The Istanbul Love Challenge

[CharleyH]

Well, today is the day we've ... um ... well, I HAVE been waiting for and I hope you have too!

For those who don't know I had challenged some poets to a bit of a pre-Valentine poem. The parameters were to write a poem revolving around love (between 2 individuals). However, the theme of human love in this challenge was to be pinned on a poem about a place (country, city, town, suburb, itinerary, neighborhood) and apparent only as subtext. Any form was allowed, but at least one reference had to be made to the history or mythology inherent of the Istanbul 2461 poem (the first known love poem) and at least one line of the poem must be a direct line from Istanbul 2461, although this excerpt could occur in any language chosen by the poet.

For those who hadn't read, the most accurate (as far as I researched) English translation of Istanbul 2461 was:

Bridegroom, dear to my heart,
Goodly is you beauty, honeysweet,
Lion, dear to my heart,
You have captivated me,
let me stand tremblingly before you.
Bridegroom, I would be taken by you to the bedchamber..

Lion, I would be taken by you to the bedchamber.
Bridegroom, let me caress you,
My precious caress is more savoury than honey and milk ,
In the bedchamber, honey-filled,
Let me enjoy your goodly beauty,
Lion, let me caress you,

Bridegroom, you have taken your pleasure of me,
Tell my mother, she will give you delicacies,
My father, he will give you gifts.
Your spirit, I know where to cheer your spirit,
Bridegroom, sleep in our house until dawn,
Your heart, I know where to gladden your heart,
Lion, sleep in our house until dawn.
You, because you love me,
Give me pray of your caresses,
My lord god, my lord protector,
My Shu-Sin, who gladdens Enlil's heart,
Give my pray of your caresses.
Your place goodly as honey, pray lay (your) hand on it,
Bring (your) hand over like a gishban-garment,
Cup (your) hand over it like a gishban-sikin-garment.


OKAY! Enough B.S. I'm eager to see what everyone wrote. Post your poems at will!!

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Against All Odds, Love – a sonnet wrapped in prose

At Cambridge, free of strict familial rules we met, a boy with no particular direction or desire other than the rugby field and yet something told me there was more. I knew my family would not embrace him for his breeding, they thought themselves as “upper crust”. His northern accent I was sure they would deplore and, certainly, they looked on him with pure disgust. The more they mocked the more it felt unjust; they patronized him to the point of being rude but through it all they had to give him his due, his manner gracious, far from being crude as they had all expected him to be. I knew right then he’d captivated me. (paraphrased line four of Istanbul 2461)


As time drew on and my docile siblings found their chosen mates and fully, one by one, each prospect vetted by the theater-in-the-round of snobbish relatives with their usual bombing run then, found to be well bred, no need to shun. The weddings were most lavishly arranged and only one bride’s oven held a secret bun, but I digress. Back to our world, happily estranged from my high-flown folks with only Christmas cards exchanged, living in contented penury and adding to the family tree, our progeny and fortune waxed and waned while my siblings learnt about divorce decree our love grew stronger every single day until our children grew and moved away.


Now, fate will sometimes throw a nasty curve surprising with events, not always good and we were hit with one quite undeserved. At first we hardly understood why my legs felt like they’d turned to wood. And all the things I’d done my whole life long no matter how I tried I now found that I couldn’t, one by one they slowly slipped away. So when I raved in frustration and dismay he would hold me tightly in his arms. All our life he’d known just what to say, one of his incalculable charms. “In the past you’ve worked too hard, time for review. Now it is my pleasure to take care of you.”

(The place, of course is England with its rigid class system. To refer to the history or mythology of Istanbul 2461 was/is totally beyond me, sorry. I know I broke Charley's rules but, BOY! this was one hellatious challenge. I discovered I don't appreciate Sumerian poetry!)

 

[champagne1982]

Above The Trocadero

Explore your bride as the Sienne;
drift through the heart of her
and wash against stone pillars;
fingers running through your hair.
Be her lover and explore cobbled
streets. Your footsteps tease
her rolling landscape; love's
fingers tap Martillo rhythms
to echo the thrum of sexual beats
as they drift up Mont Marte
out of Quartier de Pigalle.

Desire burning to flame
this skin; to flush crimson
need across these breasts
their peaks teased; arousal
wafting through the air.
In the bedchamber, honey-filled
kisses cloy our senses and slow
lust until your hand rests there.

My scorpion, my mate, my love
You have captivated me,
held me close in anticipation.
Together, our blessed union
floods the land, plumps grapes
so wine will wash the streets
clean and Paris will bloom,
in springtime, with lovers.
We two stroll intoxicated streets
and in the evening we'll tap
the Martillo beat and quicken
lovers to join in the night.
__________

I didn't think this first from-the-hip poem was going to be my challenge answer but I've spent an edit or two and now I feel this embraces my plea to my lover. A wish that he be mine and together we'll conquer the Fleuve de Vie that flows as subtext to everything else.

 

[CharleyH]

Reading with interest and waiting to comment. Thanks Triss and Champagne. Kisses both!
xxxx.

 

[GuiltyPleasure]

Reading with interest and waiting to comment. Thanks Triss and Champagne. Kisses both!
xxxx.

I'm so ashamed of mine, compared to Carrie's it's laughable. I tried an experiment that didn't work so I intend to try again later.

Kisses to you for being such a sweetheart.

 

[CharleyH]

I'm so ashamed of mine, compared to Carrie's it's laughable. I tried an experiment that didn't work so I intend to try again later.

Kisses to you for being such a sweetheart.

Oh don't be ashamed. Your poem is a great read, Trisse. I'm waiting for those "OTHERS" who promised a poem before I comment more fully, but in the meantime and to bump ... here is my addition to the challenge:

They say Porto is the invincible city.
Yet, Portugal's male and quite itty bitty.
But I can tell you he's huge
He's become quite the muse
Mm, let me enjoy your goodly beauty!

 

[CharleyH]

Delete - double post

 

[Angeline]

Oh don't be ashamed. Your poem is a great read, Trisse. I'm waiting for those "OTHERS" who promised a poem before I comment more fully, but in the meantime and to bump ... here is my addition to the challenge:

They say Porto is the invincible city.
Yet, Portugal's male and quite itty bitty.
But I can tell you he's huge
He's become quite the muse
Mm, let me enjoy your goodly beauty!

I'm taking at least one more sick day. And I see Ms. Lauren hasn't posted her poem yet (and I know how she agonizes over these things), so I feel slightly less guilty about being so untimely.

 

[ishtat]

Maybe after this we should ask our Daughter of Jerusalem for her take on Shir-ha Shirim?

 

[champagne1982]

bumping this obnoxiously

 

[Lauren Hynde]

I am going to post my attempt to live up to Charley's challenge, but it will take me a few days more. She has given us lots of time, I know, but over the last couple of weeks, between health problems, work, and the wedding D), time to write poetry hasn't been all that abundant.

I like what I see so far, though, and I'm waiting eagerly for more from the rest of you!

 

[champagne1982]

happy lovers' day x 12

 

[CharleyH]

Okay... bumping obnoxiously kiss: Champ). Shame - shame on Lauren, Angeline, Eve and also Liar, Rem and Fool. We have two sexy and gorgeous chicks like Trisse and Champagne standing centre stage here ... naked ... and no one wants to come to the challenge of these beautiful girls? WHAT is wrong with you poets? All promises and no words?

 

[The_Fool]

Posted as a foil for Tess and Carrie, not that they need such to shine brightly...





Quiet brings a sense of peace.
Breezes dance among the Aspens,
Dear to my heart,
As I shiver in my too-light jacket.

Summer sun is bright,
but momentary clouds
bring memory of the chill
that lingers with the snow,

fringes lakes with ice,
even when the plains
that lie below this peak
are parched by summer.

A scent of snow, a scent of evergreen,
a sense of you,
as I feel your hand grasp mine
and I must kiss you.

This place may offer peace,
but from you I regain my passion.
You, because you love me,
reignite my desire for life.

There is a place
within a space of two closely bound
and bonded
which offers a sense of forever.

Such as a place where east meets west,
Orthodox and Pagan rituals abound,
history shouts out silently
and refuses to crumble quietly.

You have captivated me.
Your presence awakens me.
Our history, an abutment to our future.
But enough reflection,

enough of past and future thoughts.
Give me pray of your caresses
And let us enjoy here and now
in solitude on this mountain peak.

 

[Angeline]

Double Glosa

Bridegroom, dear to my heart,
Goodly is your beauty, honeysweet,
Lion, dear to my heart,
You have captivated me,
let me stand tremblingly before you.
Bridegroom, I would be taken by you
to the bedchamber.
~ Istanbul Love Poem

I tremble
inebriate in you
as you distill the vertiginous liquor
of lust
inebriate
muted
walk across red-hot paths
bridges in revisited folds
of knowledge
of carnal vain science
machinal
violent
in rumours of flesh
in words of blood
dissolute
inebriate
in your syllables of fire honeydew
in your song and in the night
in your skin where lights kiss explore
and love --
~I Tremble, Lauren Hynde

Wedding Song

Her first love was the sea.
She poured her care in laughter
on the foam. She danced, whispered
I tremble to an ancient rock
that rises from the mist. She prays
her distant sand will spread
across your shore to sink her dreams
grain by grain inebriate in you.

Bridegroom dear to my heart
the first love is this wave that rolls to you
beneath the calm ocean, rolls to you
and empties into shells, breaks itself
to puddles splashed upon your flesh
where goodly is your beauty.

Honeysweet I dream
as you distill the vertiginous liquor
of lust inebriate, muted in us both
we are unknowing where we walk
across red-hot paths. We've burned
in solitude. Our footprints turned to ash
and carried in the wind to settle
on your skin and mine. Lion dear to my heart
we meet on bridges in revisited folds

of knowledge. We carry memories
in empty palms, lift faces to the breeze,
let tears of carnal vain science stream
away from us and quench the lie of she
and she for you have captivated me.
We are united, machinal, violent
in rumours of the flesh. Where we
were undeciphered let me stand
tremblingly before you now in love

No longer dissolute, inebriate
but sober honesty remains, the sea
remains, crashes in your syllables of fire,
Honeydew, in your song

and in the night Bridegroom
I would be taken in your skin, I would
be taken by you to the bedchamber
where lights kiss I will cover you
in flowers born in ocean myth and song:
I tremble and I love.

 

[champagne1982]

These most recent adds to the thread are simply scrumptuous. Ohhh, missing poets! Please post yours soon.

 

[CharleyH]

Meu Deus! WOW to all four of you. Now where is that Wicked Eve and Lauren and I am sure I heard that Rem might add a word or two?

 

[Angeline]

Meu Deus! WOW to all four of you. Now where is that Wicked Eve and Lauren and I am sure I heard that Rem might add a word or two?

Tell Lauren that double glosa was just for her, sassy little form poet that she is. (The rest is for you!)

 

[CharleyH]

Tell Lauren that double glosa was just for her, sassy little form poet that she is. (The rest is for you!)

God, when you said these words, Ang? I got a little erupt in my clit. Waiting for Eve, Lauren and maybe Rem, Liar is out (sadly).

 

[CharleyH]

Just a wee bump ... soon to turn to a spank.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Porto-Byzantium

Your vanishing walls, let me caress you,
as if you caressed my skin, your face.

Feel your story, the path I echo across
your skin, taken to the bedchamber.

Your streets have words, honey-filled;
hush them for now, or till dawn.

Don't ask my name, or anything else;
whatever you find is within you.

I breathe, in the bedchamber, honey-filled;
wherever you look is another sea.

 

[CharleyH]

We are only waiting for the Wicked one, now (and REM - not so wicked) How about it you two?

 

[CharleyH]

Just a harmless bump for the weekend.

 

[champagne1982]

So when do we go 'thpptt' and start getting snuggled for our poems? Yes, yes, Ms H-Hynde, I know you're still honeymooning. I still want snuggles... <weg> is that foolio over there with an empty knee? I'll just squish up here beside 'tess and give him two poetic forms to fondl... ermmm, work with.

 

[CharleyH]

So when do we go 'thpptt' and start getting snuggled for our poems? Yes, yes, Ms H-Hynde, I know you're still honeymooning. I still want snuggles... <weg> is that foolio over there with an empty knee? I'll just squish up here beside 'tess and give him two poetic forms to fondl... ermmm, work with.

Ya know? Much to Trisse's dismay, I should've gone with my initial instinct and made this challenge a 24-hour "OK Corral" gun fight. I got distracted by marriage and ... sex. I will pamper all your ego's by the end of the week, though. Thank you all!