We Were Once Strangers ~ OpenLinkNight


We were once strangers
Our bodies foreign
Our dreams all that mattered

We were once strangers
Our stories yet shared
Our hopes presented

In fancy crystal
Upon a perfectly set table
Dressed to impress

Has become dressed to get by
As we come to know the other
As we come to know the lies

We were once lovers
Insatiable longings
Unmatched desire

We were once lovers
Pulse racing, irrational wanting
Copulating on the sly

In closets and alleys
Magnets attracted
Drunk on adrenalin

But no more as fear
Steals energy, dreams
The strength to care

At one time we mattered
At one time the world warped
Based on our wishes

At one time we mattered
All it took was a dream
And the powers that be

Told us we could achieve
And helped us find our way
As our story, our life

Unfolded out into the land
Of prosperity, of freedom
Where we could be all we could be.

At one time…
…we mattered.

 It's Tuesday and that means that OpenLinkNight is finally upon us! They're trusting me to host the party, and I've got a stage to set as the poets prepare to rush the gates...consider yourself invited! The festivities get underway at 3pmEST. We got your seat saved!

For all you twitter addicts....don't forget to cast your vote for dVerse in the Shorty Awards! The pub is in the running to take home the Shorty for art, and we'd love to have your help in making that happen.  I'm not sure about you, but if Brian and Claudia didn't bring this pub to life for all of us...well, I'd just rather not think about that! Show the love Poets, and cast your votes here!

Comments

Pat Hatt said…
Early two weeks in a row look at you haha
Like the story like feel that you went through
From strangers to all knowing to poof don't matter
Not pleasant when ending up at the later
But great write indeed
Once more at your feed
We meet as strangers, yet after decades we can be strangers still. Riotous thoughts, emotions, and even body chemicals colour & taint our apprehensions of each other, and seem to evolve into mundanity through familiarity. What sadness that we can so lose the wonder of each other! Even our bodies betray us as they withdraw the chemical essences of love, leaving us penniless in the currencies of love & passion. A poem of loss, yet it offers redemption through the realization that eyes once closed can yet still be opened.
Brian Miller said…
nice tash...one day we did more than broken backs to pave the road of the machine....nice ping on plitical commentary there at the end...of course the whole thing could be looked at as the loss the freedom that comes with attachment as well...i dunno its a kaleidiscope poet, i keep turning...
Claudia said…
from strangers to lovers..i thought...wow...nice...that's how it is..and then...it goes in a direction no one wants to go really..when the dreams are not strong enough...and in the end nothing's left..and strangers in another way... sad write tash...but wery well penned.. happy link night lovely lady..great you're hosting the party tonight, i know you will make the place vibrate with your energetic presence
Daydreamertoo said…
In the first blossoming of love, you have to also be best friends because once that fist flush is gone and the lust wears off, it's no good if you can't even talk and laugh and share for disliking each other. Another lovely read from you.
Anonymous said…
Oh dear. I like the idea of "we" mattering, so that it's not just you as individuals mattering but the "we."

K.
The Silver Fox said…
Wow. In this case, familiarity definitely seems to breed contempt.
Unknown said…
Excellent write Tash, I love the repeating first line idea, it worked wonderfully here. The we once mattered stanzas are great. Great job, thanks
Laura said…
wonderful rhythm through the repetition...
Laurie Kolp said…
Yeah... once the lust ends, the true test begins. Great piece, Tash!!
Maude Lynn said…
" as fear
Steals energy, dreams
The strength to care"

Ain't that the truth!
Anonymous said…
I like this. I especially like the repetition of the opening lines of adjacent stanzas. It nicely gives life to the slow progression of change from beginning to end. Peace, Linda
Mary said…
I would like to think that everyone still matters and we still can find our way. I would like to think........ Well expressed, Natasha!
mrs mediocrity said…
multi-faceted and sparkling with all the beauty that offers. i keep turning it around, seeing new colors.
I liked the repetition of phrases, almost like the brain re-working ideas, reasons, reconstructing events. Entertaining read.
Unknown said…
many people we come to love in life were once strangers... the incredible journey is all between. great write!!!
Kellie Elmore said…
"...magnets attracted, drunk on adrenaline..." love that and man have I felt it! You inspire me! Tash, never stop writing, you give so much to poetry that is rare, the real, raw human connection. LOVE!!!

my offering:
http://magicinthebackyard.wordpress.com/2012/01/17/we-make-love/
Unknown said…
fabulous ....thank you so much ...and thank you for Nominating me for a shorty ! .....best of luck to you honey x x x
Sad place to end up I think--such an excellent write though--

@AudreyHowitt
ayala said…
This is great...love the end
At one time…
…we mattered....
sad but beautifully written.
dreamsteve said…
I love your words as they fold around new matter..and show emotions how to feel..
Ginny Brannan said…
"At one time we mattered
At one time the world warped
Based on our wishes'

I know this memory, this feeling, this 'longing!' I love how the repetition pulses in this, carries us through. Incredible write, and a pleasure to read.
I feel like a broken record LOL but I LOVE THIS .... :) I feel this ... the repetition works so well ... and it has a tinge of sadness for me, coz it sorta hits close to home .... but beautifully written as always :)
Anonymous said…
being strangers and than knowing each other, it can be hard when things don't seem to matter anymore.Good read
Glenn Buttkus said…
A very interesting piece, Nat, and
it says volumes about human nature,
about nature itself. If we have steak
and lobster daily, one day we find
ourselves craving peanut butter
and saltine crackers. Hormones can
only take us so far; they have no real
half life, and the real journey must
be done together, two marching as
one organism, still having fun regardless
of the listless ardor. Yet it seems we of
the regular-folk brigade tend to work
through, or endeavor to, our issues, our
problems. Divorce is seldom the answer.
Rebirth of friendship, the great emotional
fuel that love becomes, indefatigable.
See what happens when a poem makes
you crazy?
Scarlet said…
Nice use of repetitive lines...but I get the sadness in the end. Was it all worth it?

Great voice here ~
Unknown said…
ENjoyed this, the repetition set the rhythm and flow nicely
Unknown said…
I know this moment when love dies. It's not just the passion, for that can mature into a deeper passion, but the love that binds two minds hearts and bodies. This evokes wonderfully that sadness in time.
WilliamClaybrok said…
Hi Claudia I pretty new. Hope you'll be able to see my post Half Moon.
Snot referred me to the site.
We were once strangers reminded me of a old broken music box that you found in the attic and was remembering the first time you laid eyes on it.
Inspiring. I have my work cut out for me.
Victoria said…
You've used repetition in this so effectively to lead the reader through the progression of who "we were." Then the last two lines were like a big exclamation mark!
I liked the repitition throughout the piece. Really hit home the longing for what was and dreading what is.
Chasing Tao said…
You carried me right through the whole poem, moving from line to line, which are all finely connected like gossamer strands of sterling silver...your growth as a poet is clearly evident and can be seen throughout your work! Wonderful Natasha...wonderful...

Let that silvern light keep on a shinin'

Roger ☺
Mark Kerstetter said…
The tragic tone took me by surprise. I like how your poem riffs on the personal disillusionment of a relationship while alluding to a broader societal malaise.
Susie Clevenger said…
We were once strangers...a relationship that falls apart or a society. at one time...we mattered.. sad truth
~L said…
this was the best poem to finish my night of reading... excellent!

my favorite was:
"But no more as fear
Steals energy, dreams
The strength to care"
Timoteo said…
Closets and alleys are tough (anytime you're standing up, basically)...so congratulations!
joanna said…
"at one time we mattered"... what a provocative line. this ain't just another sad love song. brava.
Asketes said…
I really love the casual repetition here, the flow is really elegant and does not feel forced.

I generally don't like the endings to poetry but your ending here is immaculately powerful!

At one time…
…we mattered.

Bravo!

- Asketes
Anonymous said…
Always poignant, sad, when we think back on a love that, yes, mattered. You portray a lost love beautifully here, and I love the way you turned the end into a subtle political statement. Yes, once this nation of ours mattered as well...where opportunities were and still are sought...but many lost. Beautiful work here, Tash!
Dear Natasha...

I enjoyed reading your heartfelt cry... yes we in the end matter, its just so that we need to know if we matter to each other... Loved your lines...
'At one time we mattered
At one time the world warped
Based on our wishes'
Very interesting thought...
Yes I will vote for the Shorty Awards... I remember last year it was one stop poetry that got one... :-)
Shashi

ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com/2012/01/whispers-haiku-on-how-i-write-poetry.html#comment-form
At twitter @VerseEveryDay
Steve King said…
Natasha,
So direct and compelling...a fine, intelligent (and so poetic) take on the transformations we endure. With that neat commentary at the end that takes it from the personal to the general. Very nicely done.
Ron Thompson said…
How life gets away from us. This is a poignant, lovely piece.
Unknown said…
lovely evocative piece, carries a harmony of how we collide and ricochet. Beautiful write ~ Rose
Anonymous said…
Love this turn, Tash:

"Dressed to impress
Has become dressed to get by"
Uneven Stephen said…
Lovely. You have such a talent for anthemic poetry with your wonderful refrains. Some of my favorite lines are:

"In fancy crystal
Upon a perfectly set table
Dressed to impress"

and

"Magnets attracted
Drunk on adrenalin".

Another great poem, Natasha.
VERY powerful, Natasha! It's perfecto, darling! It "really" speaks to you.

Much love,
Bradley
Unknown said…
So hard when someone who was so close, familiar, and safe becomes a stranger. It's so true that fear steals. Hopefully the "we" will matter again :)
Beautiful. It speaks to me viscerally and sensually. Well done.

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