, something that is neither the one nor the other, is sort of both combined, and is something else altogether. When you look at the hoof print, it is not the deer at all, yet . . . we would say, look, a deer.

GailO said...

What a beautiful, dear Valentine:) The footprint and the foot...

Claudia said...

this is lovely ruth..
didn't manage to have a look at your blog before and now i stumble upon it on my one stop read and think..is this maybe the ruth from the rilke blog..? and it is...nice

ds said...

Oh, love-ly and perfect! The imprint and the bond...and yet always/changes/at her touch

Happy Valentines's Day to you and your dear!

moondustwriter said...

I love the oneness that the ground and the hoof share and the heart gets to play with the two

thanks for your visit to my site and for sharing with One Stop

Pete is under the weather so I lowered my voice half an octave - smiles

Jenne' R. Andrews said...

Wonderful, Ruth-- really like the wit and simplicity. Love your work on Rilke as well. xxxJenne'

Loring Wirbel said...

How wonderful! Happy Valentine's Day!

Amy @ Soul Dipper said...

Thank you for Wendell Berry's quote. It feels as though a piece of my heart was grafted in those words.

Your talent for pulling together so much and serving it as one puts me in awe.

Many thanks, Ruth.

Barb said...

Well a deer - or maybe, since it's Valentine Weekend - a dear!

Babs-beetle said...

How lovely. That's a hoof print?

Rosaria Williams said...

An interesting symbiosis, hoof and the ground it touches. A new image to tickle our brain and our sentiments.
The poem speaks loudly.

* said...

Ruth, I'm without words (nearly!). This is my favorite poem of yours you've ever written! I love the double meanings, elusiveness and yet clarity of thought.

Thank you, I'm enraptured!

The Bug said...

Short and sweet & conveys so much - love it!

Ruth said...

Hi, hpicasso, I feel it! Thanks.

Ruth said...

Thanks, Maureen, and your kind comment brightened mine.

Ruth said...

Deb, and what did you decide, raised or not raised?

Love. Beauty. Love=Beauty.

xoxo

Ruth said...

Louise, we lovers with cameras in our hands have to look out for these things, even when we're getting our morning "constitutional". :-) Thanks so much. Happy Love Day.

Ruth said...

More Than Meets the I, thank you for your lovely comment. Have a wonderful, loving day.

Ruth said...

I'm glad, Bruce, thanks so much.

Ruth said...

Hi, Sandy, thanks and have a love-ly day.

Ruth said...

Oliag, hearts find a way. ;-)

Ruth said...

Thank you and welcome, Claudia. Yes, this is home, glad you found me.

Ruth said...

ds, thanks, my friend. Happy Valentine's Day to you and yours too. xo

Ruth said...

moondustwriter, thank you. And thanks for One Stop. I hope Pete recovers quickly.

Ruth said...

Thank you, Jen. I'm glad you visited so kindly, and at the Rilke blog too. Your work is truly fine.

Ruth said...

Thanks, Loring, Happy Love Day!

Ruth said...

Amy, thank you for your kind words, especially since sometimes I feel I have to rein in my reach. :-)

Ruth said...

Barb, clever lady! :-)

Ruth said...

Thanks, Babs. Yep. I found it about a month ago while I was taking my walk. I had to run in for the camera.

Ruth said...

Thanks, Rosaria. Love is all around. I hope your day is warm and loving.

Ruth said...

Terresa, I am touched and happy to hear you say that, very much.

Ruth said...

Thanks, Dana. Happy Valentine's Day to you.

PeterParis said...

The real hoof print is really something ... and you saved it for the day! The symbolic hoof prints can also be nice!

Talking about love, I loved your previous post about Detroit ... and left a very late comment!

Happy Valentine!

J.G. said...

So much more than meets the eye and ear, Ruth. This is one of my favorites of yours.

But I still can't see that the hoofprint isn't raised. Phooey.

Deborah said...

May your Valentine's Day spill over with love, Ruth, and leave its trace always.

Pauline said...

Such a large truth in so few words - what an elegant poem. We're led to the the little gasp at the end as clearly as if we were following tracks in the snow.

Tess Kincaid said...

Very nice, Ruth. Deer are so special. We've had many this winter. Happy V-Day to you and anyone else around. xx

Ruth said...

Bonjour, Peter! Bonne Saint Valentin!

I'm glad you loved my love for Detroit, and I loved your comments! :-)

Ruth said...

J.G., I'm glad, because I like it too. :-)

You are not the only one who can't see the sunken hoof print. It's strange! Maybe it's because of the speck in the middle, contributing to the illusion.

Ruth said...

Thank you, Deborah. Much love to you.

Ruth said...

Pauline, thank you very much, I'm glad you connected with my little Valentine poem.

Ruth said...

Hi, Tess! Thank you. Yes, our states have a lot this year, and we see them out more looking for something to eat in all this cold and snow. Happy Love Day to you and yours!

Jeanie said...

This may be my favorite poem by you. It is true, eloquent, simple, and fabulously illustrated.

What a wonderful way to honor Valentine's Day and love. I am so smiling right now.

Oh said...

Such fun (the photo)
Such beauty (the poem)
Such wonderful putting-it-all-togetherness!(you, the writer and compiler)

Happy Valentine's Day to you as well!

PS That ole Sting - he does a lot, doesn't he? remarkable.

Marcie said...

Perfectly simple..and absolutely sweet. Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Sidney said...

I wish you a Happy Valentine's Day !!!

who said...

It's a beautiful poem and a perfect picture.

Happpy Valentines Day Ruth

Ruth said...

Jeanie, thank you so very much, my friend. Have a beautiful day with Rick.

Ruth said...

Oh, thank you for such kind things said.

Yes, I like how Sting brings a light touch to standards like "My One and Only Love."

Happy Valentine's Day.

Ruth said...

Thank you, Marcie!

Ruth said...

Thank you, Sidney, enjoy a day of love!

Ruth said...

Thanks so much, Dusti. Happy Valentine's Day to you and your girls. And the doggies.

Ginnie Hart said...

It's raining today here in Holland, Ruth, so now is when I can appropriately say it's a 'rain-dear' sort of day for the two of us. :)

JR said...

Very interesting, well-organized blog to which I want to return.
Best wishes

Dutchbaby said...

What a great find this hoof print is! You were on high alert to have noticed it!

Love the poem.

"They begin to look
like one another,
the hoof and the snow-covered ground."

So do old couples who've been together for a lifetime.

Thanks for sharing the beautiful images paired with Sting's music.

Happy Valentine's Day, dear Ruth!

Tiffany said...

Love the poem! Happy Valentine's Day :D Hope you have a beautiful day Ruth!

christina said...

thank you for the love, the love you always show me.
xo

myonlyphoto said...

Ruth happy Valentines day to you too!
Beautiful poem and thank you for sharing dear. Anna :)

Ruth said...

Boots, awww. :-)

Ruth said...

Welcome and thank you, FP!

Ruth said...

Thank you, Dutchbaby. Happy Valentine's Day to you, my friend.

Ruth said...

Hi, Tiffany! Thank you, and you too.

Ruth said...

Hello, Christina, yes, much love and gratitude.

Ruth said...

Thanks, Anna! Big hugs to you and Matthew.

Margaret said...

Wow. How did I miss this post? I guess John must have been "wooing" me. Ha!

I SO loved the statues in the video. Some of the paintings really made me laugh, others were very thought provoking. Nicely done, hope you had a wonderful February 14th.