ELAN: a poem
Copyright © 1995, 1996 by DENNIS R. MANNISTO
All rights reserved.
THIS ONE WHOM I LOVE
- OR WANT TO LOVE -
SHE KNOWS I LOVE HER,
THAT I WANT TO LOVE HER,
THAT I GLADLY LOVE HER,
AND KNOWS YET I LOVE MORE THAN HER.
AND "MORE" MEANS, SOMETIMES,
WOMEN FLAUNTING BEAUTY UNABASHEDLY.
BUT IT ALSO SEEMS SHE KNOWS IT'S HER I LOVE,
THOUGH MORE THAN HER.
"MORE THAN HER" MEANS
BEAUTY IN AND OF ITSELF IS WHAT I LOVE.
OTHER WOMEN'S BEAUTY IN ITSELF
DISTRACTS ME, NOT THE WOMEN.
I LOVE JUST BEAUTY - IN ALL HER FORMS:
A WOMAN'S ASSETS HAVE
NO MORE CONSEQUENCE TO ME
THAN A GLORIOUS SUNSET FLAUNTING
RADIANT PINKS BARELY VEILED WITH
WISPS OF CLOUDS ABOVE THE ROCKS AND DIRT OF
ALL OF BEAUTY'S EARTH IN THIS THAT IS
THE BEAUTY OF THE UNIVERSE THAT I TRULY LOVE
SO MUCH IT THREATENS LOVE I HOLD FOR HER
WHO IS THE ONE I WANT TO CHOOSE...AND DO.
BUT NEITHER OF ANY LESS CONSEQUENCE:
A MOONLIT FOG IN SUMMER
GIVES ME BEAUTY'S PLEASURE
AS WELL OR OFTEN BETTER THAN
A WOMAN, BUT CAN AS EASILY
STEAL MY LOVE FROM HER
TO WHOM I'D RATHER MINE BE GIVEN.
BUT THE ONE I LOVE I KNOW CAN FEEL THAT
ALL MY LOVE OF ALL OF BEAUTY IS IN FACT
JUST LOVE FOR ALL THE BEAUTY THAT SHE IS.
SHE KNOWS THAT ONLY ALL THE BEAUTY OF THE UNIVERSE
CAN HOPE TO CHALLENGE WHOM I LOVE,
THIS ONE WHO IS IN FACT
THE BEAUTY OF THE UNIVERSE TO ME.
MAN IN LOVE JUST HOPES TO ONLY LOVE JUST BEAUTY,
HOPING ONE IS JUST THE ONE, BUT KNOWING, THOUGH,
THE GREATER BEAUTY WILL ALWAYS DEPRIVE
THE WOMAN WHOM HE WANTS TO LOVE FROM
ALL THE LOVE THAT SHE DESERVES. HE CHOOSES
ONLY BETWEEN TWO LOVERS: SHE OR BEAUTY.
SO I LOOK AGAIN AT BOTH,
EXPECTING JUST TO HEAVE A TIRED SIGH. I SMILE.
THE ONE I WANT TO LOVE
IS, IN FACT, JUST BEAUTY'S
LOVE
EXPRESSED.
spring 1995, rev’s 9/26/96