Just Tired

My first assignment for one of my poetry writing classes was to find a poem from an author we liked and read it aloud in class. I chose a poem by my Grandfather because I had always looked up to him for his dedication to God, family, and his unflinching kindness & Love. Most of his writing included his wife, and how much he loved her. This poem was written on their 70th Anniversary when Grandmother asked him if he ever got tired of her.

JUST TIRED

When you asked me yesterday, my love, if I had tired of thee,

I searched by wavering heart to see if such a thing could be.

I thought of precious hours, dear, when love was young and free,

Of glowing hearts, and youthful dreams, what gleeful revelry.

The years have gone, but not one day was lost except in love and

Can you imagine, precious one, that such as I could tire, of one

Whose every breath is drawn alone for my desire.

Whose hands and feet and heart and mind work only for my care,

And in the midst of every woe my heavy burdens share.

Do you suppose the earth could tire of God's bright shining sun,

Which gives it light and life and night from which its' glories' spun?

Can lovers tire of moon beam rays that cast their gentle glow,

Reflecting loves adoring gleam from eyes true lovers know?

Can laughter tire of a peaceful heart that buckles it to glee?

Then could a song be tired, my love, of precious harmony?

If earth and lovers, kings and song could tire if such could be

My precious love, my life, my queen, then I am tired of thee.

By

W. C. Bryant

For the second part of the assignment we were supposed to re-write the poem with a different constraint or voice. Since the poem is so personalized I tried to de-personalize it by writing it 3rd person. The flow and the meaning changes so drastically that it loses meaning. So I took the idea of REFLECTION to write it as what I envisioned my Grandmother paralleling my Grandfather. Hopefully I got her voice correctly in this. Enjoy

Tired

I asked you yesterday, my love, if you had tired of me,

I watched your face as you searched your heart if such a thing could be,

You smiled, you laughed the kind of laugh of love so young and free.

It made my heart glow, it touched my dreams with gleeful revelry.

The years are not gone but preserved in love

How could I imagine, beloved one, that such as you could tire, of one

Whose every breath is drawn for your desire,

Whose hands and feet and heart and mind work only for your care.

And in the midst of all our woes our heavy burdens share.

You give me light and life and hope and faith from whence our marriage spun

Like the earth each fateful morn with the rising of the sun.

Your eyes reflect love's adoring gleam from which my true heart knows,

Like moon beam rays which reflect lovers in their gentle glow.

I could never tire of your laughter that buckles my heart with glee,

Together we sing a song, my love, of precious harmony.

I asked that question, love, with fear of what you thought of me,

Your face, your laugh, and eyes reflect that could never be.