Igneous, Metamorphic, Sedimentary Love
- a contrapuntal for the test of time Igneous Metamorphic Sedimentary Three fundamental ways rock is formed Write this down There will always be a test at the end Igneous Too often we expect it to start with fire Thick molten asthenosphere extruded onto the surface Pyroclastic explosions announcing the genesis of new bedrock While this is true, how often that same magma pools below the surface, slowly cools crystallizes into the granite from which we construct resilient countertops our sturdiest foundations Metamorphic Taking some ordinary boulder to press and swirl away into marble a diamond the right heat and pressure the old grains twist and skew It comes out changed a completely new stone unique and marbled mixture of all the same things Sedimentary When the rains come things freeze and thaw When nature’s perils crack and grind apart all that once held together the thousand motes erode away follow gravity to the lowest spot a place to settle nestled in between the particles the warmth and pressure cementing into sandstone Love, our love is built and we leave it teetering on a precipice without knowing which way it will roll and we are those who relegate “love” to mere proms and first dates Love is the stuff of a movie that will build and build without a flaw like fireworks the grand finale when we say those words I love you. I do. Does the movie show the next day the day after that relationship like the ones we truly know Our attempts at loving scratched and worn wobbly but holding together Love is demonstrable: a moment to find yourselves again Sit and talk, Dance, Travel, Hobbies you never imagined palaces and seedy night clubs on the one hand On the other we are someone new transformed and banded for each of us to discover the blending of our partial hearts into a new whole When love is like it tends to be We are worn down And this is as we expect It disappoints us, but We begin to bind together something old into something new where our love becomes our story that once echoed of a home together as one Igneous Metamorphic Sedimentary Love Three fundamental ways our love is built rock is formed and we leave it teetering on a precipice Write this down without knowing which way it will roll There will always be and we are those who relegate “love” to merely a test at the end of proms and first dates Igneous Love is the stuff of a movie Too often we expect it to start with fire that will build and build Thick molten asthenosphere without a flaw extruded onto the surface like fireworks pyroclastic explosions announcing the grand finale when we say those words, The genesis of new bedrock: I love you. I do. While this is true, how often does the movie show that same magma pools below the surface the next day slowly cools the day after that crystallizes into the granite relationship like the ones we truly know from which we construct Our attempts at loving resilient countertops scratched and worn our sturdiest foundations wobbly but holding together Metamorphic Love is demonstrable: Taking a moment to find yourselves again some ordinary boulder to sit and talk, press and swirl away into dance, travel, hobbies you never imagined marble palaces and seedy night clubs, a diamond on the one hand the right heat and pressure On the other the old grains twist and skew we are someone new It comes out changed transformed and banded a completely new stone for each of us to discover the unique and marbled blending of our partial hearts mixture of all the same things into a new whole When love is Sedimentary like it tends to be When the rains come We are worn down Things freeze and thaw And this is when nature’s perils crack and grind apart as we expect it All that once held together disappoints us, but the thousand motes we begin to bind together erode away something old into something new follow gravity to the lowest spot where our love becomes a place to settle our story nestled in between the particles that once echoed the warmth and pressure of a home cementing together into sandstone as one
About the author
Christopher Clauss is an introvert, Ravenclaw, father, poet, and middle school science teacher from Keene, NH. He has represented New Hampshire six times at the National Poetry Slam as a member of the Slam Free or Die poetry slam team. His work explores the bliss and turmoil of faith, parenting, teaching, marriage, and community in rural New Hampshire. Christopher’s poems have been published in OVS, Silkworm, Slamchop, and Recipes for the Resistance from Pizza Pi Press. His mother believes his poetry is "just wonderful." Both of his daughters declare that he is the "best daddy they have," and his pre-teen science students rave that he is "Fine, I guess. Whatever."
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