On clifftop bench
the lovers sat, unspeaking.
Minutes drifted by in gentle folds,
contentment interleaved.
Nobody moved, nobody spoke
as the tide crept along the strand,
buzzed by shrieking gulls.
The mystery of the moment
left images of calm,
lingered long in memory to
temper troubles
as hectic mundanity intruded.
Life no more was tranquil ─
filled with goings, doings, comings.
No time for contemplation
in the hubbub of subsistence.
Background sound of whispers
remained to comfort
in peril, ailment … distress ─
contention contained,
averted by tenderness,
in mutual sympathy
until the tide receded,
when our lovers,
frail and deaf,
dwindled into intimate silence.
I wrote this for the Magma competition, but decided it was not at all their style, so why waste the entry fee?
Vivinfrance's Blog 
This took me to the shores of Brittany, or even the coast of Northern California, where I used to live. Very evocative of the place with the underlying message.
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Breathtaking verse 🙂
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I love how you show the world rushing by the couple… how they are isolated in themselves… a splendid poem… somehow this is hos love should be. But of course there is another view… the observer, the excluded, the world itself… hmm you made me think .. which is the purpose of poetry,
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Thank you, Bjorn.
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Sounds like they’ve been through a lot, known all the agitation and frenzy, and now have found a peaceful contentment and contemplation together. I liked the startling juxtaposition of the tide buzzed by seagulls.
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I liked reading this tale of the long-time lovers moving into old age together. It made me remember my in-laws who remained lovers until the end.
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I love the ending Viv ~ I too read it like two people in symphony being together, now wrapped in intimate silence ~ Thanks for sharing it ~
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The comfort of each other’s presence…words are unnecessary!
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This is a very peaceful poem really….I feel that the two are comfortable with one another, enjoying the ebb and the flow of life.
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What a beautiful lifelong love story.
This line takes my breath away: “Minutes drifted by in gentle folds”
Reminiscent of spanning skies…gentle wrinkles happening in all the right places…time itself seeming to fold in half. Sigh. Beautiful.
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Thank you, DE.
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How lovely, Viv! We all want to be lovers, however old we are.
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A life story starting from adulthood, but taking one right through from there – in just three stanzas! Well done.
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Maybe I read it differently but I saw this as the story of two lives, aging together. But maybe that’s because there I am. I just loved this and saw it as worthy of some contest!
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That’s exactly what I intended. Thanks, Victoria.
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Lovely! Full of peace and contentment.
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Thanks Kate.
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Wonderful poem.
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