Hunger

Hunger

I could hold you like this

forever,

Wrapped in your arms

That feel like oceans

I could swim in for years and

Never reach the other end.

I could trace the lines

Of your face with

My finger, caressing

mountains and canyons

That I will never see.

I kiss you fervently

As if I am a starving bird

And you are the only

source of food I can get.

I do starve for you,

Though I do not know you.

I call you my lover

And embrace you as such,

Yet I will never truly

Know who you are.

I love you.

The artwork I decided to base my poem on is a painting titled “The Lovers.” What intrigued me the most about this piece of art was the relationship between distance and intimacy. I did not intentionally draw inspiration from any poet or poem, but possibly subconsciously borrowed a few poetic techniques. I did not attempt to explain the art but used it as a starting point to describe the feelings it left me with. There’s a sense of longing that I feel when I look at the painting. The lovers are intertwined in an intimate embrace but cannot see each other at all. It leaves me wondering how intimate this experience can really be. I chose to use these very short lines to mimic the fleeting nature of intimate moments. The imagery I used reflects how one can feel incredibly connected and essentially unknowable to the other person. Despite their physical closeness to one another, they will never fully understand each other.