Love in art has always been a captivating subject for poets. When they look at a piece of art, they see more than just colors and shapes - they see a story unfolding before their eyes, inspired by the perspectives presented in the artwork, sparking their soul to the surface of their imagination, often intense and profound. Love in particular, evokes a myriad of feelings - joy, passion, longing and even heartache.
On February 3, 2024, ILA Magazine provided 4 images for poets to choose from with a requirement to craft a poem or prose inspired by the art, choosing only one. What did they observe in their own perceptions? They were to describe their emotions in poetry/prose, forming an imagination from their own perspectives of the depicted characteristics from the images we personally created. From 27 entries, we chose 12 poets to be featured. ILA presents each poet's work under the respective art they chose to write about.
"Would You"
If I set out on the road of life Would you walk it with me?
If I make mistakes and fail Would you still believe in me?
If I confess about my flaws
Would you smile with cheer?
If I am little low or sick
Would you cut off my fear?
If I am lost in the dark
Would you find me out?
If I shriek like a child
Would you join to shout?
If gravity and thunder shakes me
Would you hold my hands tight?
If this cruel world abandons me
Would you stand for my fight?
© Rafiya Sayeed Jammu and Kashmir, India
"In the Valleys of Romance"
In the valleys of romance with cupid's arrow,
Where love songs echo in the soulful shadow
Captivated by the scent of scattered Jasmine
We dive into amorousness as our hearts entwine.
Our hearts pulsate in a blissful rhythmic beat,
Melodies of love echo, so melodious and sweet.
Our souls align, and passionate feelings bloom,
The perfume of our breaths dispels our gloom.
An impulse pushes us to accept the sacred bond,
On every joyful cadence, our heartbeats respond.
Our hearts flutter when we embrace each other,
In between shy moments, our lips softly whisper.
Amidst the bewitching and alluring atmosphere,
We look deeply into each other's eyes without interference.
We get lost in the astonishing divine symphony,
Wanting to cherish each moment with harmony.
© Deepti Shakya
India
"Fervent Heart"
Lovebirds hidden from the buzz
Hearts beating wild like drums
A passion of fire within the two
Woven into a single big cocoon
Cupids arrow hitting both of us
Full of emotions that just pour
Amid the pain of unseen eyes
A resolute love tenderly shown
Your fervent desire to kiss me
Tickles my heart, body and soul
© Gloria Magallanes-Loeb
USA
"Janpath Days 1986"
Janpath market checking shawls,
Life effervescing then in a close-knit pashmina I thought of words written on bargain threads
not knowing breaths had sealed then
An oddly different sky
at a connaught place Middle Street we kissed
Life flowed in each other quashed in the shawl
within lips
I asked of a river
it had always escaped
afternoon of repertoires
of small talk
in a Punjabi accent
touching your tongue
I saw a sun went hiding
in our ancestral sharing
eyes closed in pursuit
we hurled in colors and stars
of another momentary season.
© Amitabh Mitra East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa
"Midnight Kiss"
A feeling beyond the reach of imagination so deep and paranormal to people's speculation
sparkling sentient currents in the body wires
sending pleasure into the innards and lire
arresting all senses of emotional sentinel
engilds my night with romantic tunnel.
It is just you and I in this solemnity
that keeps heart drunk in tranquility
of emotional stupor that engulfed our night
radiating and relishing comfort of lustrous bight.
Our tongues twisting each other
bringing our senses into a libidinous pother
and out bodies fastened in amatorial candor
bidding wave of by to all odds except our emotional splendor.
Hold me tight to your soul
licking my lips into a lovely bole
like flames tonguing fire-pot to a tickle
I insert my tongue into yours so prickle
and we journey inside each other
to sojourn in a bliss of love altogether.
© Ikwulono Mohammed Senison
Nigeria
"Untitled"
Amidst melancholy, doth his soul speak Resonance that ripples, her soul t'weep
For it remains within passion's embrace
Care infinite eternal dwindle doth 'ncase
It not matter, whether a path b'intended
Adoration shared needin' no destination It is, within those instances, tho', doleful
A sense upon flesh, surruond, o', soulful
A something that simply exists and just is
Minus regret, forevermore, belongin', his
His is an essence, presence, remarkable
'Pon wings, never misplaced, ever subtle
For he resides within depths of her soul
Undoubtedly sensed mid crevice and pore
It is all there is, all there needs to be
Sharing of two, amidst lands and seas.
© Mena Sisto
Canada
"Saccharine"
I heard the words of love you spoke as you weighed flour and margarine,
I wanted to believe those words
but were they just saccharine?
I licked your pink, frosted fingers
You licked my cupcake lips,
I think I had a sugar rush
caught up in a sugar spun kiss.
Something so homely and wholesome
as we decorated sweet delights,
I thought of you all day
You were the rich marzipan of my nights.
Buttercream daydreams
then that proverbial bun in the oven...
I saw you licking her fondant fingers
You had to have your cake and eat it...
In fact, you'd bedded a baker's dozen!
© Rhiannon Owens
UK
"Let Us Stay Right in Love"
Under spread of umbrella, let's both of us stand,
far from crowds and unpeopled silent scene of a lane
where breeze resonates sweet melody of our love jot,
where leaves dance in tandem, in the merriment accord.
Only two hearts and none to block the free strike in range,
peeping into the hearts thru eyes with uninterrupted gaze.
Exchanging warmth by being close with no bar site,
Yes, my love, let's appease in fair, the love term in light.
Let's hug by dearie tie, tightening tie by warmth of love,
deluge of delight may surpass the acre of realm thereof.
My sweetheart, let us not query rather merge in track,
forgetting outer cult of scene and dotting in show, unchecked.
© Shiv Raj Pradhan
India
"Untitled"
When it started to rain on this summer day, she heaved a sigh of relief, she knew the rain would sweep all the anguish that was between them and it could give a new start; she had chosen a short black dress as light as a summer breeze and as attractive as the lover's eyes; she also decided to put a pair of high heels, so she could reach him for a hug and tuck all the moments of absence in her heart.
She began tiptoeing on a wet road, the sky was gleaming as if washed by the generous clouds, and the street was empty, he said he would wait for her not far from the oak tree the way they used to do when they were schoolmates. She started listening to her heartbeats as she saw him holding an umbrella, wearing a black suit as if preparing for the dance under the rain. He greeted her with a wide smile, he did not want to say anything, he raised the umbrella and mutely covered her hair and then looked at her, when he felt that she seemed a bit feverish, he rushed to touch her lips with a healing deep kiss that would write all the memorable stories of love.
© Sihem Cherif
Tunisia
"Soaking in Love"
Last night when it was raining,
it was as if it were your tears -
splashing through the old sills of trust,
and sousing down that diary of frustration - -
that had words less, but silence more,
and ink less, but tears more - buried!
Last night when it was raining
the past honked onto my vision, and
I left myself and rode to the old heart,
and I can see us soaking in love again.
And...
And
The rain never stops and keeps us
hearted under the single umbrella of love - -
holding us in one soul.
As we had crossed the deserts of separation through spans
beating the talks in our hearts only,
and uttering only sighs and sobs
But we keep saying,
may the rain never stop now,
as I can see us soaking in love again.
Yes, we had crossed the seas, too,
and sailed on the withered yacht of hope,
but that sour thirst burnt us in aches,
and the taste was never quenched...until
This rain tasted like an April romance,
and we can see us soaking in love again.
The storms avenge...
so do my hopes
and I wake up like the withered rose -
eyeing for the lovely morning again...
© Eshfaq Majeed
Pampur, Jammu & Kashmir, India
"The Rain"
I do not know why,
but I love the sound of rain
while it is falling on a hot asphalt.
It is always different,
as if choosing the way to the heart,
and the green leaves in the treetops,
are rustling with happiness.
I do not know why,
but I love the touch of its drops, falling out of order,
onto the petals of poppy flowers.
I love when under the eaves,
a bird is waiting,
distracted by the dream...
...as luck would.
I don't know why,
but I like mild rain,
flowing down the body,
flooding with heat.
I love you,
the traces of your hands,
filled with love,
and grace,
disturbing the silence...
I love the rain,
I love her when we are together,
when the views speak for themselves,
I love when drops...
...leave the messages around
as the bodies sway,
in the hug...
...The heart is searching for,
Answers you seek.
Snežana Šolkotovic
Serbia
"Even in the Heavens"
Even the heavens with a heavy heart
with tears gently flowing from its bosom
cannot hinder two creatures in love
to show the world what it takes
to invest one's emotions in another
with bodies quivering in the rain
The feelings do not feel the restraint
of how hard it is to ensnare teh warmth
in a quick embrace to be savored
at the very moment when words are futile
when even a grasp for breath is precious
for two souls enslaved in a love that is
never meant to be
for they have lost that very chance before
in the past...when the world is at a standstill
and the captive audience of a young love
meant to last in the arms of other creatures
But then,
even the heavens are helpless to separate
thirsty souls out to drink that fleeting drink
from the rains.
No, even the heavens are inept
when even the hearts weep.
Rosemarie Miranda
Philippines