an almost made up story

Posted on by claudia

 

i met him in the mall on christmas eve,
& i was sitting on a bench because my shopping patience
lasts a maximum of thirty minutes

i confess, he didn’t look as i expected,
rather simple – jeans and sweater
and we started talking – just the everyday
like weather and the crazy traffic, weakness of the euro,

no, there was no revelation, just his eyes,
intelligent and warm – though it’s not about
intelligence he said “you see him over there?”

i realized i don’t see as much as i would love to–
and some things i just don’t want to see at all,

so have you ever met a man and knew immediately
how it would be to love him? or you think you–

a small boy ran towards us, shouting
“mama, look who’s sitting over there” &
like a beam of smiles he crossed the floor, climbed
on his lap, whispering into his ear,

i looked at him again, his sport shoes, jeans & —

we sat side by side, watching passersby with
joy, fatigue and sorrow spun in cobwebs on their face,
and he listened like someone who cared,

it was already dark when i walked home, the christmas tree,
(three meter something) sparkled in the shop panes
& the first snow swallowed
the soft clip – clap of my steps

.
Wishing you all a merry Christmas.. 

36 responses to “an almost made up story”

  1. … nonetheless, Claudia, 2 hearts met … always follow your heart … even if happiness lasts only for a second … go for it … Love always, cat.

  2. Sometimes there is more than meets the eye in chance encounters!

    And Merry Christmas to you too, Claudia! And thanks for all you do over at dVerse. No small thing and never taken for granted (by me).

  4. you met santa? big smiles….lovely capture of a magical moment claudia…i am glad you sat down there and met his man…kids know too…they know when they see no matter what he is wearing….merry christmas my friend…i hope that you have a lovely holiday with your family!

  5. Beautiful, especially the last two stanzas…”fatigue like cobwebs” “Snow swallowing steps”. Great lines. I went to the mall last night after work…crazy. I rarely frequent the mall…It can be a lonely place. I often break out in hives…:) Then I texted my wife and got some perspective on all the hollabaloo. Without meaningful relationships all the glitter isn’t gold. Merry Christmas my German friend!

  10. Yeah–the red suit doesn’t always guarantee the real thing–it’s always in the eyes, though. In your middle stanza you get to something I’ve tried to say in a lot of poems about that instant of affinity that can spark between total strangers–where you feel you’ve been in love for ages/are about to fall in love/ are looking at someone you knew in another life. Merry Christmas, and that happy yule goat is burning here for you. 😉

  12. a magical story-poem I will remember long after Christmas, and what gorgeous imagery

    like a beam of smiles he crossed the floor

    merry Christmas to you, Claudia, and thanks – you brightened up my day with this

  13. A soulmate is an ongoing connection with another individual that the soul picks up again in various times and places over lifetimes. We are attracted to another person at a soul level not because that person is our unique complement, but because by being with that individual, we are somehow provided with an impetus to become whole ourselves.
    ~Edgar Cayce

  18. Yes, indeed I have met a man and known instantly how it would be to love him, and him me. Some men are so loveable from the git-go.

    Merry Christmas to you too, Dear Claudia!!

    Oh, and for me shopping patience lasts about 20 minutes. How do you do a full 30?? 🙂

    xoxo

  19. Very nice scene painted here, love how you mixed holiday with conceptualization and the everyday dialogue shared, great job. Thanks. Merry Christmas Claudia.

  21. oh, dear claudia, love the conversational tone and pitch you capture this moment in. and like one before me says, I knew, I didn’t know. . .and I knew. I find every year, this is a magic time and no matter how harried, worried, scurried it seems “out there” there’s always time and willing one for a smile, laugh, bit of conversation. we make of it what we want. . .and merry christmas to you and yours, my dear friend 🙂

    Monty

  29. Ha.. Loved this.. Santa does not always have to have a white beard does he?

    Wonderful story and all the best for a beautiful holiday season!!
    Lynne

  30. What a beautiful tale told poetically. You humanized the central characters which gave your poem life, rather than the usual contrived fairy tale many of us construct. Your tale placed the reader in the moment, for we all have been seated next to stranger, in whom we found a common, even brief affinity–for love.

  33. Sitting way across on another bench, I was observing all this, and wept a bit–for all those times I missed the ‘whole show’. My isolation caused by fear of rejection
    then, I now THRIVE on greeting, meeting, connecting with not only friends, but strangers as well.

    Claudia…I used to look down to the floor. Always. Now I look UP, not wanting to miss one-second glances of Peep’s eyes, your eyes.Thank you!

    PEACE!