LOVE POETRY
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JAN SAND lives in New York and is an illustrator and sculptor as well as a poet. Some amazing examples of his work appeared in the November '98 issue of Poetry Life & Times. Click on the whale to go there and scroll down to just below the Editor's Letter.

THE MEASURE OF THE ANIMAL © Jan Sand How to adjudicate the multiplicities, Navigate the forests wherein resides my love? This fervent fragile fugitive has complicities With setting suns, with fields of stars, with a dove, In hormone surges, conformal urges, Odd conceits, peculiarities of prejudice, And a stricture of nostalgia which emerges In templates of immaturity from the abyss Out from which we all ascend. How do we ascertain the structure of this beast? Perhaps we all must, at end Take its measure at its least, Concede love as mere arbitrator Joining, in good will, alliances that breed A creature designated celebrator Of our capabilities to join in joy and grace With others of our kind, the human race. jan_sand@hotmail.com

ROCHITA LOENEN-RUIZ Poet and fiction writer, was born in the Philippines and moved to Holland last year to marry Jan, her Dutch Fiancee. She is active on the Aylad newsgroup, writing and commenting.

SUNFLOWERS © Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, July 9, 1998 Van Gogh painted Sunflowers in his tortured state His mind beseiged by images a thousand demented dreams colors flowing onto paper happiness of sun captured in paint in oil on canvas watercolors silken sheets written down in ink to make poetry of sunflowers that turn and turn to catch the warmth of the sun just like me turning ever yearning for the warmth of you... janu@worldonline.nl

JOSH HILL writes and gives insightful comments on the alt.arts.poetry.comments newsgroup. The illustration is my interpretation of his poem HAD I NOT LOVED YOU.

HAD I NOT LOVED YOU © Josh Hill Had I not loved you twenty years ago, How lovely would these painted lips now seem, How soft these rubber breasts, how white as snow And with what sparkles would these capped teeth gleam! But you had none of these: a pockmarked face, A cute scooped nose and bangs of plain brown hair, Hand always with a cigarette, in case Your breath grew fresh, or clothes came up for air. And yet--my other self! my one desire! In whose divining company I rose To angeled heights, and drank the sun's own fire! And now to think it was not you I chose. Then pity who disdains what he loves most, And trades his future joy for hollow boast. SHE HAS NO NAME © Josh Hill She has no name, she whom I love, No starry eyes, no raven hair, Yet while I do not know her name, I know she is surpassing fair. She has no gown, she whom I love, No sparkling gold or gleaming pearls, Yet while she does not have a gown, She's nobler than a line of earls. She has no name, she whom I love. But lest you think I fantasize, Consider this: that in my arms, She'll be my all, my only prize.

CHERYL WALKER has been writing poetry since she was 16 (9 years now). 1998 was her most successful year so far with a poem being published in a UK womens magazine and a third place in a UK wide competition. Both of which can be viewed at her website; http://www.walkerc.freeserve.co.uk Cheryl is hoping that 1999 will be just as good to her.

TAKE MINE © Cheryl Walker 1998. If you need a hand to hold some courage to be brave and bold warmth to ease the bitter cold Take mine. Candlelight to show the way Feather bed upon to lay A drop of hope to start the day Take mine. To be yourself and not pretend a broken heart for you to mend the deepest love which will not end Take mine. cheryl@walkerc.freeserve.co.uk