Love… A puzzle will never be completed with only 499 pieces
no matter how smooth the talk of a salesman, value still decreases
Still, there’s nothing quite as inspiring as reading her mental diary
or the heated passion as fiery knowing she had once desired me
I’ve managed to turn our novella into a poorly ended short story
simply asking the writer to feel obligated to systematically marry
from a once undeniably, intensely, passionate sexual excitement
to an eerie, socially hospitable respect, but equally deep resentment
how an infatuating love, so deep that your sinful obsession turns to hate
until that rooted love twists into pain, and an amends is much too late
maturing souls drift further away than could ever once been imagined
‘oceans apart’ could still be sailed, though the wind can’t be fashioned
a forever perplexing love is what I will always have, and humbly admit
I promised that I would always do so, accepting the pieces just didn’t fit.
©2018 Joseph Emerson http://www.whatsinsideamadmanshat.com
What's Inside a Madman's Hat? 
This really depicts what happens in so many relationships.
“I’ve managed to turn our novella into a poorly ended short story”
I read it twice and decided that except for the hate part, this could describe my first marriage quite well.
Isn’t it amazing how, after time, love and passion just don’t seem to fit any more?
I really liked this. It brought a twinge of pain back because it so vividly described how relationships can go terribly wrong. You do have a way with words!
I think a puzzle is a perfect way to think about a relationship that soured. The pieces were either misplaced, didn’t fit anymore, or just got thrown out in the trash. Shit happens.
Another good one!!! Bravo!
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Thank you. Yes it’s sad/ great growing pains… Some have left stretch marks that’ll never go away.
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Ha! Stretch Marks! Too funny. Well in my case it definitely did. But only because we had a son together lol. Actually, I’ve been divorced from my first husband for so long that we’re great friends now. Sometimes people are just meant to friends not lovers. So the stretch marks have almost faded away. 🤗
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Deep and poignant poetic words so well composed, Joseph. Lovely picture too. Great poem.
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Thank you. Thank you so much for reading.
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Welcome dear Joseph.
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Always searching for my missing piece.
This was excellent. Expertly penned and expressed
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Thank you! 🎩
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Oh Joe, really what you find when you dare to stare into that hat; simply wow wow wow. I have been down that infatuating; love v passion leading to loathing and all road one too many times. I still got me some stretch marks and just thought of painting them lol
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Haha thank you so much. I’m glad you liked it. I had a busy week and hadn’t written… Then I was walking through my house and this piece slapped me in the face. So random. Thanks again.
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great words
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I really like the first line of this. You the have captured the process of opening up yourself to another and what to make of the walk away. This line especially resonated, “I’ve managed to turn our novella into a poorly ended short story.”
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Thank you so much. I’m glad you liked it. Thank you for reading!!!😊🎩
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This is awesome. I love how the first line and the last line of your poem sandwiched all the lines in between into a nice puzzle sandwich. I love the puzzle analogy. So many parts of life can be compared to a jigsaw puzzle and the puzzle is not complete if we miss even one piece. I just wrote a post today about missing puzzle pieces and then I read your awesome poem. “The missing puzzle piece is still part of the puzzle.” So this love puzzle of yours missing some pieces will always be a part of your puzzle of life. Best wishes, much love and be well.
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Hi, wow what a poem! Lots of sections resonate with me at the moment, as I’m going through the kind of thorny, painful exorcism in terms of love conceptualised. In fact you may have just inspired me to try and write my own thoughts down. How long did it take you to write this? I’m great at passionately starting something I love, but not so good at maintaining the energy necessary to finish it in good form. Lol, perhaps the same could be said for many other aspects of my life.. I’m learning. Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Glad you were able to take something from this piece. Sorry to hear you’re going through some turmoil but they is when we come up with the best work. When I sit and it flows and I’m uninterrupted… Anywhere between a half hour and 6 hours. Not sure how long this one took. Thanks again for reading.
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I love this
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Thank you so much. 🎩
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And in that acceptance is a love like no other…yours. As a child we trip, we stumble, but as we get older we get so much better at this balancing thing, emotional turmoil not withstanding. Love is like that. Until one day, usually on the biggest stumble of our lives that we never see coming, we finally see inside fears cage and in that understanding it will lose its power over us. Finally, beautifully setting us free to see the world from a whole new place.
Painful yes, but when we see how it is really built, the admission price will no longer matter. And neither will your 499 pieces because you will have found the one piece that does matter. Yours! 😀
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Very well and dramatically put. Makes a lot of sense. You made me go back and reread this, I had forgotten how much I loved this one. I must have been wearing a heavy heart that day and reminiscing. Thank you so much for reading and liking and interacting. Glad you enjoyed. 🎩 Please come again soon 👍
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😀 👍
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