“Amulet”
Amulet
My body is an amulet
craving your palm.
It longs
to duck inside your collar,
to be tucked
below your shirt, to slide
in and out of the buckle of sternum,
dangling upon your chest, nestling
against your breast, wresting
from your soft-hard flesh
whatever it is that hones
stone, takes home
the touch of you.
Charmed charm, it presses
against the caress of thumb,
forefinger, blesses
skin-lingering–the rub
for good luck, the kiss questing
protection–
I will bring you what
I can, love,
but in return must be
kept close, coveted,
not lost.
(Sorry that the amulet in the photo above is a bit dorky! I wasn’t quite up for making a fresh drawing this morning, but am very happy to post the poem and photo for the wonderful dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night, and also for Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads, another wonderful poetry website. These are terrific sources for those interested in writing and reading poetry or for anyone who just wants to get out of the box of daily life for a bit. While you are getting out of that box, take a chance on NOSE DIVE, a fun escapist book written by yours truly, illustrated by Jonathan Segal.) Here also are links to revuews by Charles Mashburn and Victoria Ceretto (fellow poet-bloggers.)
Available in print and on Kindle (for just 99 cents!)
(As always, all rights reserved.)
Explore posts in the same categories: poetry, UncategorizedTags: amulet, closeness poem, love poem about protecting and being protected, manicddaily, power of love
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ManicDDaily 
March 20, 2012 at 8:36 am
I really like this one! Well Done !
March 20, 2012 at 8:38 am
Thanks so much!
March 20, 2012 at 9:46 am
very nice flow in your words ma’am…
def comes across the feeling of deisre to be in that intimate place by the heart and coveted and truly feel special…the amulet makes a great vehicle for this…
March 20, 2012 at 11:29 am
Oh, this is beautiful! Gorgeous piece.
March 20, 2012 at 2:32 pm
There’s a nice balance between pure sensuality and intimate privacy in this, K. The opening lines are so evocative, and the charm never fails in its purpose of attraction and transformation of the ordinary moment. I like the note of realism introduced at the end, as well.
March 20, 2012 at 3:08 pm
good metaphor, or is it simile??
sonnet 36
March 20, 2012 at 8:55 pm
Hi Zongrik, I think it’s a metaphor. Great sonnet! K.
March 20, 2012 at 3:30 pm
what i love most here is the closeness and intimacy…and great using the amulet as a metaphor…made me sigh…deeply..smiles
March 20, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Love the amulet-lust metaphor here… and the longing feeling throughout… very symbolic.
March 20, 2012 at 4:12 pm
Great sensual write–loved it
March 20, 2012 at 4:45 pm
Wanting to be so close, very sensual indeed, really liked how you spun it. A true live amulet beats a fake one any day.
March 20, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Photo? We don’t needs no photo! This is great, Karin!
When is the sequel to Nose Dive coming out?? I still say you’ve got a great cast of characters; Celia, Petry, Deanna, Maddy, and of course, Hank! I could see you taking this a few books down the road. You never know when that big break will come along!
March 20, 2012 at 8:31 pm
Thanks so much, Charles! You know I have a few old manuscripts with other characters and themes that need a lot of rewriting, and other ideas so I haven’t thought of this one so much, but it was a lot of fun, and a couple of other people have mentioned sequels. So, we’ll see. What’s been a bit hard is that I realize my contacts in the “young adult” world are a bit spare at the moment, and I may be better off (in terms of breaks) with real children’s novels or adult. This has made me rethink what I want to work on next. And then, of course, the main thing is getting some time! K.
March 20, 2012 at 8:41 pm
It’s tough–believe me, I know–and I just wanted to encourage you. Just write what feels right, and enjoy it; that’s the main thing.
March 20, 2012 at 5:42 pm
LOVE! Seriously…and I personally think the image is awesome! Know your worth dear Poet! This was wonderful!
March 20, 2012 at 6:46 pm
Thanks so much, Tash. K.
March 20, 2012 at 5:52 pm
Love those opening lines. I also appreciate your comment on my fairy tale. You’re right, of course. It is much better suited to prose. I’m sure it will make the transformation in the future. Thanks for sharing this and that with me.
March 20, 2012 at 5:59 pm
I like how you explored the touch and sensation of the keeping the amulet close ….very nice write with a touch of sensuality ~
Happy spring day ~
March 20, 2012 at 7:21 pm
strong exchange between the sense of touch and the emotion of longing. i like the turn at the end, the demand. intriguing.
March 20, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Thanks, David.
March 20, 2012 at 8:14 pm
Nice sensual write, Karin .
March 20, 2012 at 8:29 pm
Thanks!
March 20, 2012 at 8:43 pm
This is a wonderful poem.
March 20, 2012 at 8:49 pm
Thanks so much. I love your little icon/gravatar! K.
March 20, 2012 at 8:52 pm
this is so beautifully done, i love the tone and the rhythm… the longing. just lovely.
March 20, 2012 at 9:32 pm
Ah, I really love this one! I always say that, at its essence, poetry is metaphor – and here the metaphor of the lover as amulet, to be kept close to the skin, is just irresistible. A unique invention, and you explore all the implications of this metaphor wonderfully.
March 21, 2012 at 11:18 am
I cannot say that I have read this metaphor before in any poem, making this quite creative and pretty damn original. I like the way you describe the things and amulet does, the hanging and the tucking. There is something intimate and personal about an amulet…thats why this works so well. Great work.
March 21, 2012 at 11:40 am
Thanks so much. K.
March 21, 2012 at 3:54 pm
Love this, K:
“My body is an amulet
craving your palm.”
March 21, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Thanks, Shawna.
March 21, 2012 at 7:14 pm
I find this very lovely and sensuous. The following lines are beautiful:
from your soft-hard flesh
whatever it is that hones
stone, takes home
the touch of you.
March 21, 2012 at 8:11 pm
Thanks so much, Charles. K.
March 22, 2012 at 7:06 am
Lovely!
sensuous, descriptive, and desireous with yearning and promise.
very good job with this piece.
March 22, 2012 at 11:07 am
After nearly 22 years of marriage, I still long to be close to my husband’s heart, his presence. But he would never wear a “necklace”. 😉 This was very sweet and captures the desire of being close.. both emotional and physically.
March 22, 2012 at 12:48 pm
No, I don’t think mine would either, come to think of it. K.