Poem: "The Frequency of Love"
May. 17th, 2016 05:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ysabetwordsmithThis poem came out of the February 2, 2016 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by a prompt from LJ user Lb_lee. It also fills the square in my 1-23-16 card (Romantic) for the Valentine's Day Bingo fest. This poem has been sponsored by janetmiles. It belongs to the Danso and Family thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.
Warning: Although generally sweet, this poem contains references to prejudiced and unsupportive behavior by some people around Danso and Noah. Think before you click.
"The Frequency of Love"
Danso and Noah learned
to touch each other by slow degrees.
After Danso's time on the street
and challenges meshing his new family,
after Noah's awful breakup with his girlfriend
because of her miscarriage, both boys
needed something patient and gentle.
They started by just placing a hand
on each other's shoulders while walking
down the sidewalk, like team players
leaving a basketball court.
It was friendly and supportive,
and it felt good without being
too intimate too soon.
On days when Danso felt overwhelmed
by trying to fit himself back into teen life
like squeezing into a too-small sweater, or
by trying to stretch into adulthood a bit too soon
so that the sleeves flopped over his hands,
they would sit on the couch together
with Danso's head in Noah's lap.
That support helped him cope.
On days when Noah needed to cry
over only almost being a father,
or people at school picking on him
for "not being able to make up his mind,"
Danso would sit down, put the pillow
in his lap, and pat it in invitation
so that he could return the favor.
When they wanted to talk, then
they would curl up on the bed together,
each one's head resting on the other's knee,
their lips no more than a whisper apart.
They left the bedroom door ajar
by silent, mutual consent, not yet
ready for the possibilities which
closing that door would open.
Danso and Noah learned
that a boyfriend made a good pillow,
and that a heartbeat was like a radio signal,
each one with its own resonance.
If they listened, they could hear the frequency of love.
* * *
Notes:
“My heartbeat is a pulse, and it pumps out sonic vibrations that resonate with her mind as she lays her head on my chest. Listen silently and you can hear the frequency of love.”
― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not FOR SALE
Taking it slow helps to develop healthy relationships, whether romantic or platonic. There are various definitions and advantages for taking it slow. Here are some tips on slow romance.
Gay teens like Danso face particular challenges in dating.
Bisexual teens like Noah face even worse challenges than gay peers and have less support. Know how to stand up for QUILTBAG youth.
Cuddling promotes closeness and other benefits. Here are some pointers on cuddling. The best reference is The Cuddle Sutra. The walking shoulder hold is called "Team Players." One lying in the other's lap on the couch is "Surf & Snuggle." Lying head-to-knee on the bed is "68 1/2."
janetmiles. It belongs to the Danso and Family thread of the Polychrome Heroics series.Warning: Although generally sweet, this poem contains references to prejudiced and unsupportive behavior by some people around Danso and Noah. Think before you click.
"The Frequency of Love"
Danso and Noah learned
to touch each other by slow degrees.
After Danso's time on the street
and challenges meshing his new family,
after Noah's awful breakup with his girlfriend
because of her miscarriage, both boys
needed something patient and gentle.
They started by just placing a hand
on each other's shoulders while walking
down the sidewalk, like team players
leaving a basketball court.
It was friendly and supportive,
and it felt good without being
too intimate too soon.
On days when Danso felt overwhelmed
by trying to fit himself back into teen life
like squeezing into a too-small sweater, or
by trying to stretch into adulthood a bit too soon
so that the sleeves flopped over his hands,
they would sit on the couch together
with Danso's head in Noah's lap.
That support helped him cope.
On days when Noah needed to cry
over only almost being a father,
or people at school picking on him
for "not being able to make up his mind,"
Danso would sit down, put the pillow
in his lap, and pat it in invitation
so that he could return the favor.
When they wanted to talk, then
they would curl up on the bed together,
each one's head resting on the other's knee,
their lips no more than a whisper apart.
They left the bedroom door ajar
by silent, mutual consent, not yet
ready for the possibilities which
closing that door would open.
Danso and Noah learned
that a boyfriend made a good pillow,
and that a heartbeat was like a radio signal,
each one with its own resonance.
If they listened, they could hear the frequency of love.
* * *
Notes:
“My heartbeat is a pulse, and it pumps out sonic vibrations that resonate with her mind as she lays her head on my chest. Listen silently and you can hear the frequency of love.”
― Jarod Kintz, This Book is Not FOR SALE
Taking it slow helps to develop healthy relationships, whether romantic or platonic. There are various definitions and advantages for taking it slow. Here are some tips on slow romance.
Gay teens like Danso face particular challenges in dating.
Bisexual teens like Noah face even worse challenges than gay peers and have less support. Know how to stand up for QUILTBAG youth.
Cuddling promotes closeness and other benefits. Here are some pointers on cuddling. The best reference is The Cuddle Sutra. The walking shoulder hold is called "Team Players." One lying in the other's lap on the couch is "Surf & Snuggle." Lying head-to-knee on the bed is "68 1/2."
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refreshing
Date: 2016-05-17 10:44 pm (UTC)I'm only left with one question: are they able to cuddle at Noah's home as well as Danso's?
Re: refreshing
Date: 2016-05-18 03:51 am (UTC)Danso and Noah enjoy each other's company. That makes it a pleasure to spend time together and work on building a longer relationship.
>> A solid relationship isn't a sprint; it's a marathon.<<
Sooth. Lawrence explains it as enjoying a journey together -- the last thing he wants to do is rush through it.
>> I love the cuddling, and loathe the sadnesses which prompt it. <<
Aww.
>> I'm only left with one question: are they able to cuddle at Noah's home as well as Danso's? <<
I believe so, yes. Noah's been sad enough about losing the baby -- however unplanned -- that his parents are probably grateful for anything that makes him smile again. Unlike Stan, Noah is not new to his bisexuality; he's known about it for a while and is comfortable with it. That almost requires supportive parents.
Happy With Cuddles
Date: 2016-05-18 06:58 am (UTC)Sequencing wise, I'm not sure how we got from "Unformed Clay" to here. What poems or stories have the moment when Noah and Danso start dating, if they call it dating, or when Noah's girlfriend has the miscarriage?
Re: Happy With Cuddles
Date: 2016-05-26 06:51 am (UTC)Yay! They are really sweet together, and while they have their own emotional baggage, they don't have the tension between them that Stan and Lawrence do because of past cape politics.
>> Sequencing wise, I'm not sure how we got from "Unformed Clay" to here. What poems or stories have the moment when Noah and Danso start dating, if they call it dating, <<
They do call it dating, and I haven't written the first date, just their slowly growing interest in each other. You could prompt for that if you wish to double back and fill in the gaps.
>>or when Noah's girlfriend has the miscarriage?<<
I think that predates Danso and Noah meeting. I am not unwilling to write this one as part of Noah's backstory, but it would be a very ouchy piece. She was relieved and happy; he was shattered. :'( And both of those reactions were perfectly understandable in context.
Re: Happy With Cuddles
Date: 2016-05-26 06:55 am (UTC)Re: Happy With Cuddles
Date: 2016-05-26 06:57 am (UTC)Re: Happy With Cuddles
Date: 2016-05-26 07:02 am (UTC)Re: Happy With Cuddles
Date: 2016-05-26 07:05 am (UTC)http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2343478,00.asp
(no subject)
Date: 2016-05-18 05:32 pm (UTC)Thank you!
Date: 2016-05-18 06:16 pm (UTC)awww :)
Date: 2016-05-24 03:15 am (UTC)Dude...
the awkwardness of being both touch hungry and tactile-defensive as well as having the stance on acts of traditional "coupleness" that I do mean that I GET THIS "How do I date and express my affections without being weird and creepy?" AWKWARD...I GET THIS AWKWARD SO HARD
people have WEIRD expectations for other peoples sexuality even if you're STRAIGHT...
like I've had peers come right out and ask about whether or not I've had a sexual encounter, attempt to get me to "confess being a lesbian" o_0 (WTF does that even MEAN?), INSIST that I must have had sexual encounters loudly and publicly and then shame me when there were no details forthcoming because 1. awkward 2. none of their business and 3. NO DETAILS TO GIVE...because I have not engaged in any coupling behaviors
I don't understand people my age being so invested in other people's sex lives or orientations or like, swabbing each other's tonsils for microbes with their tongues in public hallways....I don't understand this drive to like HAVE THE SEX and TALK ABOUT THE SEX and gossip about others because THEY MIGHT DO THE SEX DIFFERNT THAN YOU DO!
I just....don't want to participate? And that makes me a freak? Whatever.
so yeah, I can sort of see how if you add layers on to that "who am I and where do I fit and where am I comfortable" cake the situation and the feelings around it get even more COMPLICATED than they already were
Re: awww :)
Date: 2016-05-24 04:45 am (UTC)Yay!
>> Dude...
the awkwardness of being both touch hungry and tactile-defensive <<
I have several characters like that. Turq and Lawrence especially. Shiv somewhat, although his is less skin-hunger for other people and more sensation-seeking from outside objects. If you haven't read it yet, check out "Wonderful in Its Own Way" about Stan and Lawrence kissing for the first time, where Stan is the one who overloads for a change.
>> as well as having the stance on acts of traditional "coupleness" that I do mean that I GET THIS "How do I date and express my affections without being weird and creepy?" AWKWARD...I GET THIS AWKWARD SO HARD <<
*hugs offered* Cross-cultural dating is challenging.
>> people have WEIRD expectations for other peoples sexuality even if you're STRAIGHT.. <<
So. Much. This.
>> like I've had peers come right out and ask about whether or not I've had a sexual encounter, attempt to get me to "confess being a lesbian" o_0 (WTF does that even MEAN?), <<
Well that's rude.
>> INSIST that I must have had sexual encounters loudly and publicly and then shame me <<
And that's outright harassment.
>> when there were no details forthcoming because 1. awkward 2. none of their business and 3. NO DETAILS TO GIVE...because I have not engaged in any coupling behaviors <<
Gee I wonder why if those are the people around you.
>> I don't understand people my age being so invested in other people's sex lives or orientations or like, swabbing each other's tonsils for microbes with their tongues in public hallways....I don't understand this drive to like HAVE THE SEX and TALK ABOUT THE SEX and gossip about others because THEY MIGHT DO THE SEX DIFFERNT THAN YOU DO! <<
Me neither. I did eventually find persons and activities of interest to me, but my tastes are still rather different than the usual. My sexuality is a tesseract, and most people do not grok quantum mechanics.
>> I just....don't want to participate? And that makes me a freak? Whatever. <<
No it does not. There is nothing wrong with not being interested in some activity. It just means the people around you are jerks.
>> so yeah, I can sort of see how if you add layers on to that "who am I and where do I fit and where am I comfortable" cake the situation and the feelings around it get even more COMPLICATED than they already were<<
That does make it hard.
(no subject)
Date: 2016-06-11 12:03 pm (UTC)Yes...
Date: 2016-06-12 09:16 am (UTC)