Tuesday, November 07, 2006

The Kiss...

I’ve been in love only once. A very long time ago. And for a very short time. But it lasted forever.

A romance Untainted by the first four letter word. The first harsh ugly word. The first possessive, jealous, bigoted, arrogant, righteous, selfish word.

We talked. He spoke seven languages, English not his native, and spoke them all well. But it’s what he did with his words that grabbed me with octopus arms and hugged me in tighter.

He wove them. He used them for music, for background effects, for medicinal purposes, for tickling, for thinking out loud. He sent words instead of flowers, and gifted me with stories. It was as if we had known each other a lifetime in no time at all…. And we did, because we shared our lives, our childhood secrets, our silly dreams, our disappointments …. The brown bagged everyday stuff, the chaotic “Isn’t this a crises to anybody, but me?” crap, the “I believe in…….” fairytale endings , the “I’ve never told anybody else this….” secret lives that we tote around in dirty Samsonite luggage….. Afraid to pitch, for fear it will be discovered, weary from hauling it around all these years.

We danced and sang out loud, added words, made-up words, used other world words. When he left for Desert Storm, we mailed words across the ocean , army lugged in duffle bags, wrapped in yellow envelopes. We traded tiny cassette tapes, weeks, sometimes months, in the traveling, just to hear each other’s words….

We listened. To each other. And danced in the kitchen.

I married a man whose vocabulary consisted of one, two, three, and four letter words. Occasionally graced by a few BIG words like… Toyota, Delmonico, and some expletives best left off the list. We talked about who fed the dog last, what the neighbors were up to, and the interest Rates on our credit cards. We danced on occasion. We ate well always. We fought like hell.

I listened last night. I watched the words as they were born. As you struggled to build them into a formula that I could understand, as your body spoke the words before they left your lips. When you finally quit fighting with yourself , the words fell fluid like into our space. Where I could touch them. Sense them. Hear them.

And then we danced in the kitchen….

18 comments:

vicci said...

Sas....LOVE this art piece...don't sell it! I want to buy it! PS...My little "project" is coming along very nice!

mist1 said...

Beautiful.

I eloped with a man who used little words like beer, mine, yours, and truck. To best communicate with him I used little words too, like soap, no, and shoes.

The biggest word I ever said to him was divorce. He didn't understand.

singleton said...

Vicci, your little project IS LOVE! You are wonderful! This little one left months ago, on wings to The Keeper of The Kisses, but thank you so much...

Mist1....Ahhhhh! I am cracking up! Been there and ummmmm, done that! Grunting was also an effective expression in his world!

Anonymous said...

Persichetti said...
Ah Singleton how I remember that wonderful love affair...so beautiful, so powerful...right from that very first trip through the drive thru teller :)! I love you Singleton!

skinnylittleblonde said...

Such beautiful words Singleton...ilysvm.
So many people live a life & never know that kind of love... you are so blessed. I am so glad you hold those memories near your heart & I'm glad to know that you still dance in the kitchen.

JustRun said...

Oh I so hope that's a true story!

singleton said...

Persichetti....
I love you too, always have, and I thank God you were there, as witness and friend because it was wonderful, remains so even in the going... Now can you jump over to Skinny's and jog our memory on exactly WHY we hauled that grocery cart to my house?

SLB....Always blessed. And remain convinced that those of us who have known love if even for a second are more blessed than those who haven't....

Justrun....
Believe it!

Fuzzylogic said...

Wow!that was awesome!I wish I could put my feelings out in such a beautiful way!

Mel said...

Your artwork?
It's wonderful!!

And your share....absolutely left me nodding and grinning!!

See...We dance in the kitchen-- all the time.

Who'da thunk I'd ever have what I have today.

Deepak Gopi said...

:)

Anonymous said...

Beautiful Words!
Skinny did a post on kisses too ...inspired by this & I think she put a secret message in there. You girls & your butterflies!

Anne said...

Every once in a while you find a man who is good with words and knows how to misuse them - like tools of an artist in the hands of a killer.

Anne said...

Oh! I meant to tell you, speaking of words, i wrote my little happy bday note to Deepak in his comments the wrong way - i can see how it might sound like his bday was last week, but i actually meant his bday is sunday nov. 12. You didn't miss it, sorry if i confused you.

BTW i love this drawing.

singleton said...

Fuzzylogic...well thank you, but I've read your words and you do put your feelings out in a beautiful way!

Mel...It's great to be back in the kitchen again, and you know, it sounds like you are blessed...

Stone...you're a mighty good detective!

Anne....You are absolutely so right! But for today, it's all good.

MAJOR EFLAT said...

I love your art work...the words on how naive and innocent your love began captures the complexities of emotions one goes through as the love itself grows through the years...

singleton said...

Major... thank you. And nice to see you again! You are so right.... Love grows. And in often unexpected directions!

me and the other me said...

ah girl,
sometimes i think we're either living parallel lives or are secret sisters severed in the netherland. i am in the process of letting go of a very sweet, loving, 1 syllable man because i have never been able to forget my 4 language lover from the past. it's a little sad but i've discovered that if i can't communicate with someone, i don't feel connected. words are my first love and perhaps my last.
thanks for missing me. how goes it with pammie?

singleton said...

Sweet Lisa,
I miss you everytime you disappear. Miss your "words". Words are tonic to the soul. And sometimes, the absence of words speaks louder than the ramblings, but it's the one syllables, the gruntings, the simplicity of those that don't caress them that eventually sounds like cursing to my ears.....
And I know you know what I mean!