"Love as an Act of Faith" by David Pring-Mill, Frequent Contributor

Love as an Act of Faith

David Pring-Mill

I record my story in this poem.

I find your version

on my shirt, hidden inside

the smell of perfume,

its natural sweetness.

My striped shirt looked loose

on your delicate shoulders.

And now I'll slip into

moments made with words

and floral prints.

I dream with you naked.

Together, this tinted memory

occurs near an open window,

with errors and breezes

flowing in and out

of the room.

I remember your soft voice,

so comforting

like the pillow on which we slept.

And when we reconfigured,

my chest was your pillow.

You always spoke in accidental

melodies and you are still

the promise of hope

and beautiful emotion

blooming within me

from roots problematic.

If there was sadness in my soul, it is

evaporation, up above

these ancient brick structures

and the old lake and mist-making falls.

If there is joy animating my smiles

and awakening me,

it is from

the spark of you,

and when you smile

your head tilts up and your eyes shine

as if to feed my faith.

When you describe me, it is

in poetic terms, though

you never said you are the poet.

With art and romance you tell me

my eyes have green spots

"and mostly they are brown,

like maple syrup… or honey"

and you say that,

as we enjoy our coffees

and realize how much

we are in love.

Poet's Notes:  I wrote this poem for a girlfriend. I wanted to keep the feelings preserved within a simple style. I thought that verbosity would detract from the subject matter, and I valued the purity of emotion here over any sophistication of expression. Although the poem includes specific references to memories I shared with my girlfriend, I believe that most readers will be able to conjure up similar recollections, of physical comforts and affectionate whisperings shared over coffees. By drawing upon these collective impressions I hope that the poem will affect people directly and purely.

The poem also hints at its setting in a somewhat mythic way, which again is reflective of my unique memories paired with a cultivated ambiguity. It is my hope that the vague, imagistic brushstrokes will provide a sense of common ownership over the narrative, so that all couples can see themselves here. The title "Love as an Act of Faith" is only referenced briefly in the actual verse but I thought that the sentiment would be self-explanatory and would also setup an overarching philosophy for the simplicity and feeling that follows.