Henson, George

English

Collin College: DigitalCommons@Collin

ForcesVolume 2001 Article 355-1-2001In Your Presence | Know Your LoveGeorge HensonFollow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.collin.edu/forcesThis Poem is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Collin. It has been accepted for inclusion in Forces by an authorized editorof DigitalCommons@Collin. For more information, please contact mtomlin@collin.edu.Recommended CitationHenson, George (2001) "In Your Presence | Know Your Love," Forces: Vol. 2001 , Article 35.Available at: https://digitalcommons.collin.edu/forces/vol2001/iss1/35In Your PresenceI Know Your LoveGeorge HensonWhat can I say that MichelangeloHas not already carved in marble,Strong, sinuous musculatureWrought out of stone,Finessed with a master's hand,Chiseled over time, and leftUnapologetically naked,Giving birth to majestic form,In spite of the frailty of both stone and man,Elevating a boy to the pantheon ofRenaissance gods,More regal than popes or Ceasars,More noble than princes or pontiffs?What chapel ceiling could I paint,Resplendent and majestic,Displaying holy hues of life and light,The Creation of AdamThe innocence of man,Pure and chaste,Beneficent in God's eyes,Absent mortality?What sonnet could I writeThat Petrarch,Enraptured by Laura's beauty,Hasn't already penned?How could I, in 14 lines,Through metaphor and simile,Through meter and rhyme,Describe your countenanceIn poetic eclipse?And if, as Petrarch claimed, the sun did pale,More beautiful are you still.What fault is it of ApolloIf Cupid did mischievously strike himWith golden arrow,So that he would love in vain,And wear a LaurelAs a reminder of love's bitter sting?What manner of love would dareWhat monologue or soliloquy,As a token of noble pride,Hold love prisoner,Forever framed in arrogant vain glory?And if you had a heartToo soon made glad,More glad would I beTo have you freely by my side.What silence could I imagineSo intimate in its understanding,And delicate in its meaning,That Neruda has not already sung?So, I speak of you with a softnessThat love's quiet absence endures.In your absence, I sense your presence.In your silence, I hear your voice.In your distance, I feel your embrace.In your presence, I know your love.60

In Your Presence | Know Your Love

https://digitalcommons.collin.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2044&context=forces

In Your Presence | Know Your Love

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