Sunday, June 19, 2005

these hands, these arms



3 seconds, only 3 seconds

why do people give such quick hugs
why do they barely touch you and then pull away
what is the rush

why do they only come on birthdays or holidays
or from the one you love
i have gone a long time without a hug
and when one is given, it's usually a must
and it doesn't last long

i want a real hug
one that holds me for minutes
and holds me real close

i want to listen to the rhythm of your heart
and find familiarity with the song

i want it to silence our voice
and let our hands do the talking

i want to rest my head in your shoulders
and feel the comfort of your weight

i want enough time to drink in your scent
so that it stays with me long after you've left

i want to lose my fingers inside your hair
and have our bodies form a single silhouette

i want to be near to your heart physically
and find release in knowing that it's not beyond my reach

i want enough time to close my eyes and smile
to linger sweetly in this embrace

i want a real hug
isn't that why we have
these hands, these arms

53 comments:

Anonymous Poet said...

Wonderful! You start with great questions (I have had them all; thanks for putting them into words). Then you go to great descriptions. . . "find familiarity with the song" . . . "silence our voice and let our hands do the talking" . . . I like this one best: "i want to rest my head in your shoulders and feel the comfort of your weight." That says it all -- so succinctly, so comforting. . . . a "single silhouette" . . . how suggestive. . . . We all hope to have someone feel that way about us.

Bravo!

Thanks for sharing.

Mad Housewife said...

Great! Makes a person "think".

Indiaphile said...

This posting left me breathless. Supposed it's 2 stanzas longer, I could've needed a CPR.

Those declaring they have a fear of intimacy, they're just urban myth, if not pathetic. Yes, everybody does need real hugs and touches in daily basis. I myself call them the body's immune system. You have it everyday - the way you describe a hug should be in this posting - the HIV outbreak will soon stop.

But of course, you can always replace people's hugs by getting a puppy. That's what pets are for. (Pets are God's way of saying: 'don't lower the bar because you're lonely':)))

CC said...

Beautiful poem. We all need more than 3 seconds now and then.

amiethinggoes said...

very nice! and so very true! yes hug and touch people you love and you care about before it's too late. i myself like hugging..touching. i guess that's how the way i was brought up- affectionate, and sweet they say.

DeeM said...

'I want to lose my fingers inside your hair.'
I love that line. Beautiful poem, Lorena.
I came back from Italy hugging and kissing everyone and weirded people out by it. ;)

Lorena said...

anonymous poet :: thanks for the wonderful feedback :) i really appreciate it. it's helpful and encouraging so Big Thanks!!

red :: thanks. hopefully it will bring more hugs as well :)

chikididu :: you always have something wild to say, i love it! true, a puppy would help big time. just this weekend i was at a shoe store and i saw this girl with a adorable little puppy in her purse. i didn't notice until i went to the floor to try on these shoes and saw the cutie puppy looking at me, sooooo adorable :)

canadian corona :: thank you. thanks for dropping by :)

amie :: i'm opposite of you. i wasn't brought up that way so even though i want these hugs, i'm still one to pull away quickly because hugs are not common for me but i want them to be. i guess i just have to find someone who doesn't let me pull away so quickly. my friends have helped me with this :)

cannot be trusted :: thank you. yes i noticed that my hug got a little out of hand :) hehe! it started so innocent too. however, i've had some weak hugs and have given them as well. we can do so much better.

deem :: hehe, really? you didn't stop though, did you? yes, i love cultures that are affectionate.
and thank you very much :)

GQ1NYC said...

Aww that was deep, Makes me want to fly where ever you are and give you a long hug.

Anonymous said...

I wish I could play a guitar..then I'd have just sat down and composed this song from your heart....

sensiblystoned said...

awww.....The one thing I remember of my friend before she flew off to a distant land was the last hug we had together. I can still feel her.

Lorena said...

GQ1NYC :: that's very sweet well it's the thought that counts so thank you :)

anil :: wow, that sounds so romantic :) can you sing?

if SPock Is Enough :: thanks. i'm with you, i have some issues but i would like to overcome them.

johnny crash :: really, that's great to be raised in an effectionate family. you are lucky. thanks for the nice comment, sweet, i like that. and thanks for visiting :)

sensiblystoned :: how sweet :) yes, some hugs are unforgettable or they leave such impressions on you.

mermaid said...

I could feel this, Lorena. To be in that person's embrace...an earthquake could happen, and you’d be content dying in there arms. I could see this.

Heartfelt and perceptively beautiful.

- litol figgy - said...

the picture compliments your poetry, sweetie. i want all of those things, too. here's a real hug - *big, big hug*

Neel said...

This is really beautiful. I had a simliar experience do Deem when I came back from Spain. But in my daily life I hug a lot, my family, my friends.

i want a real hug
one that holds me for minutes
and holds me real close

I would love to hug you. I'll make my way to Chicago.

Daniel Heath said...

okay, L., I hate to perpetuate stereotypes about myself, but I've got to bring the yin here...

I mean, you've got a nice piece here about how hugging is good stuff, and I'm pro-hugging, definitely (and pro-bunnies, too, don't be thinking I'm a hater). but your illustration is a statue with...

neither hands nor arms.

don't tell me you didn't do that on purpose.

so here we all are going on about how great hugs are, and there's this marble statue looking down at us in mute disability. I can spin this a half-dozen ways from there, but whatever way it goes, I like the shadow the photo casts across the poem.

stella said...

i think it's a cute picture! (and fun :)

some hugs leave me floating in the air and others make me want to melt. i love the timeless feel of a long embrace.

Pecos Blue said...

I wish more in life was real too. Thank you.

Lorena said...

hi mermaid, thank you. wow, i love how you said that, dying in someone's embrace and still finding comfort given the situation. that's love.

mystique :: thanks. no, i never saw the video. will have to see it.

rain :: thanks for the real hug :) you are too sweet!

neel :: oh, i want to go to spain! well, leave it to a pisces to make such a wonderful gesture. i'll be waiting ;)

monkeyO :: it really started with me wanting to post the photograph of this statue (taken in Florence) and the lack of arms/hands made me think of hugs and affection and how i lack that. (it's a sensitive subject for me) anyhow, from there i put them together. i'm glad you pointed it out. i think it can be read in so many ways. for me, i could say that i feel my arms and hands are rendered useless if i don't have someone to hug, to touch, to hold and so i identify with this statue. (i know very melodramatic)

i would be interested in knowing one way you can interpet this.
thanks for bringing this up :) i was waiting to see if someone would mention this, seriously!

thank you stella :) i like that "floating in the air" hug, must be nice.

thanks madman and pecos blue! glad you visited :)

Anonymous said...

Lorena,

I love your smile.

Nikos.

Anonymous said...

me sing?!! people have variously likened my voice to the braying of a donkey or the croaking of a frog in heat!! but I wish I could...that is something I was not blessed with unfortunately :(

{illyria} said...

i am so much of a toucher. so, really, this resonates with me.

ESIH said...

That was amazing...just subtle yet beautiful..Hug..makes wonder to one..

Johnny said...

when they run away it just means you have to catch them!

and rip their clothes off!

and give them a sweaty hug that makes em moan! ;)

Karthik L G said...

wonderful poem
shows how mechanical life now is

Anonymous said...

If I'm giving a hug, it's nice and tight and warm, no quick 3 seconds, otherwise why bother, might as well just give a quick peck....so impersonal. I love hugs and kisses with people you enjoy and care about. I hope someone special grants your wish....everyone deserves to be shown compassion and affection....the juice of life.

Lorena said...

thank you Nikos, how sweet *blushing* :) I'm glad you are still visiting!

thanks gangadhar :)

anil :: well i like to sing. whether i sound good or not. you are blessed with such brilliant writing talent, that is good enough!!

transience :: i do tend to touch people when i talk, although they would say 'hit'. bad habit of mine. i'm glad you can relate :)

thank you sushmita!

johnny :: wow, well thanks for adding a whole lotta spice to the hug, damn!! :)

karthik :: thank you. "mechanical life", very interesting.

mitzee :: thank you! i'm glad you understand.

potted-flower :: no i haven't but how interesting.
i like that "they are like *hug*" (cute).

yeah, that is what i thought off when i saw this poor statue. sometimes you find something on the outside that speaks volumes for how you feel inside.

blogger book, i think that is a great idea and we would all be in it! it would be such a wonderful keepsake. it was mentioned once before.
i think it's a great idea :)
thank you!!

skypilotjourneyman said...

this is my first visit to your blog...and first of many - beautiful poetry. Thanks for the thought provoking words.

Faith said...

Oh you made me feel like I really need a hug now =)
Great post Lorena.. very affectionate and descriptive..

Daniel Heath said...

(okay, L., you're bringing the yang to my blog (I give you death at sunset and you go away with warm fuzzies about how pretty it is...), so I don't feel so bad about bringing the yin to yours... )

the statue gives me a nice bracing splash of cold over the poem... I mean, the whole notion that hugs are nice and we all like them is well and good (I like them too, and I give as good as I get, albeit somewhat selectively), but when you take it out of context--the fact that most of the time there are very pressing and concrete reasons why you can't/don't want to hug somebody (just think about this next time you're on the el)--the sentiment can start to get so sweet it meanders up into the ether and ceases to have much to do with life.

now, you got your statue with no arms, can't hug nobody, even got some crazy puritan epoxying figleaves over her nether bits... now you're talking life.

(and for me, that makes the sweet sweeter... got to have the dark with the light or they both become meaningless.)

allister said...

Another writer i see (From To Norway on a Bicycle) you are a good writer. Nice blog!

Anonymous said...

Lorena,

I just now read your poem.
Yesterday, I didn't want to mix my thought with anything other than your beautiful smile, and that's why I chose not to read anything.
I felt your poem.

Nikos.

S A J Shirazi said...

Nice thought and very apt supporting picture. It looks that these words have been crafted for me. Thanks.

jac said...

Judes also was hugging Jesus Christ. You know what he got in return ?? No pun intended !!!

Jyotsna said...

Hi!I came by your blog through Mermaid's!
Hugs can be a truly loving experience.I can experience love,joy and peace in a warm long hug where one feels the heartbeat of the other,the feel of bodies against each other...I love hugging and being hugged :)I am glad i came by your blog!

. : A : . said...

Beautifully written.

I like the ironic touch of the picture before the verse starts.

EGO SVM CAROLVS said...

My thoughts, feelings, yearnings, perfectly enunciated. :)

Lorena said...

matt :: thanks! i hope you do visit again :)

faith :: thank you. i hope you got the hug! :)

monkey0 :: thanks for your thoughts on this. i like the way you think. "nice bracing splash of cold over the poem" lovely words.
"got to have the dark with the light" so true!
(hey i like those pics, you take excellent photographs!!!)

allister :: thanks for dropping by and for the sweet comment :) i hope you visit again. thanks!!

nikos :: how sweet, sweet, sweet :) you are a flirt! i'm glad you felt the poem. thanks.

shirazi :: thanks, i'm glad you find some relation to it :)


jac :: Nope I don't, off-hand I just don't know. but thanks for leaving a comment.

jyotsna :: any friend of mermaids is a friend of mine :) i'm glad you came by as well. hope you return. thanks!

A :: thanks. yeah, the picture clashes & yet i think that's ok.

carolvs :: thanks, i'm glad you can relate but i also hope you do get real hugs :)

potted-flower :: now i want a squishy hug :)

Memo said...

I´m from the Land of Neruda and am writing you to tell that He (neruda) is in love with you. he always love women whose express feelings like you do, he always loved young women whose touched his soul and I think you did it.
Please feel free to contact Neruda in every word yo write...He is an eternal flame of passion and Love.
From Chile

Memo

Paul said...

Yes, we have hands and arms for that - and for other forms of love too.

Lorena, I like the clarity of your thought/writing style. The topic of your blog, from what I've read so far, is romantic love.

My blog happens to be dealing with the subject of love right now -don't know for how long. Depends on how long people want to keep talking about it. The question is simply, What is love.

So if you or readers have a chance to look in on that conversation, I'd be interested in your thoughts. As long as you've been thinking a lot about romance, seems to me that you might be in a good position to think about what love is minus the romance. (I'm thinking that romantic love is basically love plus sexual attraction. But of course you don't need to be attracted that way to someone in order to love him or her.)

So what exactly - or as exactly as possible - is the LOVE?

Rakesh said...

nice post
and a good blog

Shiva said...

Amazing !!!! I spent minutes thinking on ur lines :)

gulnaz said...

you know that pic of venus, its like begging to be held...great post here and here is a nice warm long hug to you, sweetie!!!

hugs are neither easy to take nor to give...sort of learned this along the way but they are one of the best things in the world.

. : A : . said...

Not just okay, I think it enhances the writing quite a bit.

:-)

Rakesh said...

venus is the goodess of beauty if i am not mistaken

Lorena said...

wow Memo, thank you very much! I would consider myself lucky if I could ever be the recipient of such great love. He definitely
is my inspiration and thanks for putting it so sweetly. 'to contact him through my words' what a lovely thought. thanks for visiting and leaving such kind words Memo, very much appreciated :)

Paul :: yes Romantic Love is definitely on my mind and on my blog as of recent. thanks for your thoughts.
What is Love? Love is a feeling. Love is missing someone when they are standing right in front of you. Love is blind.

thanks Rakesh!

Shiva :: really, that's great. now spend some time giving one to someone special :)

gulnaz :: thanks for the hug sweetie :)
very good point. i have this trouble.

A :: thanks!!

virumandi :: how cute and thank you for your kind words :) you are sweet.

rakesh :: i think she is.

Lorena said...

hi jenn see, no one used that word exactly, love it! thank you :)

sk8rn said...

How lovely! Hugs are the best. And what a nice reminder of what a good hug is about!

Me said...

What a great poem! It actually made me stop and reflect. You have a gift, I look forward to reading more soon. Thank you!!

Lorena said...

thanks sk8rn.

thanks the man, very kind words. i'm glad you'll be visiting again :)

iamnasra said...

Wow this is remarkable ...So different..I would have thought of it in a million years

Thiese words really took my breath away

i want a real hug
one that holds me for minutes
and holds me real close



i want to listen to the rhythm of your heart
and find familiarity with the song

i want it to silence our voice
and let our hands do the talking

i want to rest my head in your shoulders
and feel the comfort of your weight

i want enough time to drink in your scent
so that it stays with me long after you've left

Lorena said...

thanks iamnasra :) i really appreciate it!

Eroteme said...

Very nice poem. I agree with you and I wonder the same: What's the rush? It seems like a hug has become a formality, something to be dispensed... That's why I like kids. They love to hug and love being hugged.
Very touching. :-)

Lorena said...

thanks erotreme :) you are right, kids would definitely give good hugs.
glad you dropped by.