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Classic and Contemporary Poetry
UNDERSTANDING, by IRIS JAMIESON First Line: What becomes of love when it dies? Last Line: "but god doesn't call it ""star-dust"" -- god calls it ""understanding""." Subject(s): Love | |||
What becomes of love when it dies? Where does it go? Dear Heart, love never dies! But when love is no longer wanted, then it is taken by the Divine Hand that fashioned it from out a human heart and ground into a fine soft scented powder called "Star-Dust". Hast never heard of Star-Dust, Beloved? Why surely, that's what Star-Dust is. Unwanted love ground to feathery golden bits. God then puts it in the big blue container which stands always upon the floor beside His throne, and at night when tired old eyes ache for rest, and weeping ones for comfort, when the gossamer film of golden dreams in the eyes of old lovers begins to grow thin and ever anew is lifted the clear questioning gaze of young ones, then God, like a kind old country doctor with one powder for all ills, stoops and gently upends His big bowl so that its contents come sifting out like fairy magic through the myriad star-shaped perforations in its lid. It's because of the shape of the perforations, Darling, that we mortals call it "Star-Dust". But God doesn't call it "Star-Dust" -- God calls it "Understanding". | Discover our Poem Explanations and Poet Analyses!Other Poems of Interest...THE INVENTION OF LOVE by MATTHEA HARVEY TWO VIEWS OF BUSON by ROBERT HASS A LOVE FOR FOUR VOICES: HOMAGE TO FRANZ JOSEPH HAYDN by ANTHONY HECHT AN OFFERING FOR PATRICIA by ANTHONY HECHT LATE AFTERNOON: THE ONSLAUGHT OF LOVE by ANTHONY HECHT A SWEETENING ALL AROUND ME AS IT FALLS by JANE HIRSHFIELD LETTER FROM ALICE by IRIS JAMIESON |
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