It's the little things that mean so much.
There are lots of times when my wife and I are busy, but, I take a minute and write a simple little note to say "I love you" and leave it on her computer keyboard or some place where I know she'll find it and it will make her smile.
When relationships fall apart, most of the time, it can be attributed to a lack of romance.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking that romance and sex are the same thing. Lots of relationships grow weak because they are not romantic even though sex is frequent.
You have to remember that love is a combination of these three things (See the Greek words to the right).
The first is translated "passion" and is the real power of love.
The second is translated as physical intimacy.
The third is translated "The Love of God" and refers to genuine caring for another person. It is often called "Brotherly Love" and includes things like putting another person's feelings before your own. It is sharing, caring, consideration, generosity, etc... A truly loving relationship is built on these three things.
Passion is that thing which puts power in the written word. If you want to win the heart of a lady, passion is the magic ingredient. To keep the lady of your dreams, you need all three types of love in full measure.
Now, put your heart into it.
When it comes to love, treat it like fine wine. Love should be better with age. The more time you take to cultivate it, the stronger and more savory it becomes. True love casts out fear and doubt.
The pickup artist wants sex. The pickup artist wants a fast score. The pickup
artist is in the relationship game only for the fast-track. Anything that takes too
long is no longer worthy or pursuit. Some of them will wait longer than others,
but, the more people they have been with previously, the less likely they are to
wait. Although, some of them will be playing multiple ladies at the same time.
The genuine romantic is very unlikely to be interested in more than one woman
at a time, unless all are kept at a distance while he searches for a genuinely
romantic lady.
At one time, I had been seeing four different women in casual situations. I was
looking for a life-long relationship. Of the four, two of the ladies might have
become a life-long thing if certain circumstances did not exist. In both cases, I
had plans to spend my son's teen years with him and that meant I had to relocate and take the lady with me. Neither of those two possible mates would be easily convinced to move. Therefore, I did not try to take the relationships to the next level.
In the same situation, the pickup artist would have taken the ladies to bed with
him and not cared a thing about it.
The goal of the romantic is finding someone with whom to spend the rest of your life. Remember, like a fine wine, love gets better with age. Your attachment to each other, and your commitment to each other should be stronger with the passing of seasons, of years, of decades.
Being a true romantic at heart, I wrote a song for the woman I would marry before we even met. When the time came, I played it for her at our wedding.
This is that song:
Loving You
By Michael W. (Mickey) Maguire
In the morning when I open my eyes
I see you there and I realize,
what a blessing to have you here with me.
You always know exactly what to say.
Only you can make me feel this way.
I know there's nowhere on Earth that I'd rather be.
[chorus]
One lifetime's not enough, so, how's eternity sound?
We'll walk together in heaven hand-in-hand.
Praising God everyday for the kind of love that we have found,
and His trail of foot steps in the sand.
In the quiet of the evening chill
I know I love you, I always will.
We'll sit together arm and arm by the fire.
I'll softly, whisper, what's in my heart.
No force on Earth could ever keep us apart,
and I confess to you you're my one desire.
[chorus]
I thank God everyday for the way he brought you into my life,
how we came to meet was more than chance.
I thank God everyday for giving me a wonderful wife,
and His trail of foot steps in the sand
and His trail of foot steps in the sand
Here is a link to the song online:
Loving You
I am a professional songwriter, among other things, so writing a song was not difficult for me. I wrote both the lyrics and melody.
If you want to express your love in a song and all you write are lyrics, there are lots of melody makers out there. It is just a matter of finding someone who can put a melody to your words.
When I wrote "Loving You" I had written the melody while sitting in a cubicle on my lunch break (I was working in the computer industry at the time). The melody is the same one you'll hear in the link above. I built a mood and then I finally wrote the lyrics about six months later.
Normally, I write a song, both lyrics and melody, in about five minutes. That is just the way inspiration takes me. In this case, perhaps it was because I will writing for someone I had not even met, yet, but I built the mood and just played the tune on a regular basis until I figured out what I wanted to say.
Like love poems and letters, a love song must come from the heart. True love is the most powerful emotion in the universe... and music is the universal language.
If you have ever attended a poetry reading, there are some people who read
verse much like prose. There are others who always read verse like a school kid:
ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-da
ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-da
ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-da
ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-dum, ta-da
That can get pretty old, pretty quick. It can put an audience to sleep pretty
quickly, too.
I had a chance to hear Patrick Stewart recite Shakespeare. Stewart is a master
of the art. Here is a link: Sonnet 30
Learning to read poetry aloud will enable you to read poetry to your lady and also facilitate poetry recital if you choose to memorize your poems. It also helps you become more adept at writing good poetry by understanding how verses flow. When you read it, does each line flow smoothly? Are there lines that make you stumble or lose your place?
Cadence is not necessarily like the school kid reading rhythm I mentioned above. Cadence is really movement. It is flow. It does not have to be regimented. Poetic verse should be easy to read, not tie your tongue in knots.
Rhyme does not have to be perfect or exact. In a phonetic sense, words that sound similar are fine. Works with the exact same ending sound, like box and sox are also fine. Words don't always have to rhyme, but rhyme helps tie everything together. To most people, poetry means rhyme and cadence. Any deviation is considered poetic license, oddly enough.
Here is an example of a poem where I use rhyme a little differently:
The Morning
by Mickey Maguire
The sun poured through my window
as yet the day was new
The songs of feathered minstrels
reminded me of you
Had this been a morn in spring
then, outside I would go
to see the dew-kissed petals
of the beautiful rambling rose
My thoughts, once more, return to you
the weekend that we shared
finding you beside me
to see you smiling there
Such joy has filled my lonely heart
I'm thanking God above
'cause loneliness has gone away
replaced by joy and love
My heart is light, I'm smiling
for I've been greatly blessed
Mornings when we're arm-in-arm
are the ones that I love best
The second verse, lines two and four end in “go” and “rose” respectively. The
third verse uses “shared” and “there” in the same manner. The use of rhyme is
important only in that it helps the ebb and flow of verse. It ties lines together and facilitates the reading of the piece.
Don't struggle with rhyme if you cannot find the right words to express yourself.
Rhyme is a tool, but, it is not an end-all. It is obvious that some people have
found the need for rhyme confining at times, hence the popularity of free-form
verse in some circles. It has become more popular among educated young
people, perhaps because of the sense of freedom that it espouses. There is less
structure and rigidity of thinking.
Here is a sample of a poem that does not steadfastly adhere to rules about
rhyme:
I Give to Thee My Heart
by Mickey Maguire
Oh, 'Tis true
it is but you
that bringeth me
to sigh
For I can see
thy pretty smile
and a twinkle
in thine eye
Maiden there
Oh, lady fair
Sweet Mary Rose
none can compare
I give to thee
my heart
Rules of rhyme are pretty much ignored in this poem. There is rhyme, and there
is not, depending on the verse. In fact, cadence is not perfect in this poem,
either. It did express my thoughts at the time I wrote it perfectly. That is really
what matters most.
What you want to learn from this post is that rhyme and cadence are tools,
like basic sentence structure is a tool. Basic rules of sentence structure are building blocks for anyone learning to write. So are rhyme and cadence.
It's springtime and love is in the air.
Trees are popping out new leaves. The sunrise brings new opportunities. People are out and about. The long winter is fading quietly and warm breezes are coming from the west.
This is a time of renewal. Finding love is easier when you get involved in outdoor recreation activities or enjoy the sights and sounds about town. Sidewalk cafes are inviting and are a great place to meet people.
Grab yourself a great book-- I recommend something like Shakespeare or another poet or playwright of the romantic period. Enjoy a glass of wine and read. Don't forget to wear a smile.
One of the best ways to become a good poet is read a lot of poetry. When you become proficient with that, it is time to use visual imagery in prose. Master romantic writing and you will charm the lady of your dreams.
For the ladies, a man worth having will not laugh at something you have written and sent him. Instead, he will be intrigued and want to know more about you.
Grab a book. Grab a Kindle. Go out and read. Coffee, wine, tea, it matters not. Just get out there. And if you're already married, you and your spouse can still enjoy the atmosphere. It stimulates those creative juices.
Write now... :)
