T. Amour's Poetry Session #1

I have been cheating on poetry with music lately. Sort of. Music and poetry often go hand in hand because lyrics are vocal poetry, so the affair is not newsworthy.


One of my favorite poems of all time is derived from the movie "Love Jones". Released in 1997, this movie depicted the thrilling (and often) confusing world of love between a gifted male writer and a beautiful photographer. Music, poetry, and striking photography are huge staples in the overall theme of the film. Of course, this is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE MOVIE OF ALL TIME! I watch it at least once a month and I still laugh, cry, and smile as though I have never seen "Love Jones" before.


If you have not seen it, please do so. The cast is African-American, but the story line, characters, emotions, and savory music/poetry are universal. This is not, I REPEAT, is not your typical romantic drama. And, the soundtrack is astounding. What a treat :)


At the end of the movie, the main female character, Nina, goes back to an upscale nightclub where she met her love interest and reads a poem that sums up her lingering feelings for him. I want to share this with you. Read it several times to absorb the strong currents of passion in the writing. In real life, this poem was penned by Sonia Sanchez (whom I love, adore, and admire).


"It is the color of light,
the shape of sound high in the evergreens, 
It lies suspended in hills, a blue line in a red sky, I am looking at sound.
I am hearing the brightness of high bluffs and almond trees, 
I am tasting the wilderness of lakes, rivers, and streams caught in an angle in song. 
I'm remembering the water that glows in the dawn, the motion tumbled in earth,  life hidden in mounds. 
I am dancing a bright beam of light. I am remembering... love." -Sonia Sanchez.


*All rights reserved to Sonia Sanchez, the original author of this poem.*


I'm not sure how this poem makes you feel. For me, the words leap off my computer screen and bathe my bedroom in sharp, sexy imagery. Love, TRUE LOVE, is embodied in these words. Love is strong, bright, sharp, delightful, tasty, and brilliant. Sanchez compares love to nature's most astounding portraits, giving the world's greatest emotion a face. 


Love poetry, Love Music, Love Life (and Love Jones),


-T. Amour