These arguments are not a war, our affections are not a battlefield, are not a scene of bloodshed and gore. You are too squeamish anyway (you sleep with the lights on like it’s day). Every hurtful remark sounds a blow, not meant to wound (never) but it does. When we try to justify, our words make it worse. Sometimes silence is better but it’s damning too. Lonely is two people in the same room feeling blue. There is no sun when neither turns to see the other smile. And yet this night passes when you leave it for awhile. We forget our fight (whatever it was, who really cares?) and the ray of light that comes (and it will, I swear) lifts the sadness, erases the pain. We only remember the joys, not the stains. We make our bed and we lie in it gladly. Every finger curled into its partner, holding tight, drawing close. Our breaths form, meet and fade away. Earlier, when our arrows were flying, we awaited one another to end it first, with an “As you please”, a “Suit yourself”, a “Whatever.” It means I don’t wanna argue anymore, I don’t wanna talk. Harsh and hot, a fever, a pair of tempers, a pair of tempests. Fast-forward and now we are next to each other, and our smiles return, our gentle snoring bliss. Once more we believe we will forever walk. This path we’ve made. As you please me, as I suit you, whatever comes, let it come. Ain’t no battle we can’t overcome, ain’t no war that could leave us numb. Not while this furnace burns with our fire. This love, this flame. What remains after desire. This love, our flame.
.
.
Copyright © 2011 Kenny Mah Ying Fye. Photograph by Ariel da Silva Parreira.
Inspired by Boolicious and iamthewitch. Written on OmmWriter Dāna (via Pey Colborne).
Kenny Mah believes in the good in people. He has been blogging for over ten years. No, his hands aren't tired. Yet.
Wow… truly madly lovely represented here, I think :) but I don’t really get the connection with the empty red chair….
@Selba: Hehe. The empty red chair refers to the part when lovers argue they become lonely even when they are not alone in the room. And maybe the red of the chair symbolises passion.
Or maybe I just like the picture of the old armchair… *chuckles*
Whatever rage and storm, you lovers may have had or will have… always remember this in your heart:
‘No matter, his heart is warm.’
Wishing you & Devil a peaceful weekend. ;)
@jemima: Thank you, dear. That’s beautiful – “No matter, his heart is warm.” – and it’s true.
Devil wants me to clarify that we didn’t have an argument, that this was a bit of creative writing on my part, hahahaha…
And so it is. More inspired by a couple of tweets from my friends Boolicious and iamthewitch, actually.
When the love is gone and the fights are all there are left, despite the 40 odd years of staying together out of habit, is it not better to leave and have separate lives? ;_;
@gfad: I guess that’s a question every couple that ends up in that situation will have to ask themselves. Not an easy one, that.
more often, it’s usually the guy who always remained silent or is this my perception only? maybe we can forget abt that comes next day but if there are ‘too much please’, what we eventually get might be a tough, unremovable stain.
@lena: That’s where some balance is needed… Mutual recognition for the need to compromise out of love, not cos of any responsibility.
Great Post!! I really liked the way the photo looks in here!! thanks for sending the lin! (arinas74, from sxc)
@Ariel: Thanks for dropping by, mate! And more so for allowing me to use your beautiful photograph.
Arguments are scary! We never know which misunderstanding might end up being the straw that breaks the relationship’s back! I remember trying to repair a broken friendship once by getting a radio dj to dedicate Tina turner’s ‘i don’t wanna fight’ to the other person … but it didn’t work!
@Sean: Well, at least you tried. Most people would have been too stubborn to swallow their pride and make the first move.
And how very 90′s of you – Tina Turner and ‘I Don’t Wanna Fight’ – brings back happy, radio-friendly memories…
aiyo, sah fah cheong only… not to worry, flames of desire still burning i can see even from this far :P
@Jun: Where got sah fah cheong? This is just a bit of creative writing exercise.
The only arguments Devil and I get into is whose turn it is to do the laundry, hahaha…
We all have our fights once in a while. I think I’ve been having lotsa silly fights with him recently over the renovation! Paint colours. Furniture choices.
@Paul: Ooh, coolness. Home renovation! Moving in together soon? Congratulations, my friend!
Somehow this post touched my heart.. I could feel it. “Whatever” is a harsh term that hurts so bad when it’s said out loud, yet, when one is angry and helpless, it can’t be controlled but blurted out. Ah, but at the end of the day, being together is all that matters. :)
@iamthewitch: Yes, one has to realise that while words can be full of meaning, at the end of the day, when you are happy together, the words themselves can also be meaningless.
It’s the love that matters.