What is this upon my hand that I bear
So tenderly, with such loving care? Is
It not a mere piece of gold, was melded
And tended by the fold of smithies that do
Forge such stuff, and then formed into a ring?
Yes I would say to you, yes, it is: and
No. No, it is far more than a mere ring.
For by such a ring what am I to make
Of who I am or what I stand for? Oh,
What shall I say that will not partake in
Some weighty discussion! which I do not
Like in the least, for philosophers do
Tend to draw the thing out without making
The true points come alive! And if I am
To suggest, and I do confess myself
Prone to do so when time allows, that my
Ring represents all that I am and will
Be, then I should stamp upon my head some
Token of my beliefs as well: for such
Is the extreme notion that my ring does
Represent to those that fail to see.
Still you are here, and willing to sit and
So listen, to hear of my tale. Yes.
Since I see you are truly keen to know
Of the hidden meaning behind the thing
I shall tell you, of the day my wife gave
Me this golden ring. A day not unlike this,
Clouds did roll across the abyss of the
Sky; yet as high as they were they could not
Blot out the sun that shone upon my face,
Nor could they a single moment replace
The thoughts that I bore at that time. I was
Standing here, not far from where you are now,
And as I turned my head the better to
See the reason behind the noise I then
Heard, my jaw dropped two feet. I saw glory
Parading before me, unraveled light,
For sure that was what they had seen a short
Moment ago that had caused men to go
Limp in the face, for women to sigh; such
A presence did I see before me, as
I have never felt unto this day since
She passed. Yet regardless of this, at long
Last the one being truly made for me was
Before my eyes, and would not leave me. Her
Hair tied back in strings of Lilly White,
Her eyes the color of mud; ha! you thought
That I was to say stars, or sapphires,
Diamonds, rubies, emeralds, heaven no!
No, she had the most warlike of natures;
Such colors would not have suited her, no,
They would not have matched her spirit of clay,
That spirit that she had in abundance,
That stuck onto me like an adhesive,
Changed my very essence and hers too,
Molded us until we resembled some
Thing newly made from God's imaginings.
So much so had she conquered me through those
Brown eyes. Ah, they were not as some men would
Say mere duds that disqualified her; for
What is a woman that you should judge her
Alone by the skin and bone that she bears?
By her bare skin alone she is fair, so
Very very fair to behold, I admit!
But by that alone love would be called lust!
Though such desire ought to be present
You cannot survive on it alone; fire
Goes out without sustenance to grow on.
But to press on, I shall say so much more.
I have already spoken of her core,
Warlike Athena she was to me, yet
Tender face that became no other soul
So well as she did at that hour. Now,
For her body, it was made of bronze, her
Skin made fair by the color of the moon;
For she was not as I am, peach skin, no!
No, nature had procured for me a love
So heavenly that her legs, her arms, her
hands, her firm belly, and most lovely chest,
Were all the color of dirt painted red
By sunset: though that might seem strange to some,
It was for me like finding the perfect
Wine. Yes. So! So, grand she appeared to me
That for a moment that seemed to stretch
On an eternity was I caught up.
Yet strangely, and I scarce remember how,
The sight of my love shifted, appeared to
Have moved without moving. Now next to me.
I remember, she told me, that I was
Embarrassing her by my gaping mouth.
I had after all never seen, before
This moment, how deep was the well that
I would soon join. But, I told her that she
Need only take my hand and I would so
Remedy that fear inside her heart. I
Thought she'd mock my love for sure. Ah but then!
Can you believe it? her hand took mine, and
That terrible beauty of which I spoke
Became mingled with the fluttering wind;
Like an parched bird caught up in song;
Though he be lacking water he must sing
Out the expression of what he sees, yes,
Exactly so! So she was to me, and,
Despite her distress she smiled. Not
That smile that most brides have, no, no! Oh
No! She smiled through her eyes: her lips were
still, slightly parted, to express the same
Feeling I had felt moments before. Such
A feeling! as though I had won over
Her very soul, as she had mine. Then, well,
We were, if you can believe, interrupted;
By the priest. Sometimes I think him to be
Jealous of what we had, is that so bad?
Now, to explain the parts that came after;
Yet shall I compare such parts with you who
Have not experienced them? Cannot? For
How can I, who have seen the light break through
The veil of mine own inferior
Intellect so as to make clear what was
Occurring that instant of eternal
Life, speak my piece of mind? No, how can I
To the one who has not? Unless I have
Some power to sway another's mind, so
As to crack the vault of his heart and so
Reveal to him the hidden power
Of such a wondrous union by force! No,
For even had I the power to give
You the essence of that moment, I'd not
For all the world ruin it for you. Such
Is the power of what I have bought through
The commitment I made that day. Now
Gone; lost to the wind, dust in the ground, mud....
I do not mean to keep you in the dark
But if you think that you can understand
Then say so, do with your speech of me bid
That moment of bliss for which I have no words!
And in a many paged book I will write
Out for you the feeling then impressed on
My soul.
Though I warn you, it will take a full
Eternity of your time. So will my ring
Then be explained, your curiosity
Then sated. But if you will take an old
Mans advice, find a girl yourself. Do then
Take her through the very steps I have made.
Then what would take years to understand in
A book, shall be instantly understood.
When she gives you a single look.
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