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| Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh, NC |
'Are you coming to visit my pillow tonight?'
my wife asks, a joke, because most often
she is the ruthless invader,
slithering through the Constantine wire
curl of my leg hair, pushing into me until
i perch precariously on the edge of nothingness
between the fall to the floor & her
Closer, closer, she encroaches---but
Tonight, WILL be different---I lay my body
like a wall along the parallel that divides the bed, turned
to face my oppressor, eyes pinched surveying the border
for attempted intrusions & when she approaches
coolly ask for her papers, so I can check
for the appropriate stamps, fingers twITCHing
for further inspection
THIS IS MY TERRITORY signs duct taped
along the expanse of me, weapons armed & aimed,
a small gathering of protesters off to the side
with big placards chant ChAnT chANT
a bead of sweat rolls down the foreheads
of concentrating snipers that risk a quick blink
& if any of you believe i put up this much
of a fight---sorry---
i am happy, exiled
to the small corner of the pillow
i have been relegated to---
her pressed tight to my back, so it memorizes
all her contours---with nothing between us
& i don't care---about all the wasted space
on the other side of the bed
the resistance has died
& this
is the way it should be.
It is OpenLinkNight over at dVerse Poets---a night of fun & merriment filled with wild verse and wall to wall poets---Tonight, our host is Joe Hesch and he will be opening the doors at 3 pm EST. So go write something and come join us...we have been waiting on you. Smiles.
The picture is of a corner of Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh. The wall art of the diner and a car balancing precariously over the edge...1950's style.
It is OpenLinkNight over at dVerse Poets---a night of fun & merriment filled with wild verse and wall to wall poets---Tonight, our host is Joe Hesch and he will be opening the doors at 3 pm EST. So go write something and come join us...we have been waiting on you. Smiles.
The picture is of a corner of Crabtree Valley Mall in Raleigh. The wall art of the diner and a car balancing precariously over the edge...1950's style.
Posts
122 comments:
Seriously Brian if you put up any fight at all you opening move would have been to call the boys into the room for story time. Nice try at subterfuge though. CHanT foreplay before the foreplay.
CHAnT
A LOVELY battle, in the LOVELIEST war!
I think the more wasted space, the better. xo
That picture is so cool ~
I will pretend to put up a big fight too in this kind of battle. But for other kinds of battle, like toppling down a real dictator, which I had a chance to experience, no, I will not budge an inch ~
See you later Brian ~
Yes, it should! I'm the same way... poor Pete has a sliver of bed on most nights and the sheets are a different story. = )
As always, so many layers to this, Brian.
It is a lovely poem Brian. :)
sweet relationships
This was great, ..., where are your papers? Lovely.
Very precious and so glad for you!
The fight for territorial rights can be a prelude to a raucous 'war' where both are eventual winners, you get what I'm saying! Great write Brian!
Hank
Love the imagery in this, Brian. You are a willing prisoner of love, it seems. :-)
I was up for a bit in the night & got REALLY cold feet. Fortunately Mike was nice & warm on his side of the bed - ha!
hahah my husband must sleep on the edge of the bed too...practically falling off and also he cannot make any sleeping noises or he gets poked in the ribs....amazing how wonderfully adaptable husbands can be.
Very sweet poem. And it's true - calling in the boys would be ultimate weapon! Ha! (Watch out or you will have more!)
Lovely poem. Oddly, I was thinking of posting one slightly similar but more mournful as is my unfortuante wont. (Haven't gotten it quite together yet.) Thanks. k.
Nice poem as usual Brian!
smiles, smiles, are absolutely lovely:)
Im still smile LOL
I didn't believe it for a second, Brian ;) - but, a lovely, lovely poem. love the final lines especially
sweet! made me smile..... And reminds me of my bed lately.
now this is what love does...makes you put down the weapons and willing to share that space..a warm and playful write..smiles
Brian, because you are so sweet always I wanna tell you I made my first post after the break just now!!
Oh yes indeed. Fit together like two spoons.
Love that you know you two are so blessed to share such a beautiful love and
LOVE This!
Such a war I'd admit defeat too
The cat would even do
As he'd get the whole other side of the bed
To rest his head
So chant away
But don't let those snipers play
As the fight goes
And you wrap around her toes
Awwwww! Love is the sweetest thing.
You know it!
If you have a pillow top, you also have to climb the mountain.
(We no longer have a pillow top...)
;)
Ha! All I've got to say on this one is AMEN! :) Loved it!
This is so sweet!
Spooning is the best way to sleep : )
I like what Steve E says, so true! And one that should continue for a long time...
PS: Did you receive your prize? Just wanted to make sure.
I chase my husband all over the bed, too. The thing is, I don't want him to run. I want him to grab.
The Ruthless Invader!
gotta love that Brian...
such a cool expose and investigation - great idea...
delivered with total smarts1
THIS IS MY TERRITORY signs duct taped
along the expanse of me, weapons armed & aimed,
a small gathering of protesters off to the side
with big placards chant ChAnT chANT
a bead of sweat rolls down the foreheads
of concentrating snipers that risk a quick blink
a great read! :D
oh how beautiful!!!!!!!! enjoy you two!!
Love this Brian. The imagery in metaphor here is fantastic, love the way you gave in, kind of had to go that way didn't it, but even better is your acceptance, creating a situation of can't lose. Great write. Thanks
No way man. Once the lights go out, there should never be any contact of any kind. No crossing of the border and the more space between the better!
So so cool- great imagery if the bed being tuned into some kind of wartime blockade! Asking for papers (just making sure!) and yeh- I'm SURE you out up a HELL if a fight ha ha- this is a love story of a different kind- it was enamouring- and heartfelt- and actually very loving....I bet your wife FLIPPED though when she read it! Ha ha (dictator)- I like to call my wife 'the old ball and chain'- always goes down a treat and usually resulting in a smack round the head!
Dear Brian, this made me miss my husband.;) We too have these kind of tug of wars.;)
xoxo
This made me laugh.
I LOVE when you post about your wife.
I need 6 pillows to sleep: 2 under my head, one under my feet, one under my knees, one under my shoulder, and one tucked under my side.
My husband calls it "Fort Alexandra"
This poem was outrageously cheeky. I loved the childlike humour in it. Most of all, I love the concluding thought. Sounds like real love to me.
Who needs all that extra bed space when the perfect spot is being snuggled up with you....
This is funny-I love how you wrote about your "sleeping on the edge" battle!
That'll be the day, when a man puts up that kind of fight against territorial...mm, expansion. I love the metaphor, though--because it really *is* all about surrender.
It is EXACTLY the way it should be!
Put up your white flag. It is futile to resist!
This is great! Love that you don't mind the wasted space.
"her pressed tight to my back, so it memorizes
all her contours---with nothing between us" beautiful.
Really enjoyed this! Can't tell you how many times my husband has hit the floor...what can I say, I like my space!
Great poem and a sweet ending!
Oh yeah! Wow! You're cooking with this one, Brian. Like, like, like!
ha, yes, big smile... in my house it is the opposite, i am the one left hanging in that space between the fall and the floor... but yeah, it's all good... the things we do for love.
It's as though you're exploring the "essences of contradiction" that seem to pop up everywhere. It seems I don't live an hour without being presented with a new one. The older I get, the more dualities present themselves. This poem is a perfect example.
now that's a sexy battle... heheh
Connubial bliss...love is a battlefield!
Totally sweet and oh so true, Brian. Well, at least from my side of the bed in Mexico ... *smiles*
Pamela
v.sweet-- y'all sound like a happy couple (:
let me give you... just a sweetest SMILE for this one- BRIAN!
:-)
well done!
I can feel the passion under my skin!!
Whoa kinds!!
:D you rock Miller!
Sweet...keep sharing the space...nothing quite like it :) Love this!
Thank you for your sweet wishes :)
I just love this, Brian. Think I'll print a copy and put it on the "other" pillow, if it's okay with you.
Maybe a bolster pillow?
Or those kingsize ones they have in hotels?
This was the ultimate pillow fight :-)
Really enjoyed this from the off Brian, so funny, brilliant! And you wouldn't want it any other way, would you?
Love it! Been there! Here's a little story I wrote about one of our pillow wars:
http://charleslmashburn.wordpress.com/2011/09/29/a-rude-awakening-2/
I don't know Brian. All that wasted space and so many going without a pillow at all. Guilty? I think not huh?
Fun poem.
i don't care about the wasted space on the other side of the bed-> that's harsh. you should care ;)
you have interesting nights.
Ha, nice! Very clever metaphor.
The way it should be indeed... I love this... its just so... right.
Peace
Very passionate. "Weapons" armed and aimed... oh, my. But there's the matter of that small gathering of protestors chanting. Yikes.
The finale of the fight for bedspace made me smile Brian - big smile :D
Love this - but I'm one of those people who is still struggling with being able to sleep while someone else is touching me.
Haha, lovely poem. Sometimes the resistance dies, even a little willingly.
And as it should be, perfection :) I love the unique idea of this piece, well versed and surrendered, leads the reader down a fun avenue and one that makes them smile, really liked this poem hon :)
There are battles even in the most peaceful relationships, "this is the way it should be." Nice write, Brian.
There are battles even in the most peaceful relationships, "this is the way it should be." Nice write, Brian.
The Maginot line was never a good fortification during the Great War; and neither, apparently, is your own wall. But I guess surender isn't a problem. Excellent use of the metaphor here!
"wire curl of my leg hair" ... This whole section is hilarious.
"fingers twITCHing for further inspection" ... Ooh, clever.
"her pressed tight to my back, so it memorizes all her contours" ... Gorgeous.
You might have made Miss Tara blush with this one. :)
Intimate and sweet...awesome
This is sheer poetry at it's best, Brian!!! You had me laughing, nodding, and saying awww and wow all in one instance of a poem! Excellent my friend! I love the contours of her body memorizing you and the nothing between you is read in multiple layers. Really well done I SO enjoyed this, Brian!
Hilarious and true, Brian. Perhaps sleeping alone isn't so bad. :)
nice! very clever posturing here brian. always a pleasure to read
This was such a touching piece Brian the humor you give to this added so much...loved this! ~ Rose
Brian ~ a warm loving & playful write! Loved it!
This was awesome! The battle of bed space is an ongoing war in our household.
Ah, that's a battle I lose too, but it looks like you're winning the war ;-)
I love this story of love and "war". It is a very similar to the one that plays out in my bed each night. :) What a fun read.
Whew! I think I need a cool cloth for my forehead.
Ha! I didn't believe you were armed for a minute, and isn't disarmament the best solution for long term intimacy :).
O, this is so dear and sweet, Brian. What a lovely invasion, and yes...the way it should be. Years of this happiness to you and your love. I LOVE THIS!!!
Don't know whether my other comment took...I LOVE THIS!!! What a sweet invasion...and yes, this is the way it should be. Years of happiness to you both, Brian :))
Yes the more sheet that can stay cooler the better for sleeping , later.
Lovely, he he.
Something cheeky but very loving in this, nice work
... spooning is good for your back, don't you know ... and your front ... ok, let me talk to her ... I want to tell her that I love her ... :)
Ah, Ve hav vays ov making you submit!
Wonderful.
*smiling* Perfect in every way
Excellent!
Kat
A good fun read and subject I think we can all relate to! The poem read effortlessly which to me is the sign of good writing!
Imagine my surprise then when my flat mates dog slept with me one night and the same thing happened, I woke up with my torso on the bed side table!
Love it you rascal, never know quite what to expect, I LIKE IT
Cool poem, Brian! That is one battle one def does not mind losing!
All you need is love...
what a fun read...
and contours memorized... yes.
I thought this was fun. :) Very cool piece, Brian.
Brian, No doubt that this is the loveliest of poems I have read from you. Thank you.
Might just be repeating but 101 comments - before me...
I can concur with the line...or at least I think my hubby would too -
"this is the way it should be"
This is how couple-hood lasts - especially with humor, humor and more humor. Thanks for a delightful read.
Another masterly authentic and intelligent poem Brian. Loved the imagery.
"so it memorizes all her contours..." sigh-- what a line! this is too sweet for words, brian. smiles.
i am happy, exiled
to the small corner of the pillow
i have been relegated to---
Perfect.
"Resistance is futile", hey, Brian? I smiled my way through this....the encroachment......the resolution. Lovely.
We call it spooning--our bodies tightly against each other. And we still end up with most of the bed clear and vacant, except for an occasional cat that decides to add fur to the mix.
Hahahahaha, I fondly remember such bedtimes battles. My skills at holding down my territory were as vigorously steadfast as yours. ;)
Wonderful write that leaves me smiling.
AWESOME. Love the "borders" feel.
This spoke so truly to me as i am the invader
I enjoyed this Brian. The ending is perfect.
Beautiful and how it should be. Lovely moment shared. thank you.
http://leahjlynn.wordpress.com/
lol - love it! Personally, I need my space, too.
this is so packed with playfulness. you took your sweet time, in the scene and uncovering it for the reader. special slow melt flavor.
This is such a fun write! Why buy a bigger bed when you can be so creative with the space you have?
Me thinks you had your surrender flag ready before she even approached, you warrior you. Ha ha.
Sweet write, Brian.
My boyfriends says my bed is too small, and so when we are together all night it is in his king size bed. And yet, we sleep cuddled up together, so I don't see how the size of the bed matters.
big BIG smiles ;-) i know exactly what you mean ;-)
warm, inviting, a pillow is your castle, well written mate.
Enured, you are...
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