Hand-woven tapestry made for Louis XIV at Versailles, France.
I find the poem you wrote long ago,
the lines that inflamed my senses
and changed everything
and nothing.
An old spice cabinet
guarding secrets beckons.
Inside a hidden compartment
a heart-shaped box
keeps your gift safe:
the elegant necklace of garnets,
its delicate gold chain tied in knots.
It whispers of dinner at Vertigo
on shaky ground.
The dusky garnets matched the merlot
at The Redwood Room,
where Gustav Klimt paintings
shimmered in the soft light,
jazz murmured like a fever
and your hand clasped mine.
Nights in the fierce August heat
few words were spoken
but everything was said,
forging an invisible bond.
Despite the miles keeping us apart
and time and circumstance
too complicated to fathom,
the heart remembers.
Now I try to untangle
the fine knots that have intertwined.
No matter how hard I tug,
the strands won't loosen;
the links are too strong.
Like the tapestry of you and me:
such an intricate and complex weave;
impossible to unravel.
Really beautiful. And I love the end when you write "like the tapestry of you and me....impossible to unravel." Well done.
Posted by: Clare | 30 May 2007 at 06:06
The poem kind of made my heart beat more rapidly - especially nice after I'd scrolled down through the Versailles photos!
Posted by: Kara | 30 May 2007 at 01:26
Beautiful poem, Tara. As usual it speaks volumes to me.
To think that the tapestry was handewoven just boggles the mind. It's pure genius!
Posted by: Colette | 29 May 2007 at 18:17
Oh my this is lovely Tara as always your words are moving and haunting.
XOX
Kristen
Posted by: kristen robinson | 29 May 2007 at 17:57
This was beautiful Tara.
Posted by: bella | 29 May 2007 at 06:38
This is so lovely and deeply romantic, like rich chocolate or fine wine, meant to be read and savored with someone you love...ohh la la :)
Posted by: Becca | 29 May 2007 at 05:27
That is beautiful! And so is the tapestry. I can not even imagine having someone whip up such a tapestry for me...I have said it before...I will say it again. I think I once lived at Versailles. "This is ridiculous!" "No, this madame, is Versailles..." Marie Antoinette for a day...Not the guillotine day though....xxo
Posted by: Vanessa V | 29 May 2007 at 04:24
I've been w/dave at the new house so I'm behind. This was a very romantic moment that I'm thankful you shared. I love how you wove this memory in a poem to go with his. *Sigh*
XXOO
Posted by: Tammy | 29 May 2007 at 00:13
Tara, did you write that? It was beautiful!!
Garnet is my birthstone.. And I'm always drawn to that color for some reason - what a gorgeous tapestry.. lovely.
Tara responds:
Mais oui, mon cher ami! Merci bien!
Posted by: holli | 28 May 2007 at 23:44
what an absolutely lovely tapestry. I could look at that all day long!
Posted by: AscenderRisesAbove | 28 May 2007 at 19:39
Beautiful tapestry of words.
Posted by: gautami | 28 May 2007 at 19:30
So very lovely my friend!
Posted by: Jeanne | 28 May 2007 at 13:11
What an intriguing - and romantic - poem, Tara! Beautiful and intricate - just like this tapestry.
It's mind-boggling to think how many hours went into creating that tapestry. It flows effortlessly though - so does your poem. XO
Posted by: tinker | 28 May 2007 at 07:26
Wow.
I also noticed all the "red". Shades of passion...
Wonderful.
:)
Posted by: Amber | 28 May 2007 at 07:18
So much rich dark red here-- the garnets, the merlot, the emotions it evokes. It deepens and echoes like the best poems do, truly a tapestry.
Posted by: patry | 28 May 2007 at 07:05
This is a masterpiece. There were lines in this poem that felt like an arrow shooting straight through my heart. Especially the very last line.
Posted by: krista | 28 May 2007 at 03:56