Withdraw
and I, withheld,
must stretch up
tiptoed
and leaning out
overreach.
Toppling;
you'll call it
a falling in love.
Have you no
wherewithal
to know
that such love withers
that within
becomes without
but my love will go
whither though goest*
anyway, anywhere.

32 thoughts on “Anyway”

1. Great word play, Laura, and I love the lines:

   ‘Toppling;
   you’ll call it
   a falling in love.’

   1. thank you Kim – its so unsteadying that falling!

2. ❤ ❤ ❤ You make the words sing with passion, Laura. Brings to my eyes.

   1. thank you Lisa for feeling the passion and for prompting it in the first place with ‘with’

      1. You’re most welcome, Laura.

3. Perfect wordplay, and I learned a new word too: wherewithal…. love it

   1. thanks Bjorn – great minds think alike as the saying goes!!

4. Wonderful use of the word with! Your poem reminds me of the old country song, Stand by Your Man – Tammy Wynette!

   1. every which way with! Yes I know that song well

      1. :>)

5. excellent withery!

   1. withery and withering – a nice addition to the lexicon

6. Love the biblical reference… and the ambiguity… and the eternally unfulfilledness. Really nice poem.

   1. thank you Kim – Ruth’s words came first to mind when I saw the prompt

7. The rhythm topples and tumbles too; yet the motion is unstoppable. (K)

   1. thank you Kerfe for such insights

8. Very clever indeed.

   1. thank you

      p.s. but your linked name goes nowhere – it will help sending to your current blog

9. Oh, I love the wordplay, Laura.

   1. thank you for your appreciation

      1. You’re most welcome

10. Words play like sword play, thrusting and parrying throughout; withdraw/withheld, wherewithal/ withering, without/within… fun and effective.

    1. brilliant metaphor- thank you!

11. Your wordplay creates a strong sense of passion.

    1. thank you -yes even in fun you felt it!

12. I love the use of with in several forms, and several moods too.

    1. with much thanks Paul!

       1. Very welcome Laura

13. Seeing the reference to Ruth was a shock, a sudden realisation that the poem was not as I had first read it, and rereading was enriching. I have found the story of Ruth very moving myself and included a poem about her life-changing decision in my own book Shimmering Horizons. I like your own poem Laura – I’m heading back to rereread it now!

    1. John, I think you may have read it initially as intended and the penultimate reference to Ruth is a counter to falling in love, a commitment unacknowledged by the withdrawn lover.

       p.s. I have your ‘shimmering horizons’ and must seek out your poem – it is such a wonderfully diverse collection of poems and yet your ‘voice’ remains constant.

14. I find the reference to Ruth to be very rich. As you say, her kind of love is a commitment; it’s not a falling in love, not a ‘toppling’, but a counterbalance to that. And it is a kind of love not acknowledged by the lover who has withdrawn. Great poem, Laura. It says so much in a few lines.

    I’m pleased that you like my ‘Shimmering Horizons’. Thank you.

    1. and her commitment was rewarded with Boaz! thank you for the discussion John – so helpful for poetry making.

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