Notes on love (By. Aida F Santos)

Notes on love

if we must say goodbye
it should be like a kiss
gentle and warm
passionate but not pained
we are both women
we know the contours
of our grief

in loving and leaving
we must harvest joys
like blooms in may
lining the alleyways
in places quite unlikely
along the path
littered with rubbish
a bounganvillea shoots up
pink flowers
daring the smog

of this city’s mornings.

Paraphrase

The poem “Notes on love” by Aida F. Santos tells about women who face a farewell, as we know that farewell indicate with a grief in our mind. In this poem, the author wants remind us not to be sad, when we are in any farewell. We have to be struggle and against our own grief of farewell.

Comment

The poem tells women’s feeling when faces a farewell. In this poem the author wants to give strong spirit for the women not to be sad and dare against that grief of farewell. We must be wise because if there is a meeting, there will be also a farewell.
The second line of first stanza, “it should be like a kiss” it means a farewell should not bring any farewell into our mind. As we know that kiss will bring happiness, it is symbol of love. The author suppose a farewell will not bring any pain, it is represented in “passionate but not pained”. On the fifth line of first stanza is written “we are both women”. Actually this poem is especially for women who face a farewell. It is quite interesting because the author also include the reader (women) in this poem. As we know that women’s feeling is smoother than men’s feeling. “We know the contours of our grief” it means that the writer wants to share about women’s grief. It is also aware us, even though it is difficult to be strong when we are in a farewell, we have to try it hard and still enjoy our life after separation.
The two first lines of second stanza, “in loving and leaving we must harvest joy”. It means that we must enjoy our life in any case (loving and leaving). The word “love” means when we unite and leaving means when we separate. It is also represented clearly on the third line “like a blooms in May” means that we must be still happy and enjoy our life after any farewell. On the forth-seventh line “Lining the alleyways. In places quite unlikely. Along the path” means even though we are in saddening situation, we must be strong. On the second last stanza “daring the smog of city’s morning” aware us to be dare against the grief (represented in the word “smog”) of farewell (represented in the words “city’s morning).
What the poet writes reminds me about several years ago when my parents left me and two of my brother’s to do a project in Beijing. I felt very sad at that time, because I can not meet them for several months. But I realize that we can not stay together forever, we have our own business and we have to be self-reliant.

Question:

What the comparison between meet and separate, does every one should appreciate in meet?

Taken from Literature appreciation project