Poem after Galway Kinnell

Lost Love’s Legacy

The lover after marriage and divorce
goes a separate way alone. Though one goes
the vow broken remains in splintered blows
against abandoned partners . . . Grief’s pale horse
leaves that trace of eternity—sows coarse
sorrow down within, among, heartbreaks’ throes
of wondering wounds—shard upon shard blows
in blizzard gales—indefensible force 

bequeathing pains’ legacy, anguishing
intense as sun on glazed snow . . . dignity
offers no solace, nor solace surcease
as the heart from hurts scars Time’s languishing
panacea fills those cracks . . . infinity
makes every vow false, yet loves’ stings never cease.

David M Pitchford
15 July 2009

This sonnet was intended to be a sonnet interpretation of Galway Kinnell’s “The Vow”; however, it decided to go its own way . . .

The Vow

When the lover
goes, the vow though
broken remains, that
trace of eternity love
brings down among us
stays, to give
dignity to the suffering
and to intensify it.

As you can see, Kinnell’s is a rather remarkable poem.