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Poems from the Yellow Notebook: Sonnet Version

I realized a problem with sharing poems from when I was 15-16. The poems are mostly just fine. If these were from when I was 9-10, we could laugh at how cute and silly I was.

Instead we're left with poems that are not really bad nor particularly good, so I don't quite know how to react to them.

But this one I'm okay with laughing at. It's almost good, and almost deep, but . . . oh boy. If you like it, great. If not, I don't blame you.

Tis better to be loved than beautiful
For though the two may sometimes seem the same
Above the eyes, the heart is dutiful
To that same soul to which you gave your name.
Like earth's eroding rocks and melting caps,
A woman's face will wrinkle and degrade.
A love skin-deep would bear no more perhaps
And then relinquish vows that had been made.
Yet when the shining purity of soul
Does bind each heart to heart beyond all age,
A change in looks does not their love annul
But simply moves the clutter from the stage
Whereon is found eternal light so deep
That only those with love its pow'r can keep.

So, good message, right? Marry for more than looks. Some of the lines don't make sense to me but I think I've got the general gist.

But oh, man . . . I have seen several women age some throughout my life (I mean, I've known some people for about a quarter century now), and "earth's eroding rocks and melting caps" really does not seem like a fair description of the process. Most do it quite gracefully. And men age too, by the way.

Just like I said here:


Good thing we've both got a "shining purity of soul" to bind our hearts beyond all age so we won't relinquish vows due to wrinkles and hairs.

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