Desert Tale
Number 2, Volume 6
St. Valentine's Day
There is nothing like a silvery moon shining over a shimmering sea while you sip a glass of wine with your loved one on a cruise ship, especially in February.
February 14th – ah! the day we buy a card because we don’t know how to put words together that tell someone, “I love you!” Three little words that enshrine happiness. Poets will talk about pursuits, longings, and deep sentiments that the ordinary person is too busy to declare. Poems tend to reflect the immortality of the poetic soul.
Poetry is not just the art of combining words. When we find a poem, or sweet words on a card that express our innermost feelings we read it over and over to refresh the dull moments of our life. “The proof of a poem is not that we have never forgotten it, but we knew at sight we never could forget it.” Robert Frost.
Case in point, is the poem written by Scottish poet Robert Burns:
“Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae fareweel, and then forever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.
Who shall say that fortune grieves him
While the stars of hope she leaves him?
Me, nae cheerfu’ twinkle lights me,
Dark despair around benights me.
I’ll ne’er blame my partial fancy,
Naething could resist my Nancy;
But to see her was to love her,
Love but her, and love forever.
Had we never loved sae blindly,
Never met – or never parted.
We had ne’er been broken-hearted.
Fare thee weel, thou first and fairest!
Fare thee weel, thou best and dearest!
Thine be ilka joy and treasure,
Peace, enjoyment, love and pleasure!
Ae fond kiss, and then we sever!
Ae fareweel, alas forever!
Deep in heart-wrung tears I’ll pledge thee,
Warring sighs and groans I’ll wage thee.”
(Oh, you can just feel his misery. Nancy go back to him!) Or, in a more modern tone, simple words can be just as effective to bring emotions to the surface: “As we move together through life as true partners, you are my relief from the world, my safety, my best friend…I’m so lucky to have you to talk with, to laugh with, to share all my days with. I love you more than words can say.” (Courtesy of Carlton Cards, Cleveland, Ohio.)
Flower shops also do a terrific business on Valentine’s Day, and of course, you can always give a gift such as wonderful face creams from SELECTED COSMETICS. COM, to keep that aura of youthfulness. Women love to be pampered, and on February 14th, what better way than to remind them that you LOVE them.
Of course, I speak as a romance writer.
Alinka Zyrmont