we stood naked as we stole from the Red Sea
what will you steal for me, Sweet Lover?
my henna'd hand found comfort on your lower back
and I watch the wind slapstick your hair
you turn telling me that the sea is as warm
as the wind, I speculate how I’d discern if I were
standing in the water or in the wind? maybe
the cosmic navel will become more radical, in tune
one will snuggle your navel and one will smooch
your feet, you say. Gaia provides if you let her, smiling
I watch the soul of your eyes canal from hazel
to blue, like the stream that soothes my emotions.
what will you steal for me, Sweet Lover?
obeisance worshipping my wet toes on starfish sandals
conch in hand he smooches the centre of my being
as the cosmic wind swirls and snuggles my cosmic navel
diving the Red Sea he found flared lips on the
crust of the conch, markedly its sexual maturity
and the abundance is what he gave me
as we stood naked and stole from the Red Sea
oh boy (sigh) this will take a while lol ^_^
hey, you must have posted right after my stroll about last night, good thing I didn't see it then or I may have had even more trouble getting to sleep LOLOLOL!!
hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, OK
I can not decide if these are people or parts of nature not born yet. but, to steel fron the red sea makes me think of 'magical or mistical pleasures'
it sounds like he is attempting to draw her into the sea, and she thinks about it wondering if the cosmic naval will become more radical which lead me to believe she is tied to the cosmos. so the earth will 'smootch your feet' as 'the sea will 'snuggle your naval' (or so I thought)
Gaia (the earth Goddess) ^_^ 'provides if you let her. love that line.
now then hear is where i thought they were going into the sea, 'I watch the soul of your eyes canal from hazel to blue, like the stream that sooths my emotions" ah yes :D well emotions are always associated with water.
ok and then she asks again: 'what will you steel for me' as if she so wishes to become but feeling it is secretive and bad, but a sexy bad. lol,,,
ok, ok so now here maybe I should of read a few more times and so probably I will BUT, I get the idea that she is inside the conch??? or is the conch??? because he is holding it, (not so sure what he is) and he smoocthes the center of her being and then the cosmic wind swirls and snuggles her naval....hmmmmm as is 'the flared lips on the conch and the maredly sexual maturity, something has indeed evolved YIPPY lol,,,,,,ok, I'll be back later on to see all the other comments....take care, love and joy ~katie
Posted: Jul 17, 2008
Of all the writers on Booksie I find you CP to be, for me, the most alluring but frustratingly elusive. When I said “superficial” Peachy it was never a reflection on others, more a hint that sometimes your writing has a mischievous depth that washes over my head no matter how much I delve and ponder. You have a full bodied, distinctive style, very individual and colourful and innovative. I love your writing but struggle with it at the same time. So maybe at times I pluck out the “feel” or flow of the poem and those things I do “get” in comment. Not so much superficial I guess, more like a student who tries to go deeper but can’t and then walks away from it “beaten” too soon. When you are browsing around Booksie and trying to spread yourself around, reading, commenting (as well as writing) it is easy to gloss over works that deserve more. So after this long winded introduction here is the little more from me on The Red Sea!!!
I have done research on this and all! Is there really a Red Sea or is it a purely a literary figment to symbolise passion? (I did believe there was a Red Sea by the way, but thought knowing something about it may shed some more light on the poem?) What I did discover was in fact most interesting and I wondered then what the author knew about it when writing her piece? Because some of the facts and figures about the Red Sea could in fact alter the complexion of the poem!!
These are some of the words to describe the red sea: “long, narrow, almost landlocked”; “on the whole, it is shallow”, “noted for its high year round temperatures”, “surrounded by desert” and then a note that it does sometimes appear red because of a reddish algae it contains.
Oooh! So what did the lovers steal from the Red sea? Was it the heat and colour of passion or something more shallow and narrow? And why is one lover still asking the other, “what will you steal for me” when the first line indicates they have already drawn flaming heat and colour from the sea?
I sense that you are more “inflamed” than your lover, your hand is coloured, seeks comfort from him but the “slapstick” suggests to me that the passion he shows is more in jest (shallow and narrow if you will) Your next stanza reinforces that sense of farce as he tries to reassure you the warmth is universal (he feels like you equally) and still you are uncertain and must “speculate”.
In the next stanzas your lover is becoming more in tune (or you with him) – he advises an experience so joyous as to be almost out of this world if you go with the flow and allow it “Gaia provides if you let her, smiling”. (I still get the sense he is not so sincere, o my gosh I’m a cynic)
So you let go, you invite the passion and your sweet lover is humbled by your uninhibited release, so much so that he in turn provides the “gift” you were speculating, the gift of “abundance” of blazing hot passion – finally you both steal the heat from the red sea and there is no more uncertainty.
Or is there?
Hallelujah! Did I sound the tiniest bit convincing or am I doomed to be forever landlocked in the mastery and mystery of your craft??
Posted: Jul 18, 2008
Ok Peachy, I’m ashamed to say I read some of the comments, and Anna’s wonderful analysis, so you kind of explained the poem. Ha, hard work over for me. Still I’ll try to explain what I felt while reading this poem. Yes a love poem, a poem of discovery, a poem of sensuality. As I read your work peachy I always get a sense of you being in touch with nature as well as a universal awareness. This is always a venture into your imagination, which when you think and feel can take you anywhere in the cosmos. At the same time you feel grounded as though there’s a searching for oneness with yourself and nature. Of course these are images and metaphors which you use to express yourself, the conflicts which erupt from time to time, the symbols and meanings of your femininity/sexuality ect..ect..
I found this symbolism rich in this poem. Straight away you speak of stealing from the red sea. Not literally thieving but what did you steal/gain from the contemplation which went into writing this poem. What have you gained from the experiences which led to the writing of this poem. And not just you either, for what will someone steal/gain from their experience of you. Is it simply sexual/self-satisfying or will they gain something much deeper, more profound?
And so we have images of you “henna’d hand” and someone else “slapstick hair”
The following lines seem to suggest (to me) a sense of place within the universe and also a sense of where two people are at in terms of each other/ their relationship. The sea is as warm as wind, could mean two differences (whether it be elements or personalities) can fit together, differences can be similarities, or there’s a shared language (oh, I love shared language) between two different personalities. There’s just that suggestion of contemplation about a relationship here. Can two people find oneness, a shared ground kind of imagery. I get this feeling from the cosmic navel, the in tune and snuggle images. Also Gaia and the starfish images with the line “what will you steal from me sweet lover” suggests you are asking what will this person gain from you. Will it be purely sexual satisfaction or will they gain a deeper understand from your mind/personality. The images are also earth bound as though we are pulled out of your imagination/fantasy and are brought into reality. I can create a fantasy for this person, but what will the reality be like. However, you again lead us off into the centre of your being.
This mixed with sexual maturity suggests you are reaching deeper levels, discovering more than you expected about yourself and your lover. He gave you more than you expected, as you sit and contemplate you realise he opened pathways for you, showed you things you hadn’t noticed before, he found a deeper more beautiful level within you Peachy, and showed it to you, and I expect you found the same within him.
Ok, I know I’m kind of vague here with my analysis, but this poem reflects someone in thought, asking questions about themselves, someone else, and their relationship. It’s about discovery, sexually/emotionally/intellectually. It’s finding a deeper level to yourself through someone else, and thus also finding a deeper level in that person too.
I really do love the images u use to express these thoughts. The symbolism and metaphors of the red sea are beautiful/artistic/intellectual. Well done Peachy, another wonderful poem full of deeper meaning and images!!
Posted: Jul 20, 2008