A daily reading from One Poem Only—a quiet space for a single poem, read aloud.

Prince of Marble

Auri Tunglsdottir

I’ve put you on a pedestal

For some reason.

One day it was there,

And I put you up,

It looked right.

I’ve made you a statue of marble and gold,

Shining in the dark – the moon looks dull compared to you;

Glowing in the sun – that’s learning how to look golden from you.

I’ve made you immortal

By creating an image that will live in my mind, in the universe.

I’ve made you a thought that flies through galaxies,

Like a beam of light, carrying a message.

I’ve written poems,

Dozens over dozens,

One longer than the other,

One saying less than the other,

And all of them screaming to be heard,

Doing their best to express my inner world.

I’ve filled a whole book with you,

So I can put it on the shelf with things dear to me.

I could fill another hundred,

But I would be repeating myself.

And I wouldn’t get tired of it,

Of reliving every moment, remembering every word,

Feeling every glance of yours again.

The glance I longed for that strongly,

That I wished for a different version of our lives.

One on the surface of this ocean of dreams,

On the land that means certainty.

But that would mean giving up myself.

I almost sold my voice to be able to walk with you.

But I knew you would never see me

The way I wished for for so long,

And I wouldn’t want to kill your happiness

By wishing for mine to come true.

What if I’m only in love with a statue,

With an idea, with an illusion, with a dream?

I will leave my ocean,

But not to be with you.

I will travel the world with the birds,

And the waves of the sea,

The dolphin will carry me to unknown shores,

Until I’ve seen everything.

Until the laughs of a child will make me immortal as well.

I’ll watch over you and your princess,

As you sail on.

My tears will stream home,

And I will feel human, and love.

I’ll kiss her on the forehead,

I’ll wave at you and smile,

And though I’m not the sea foam,

I’m part of the blue sky.

More from Auri Tunglsdottir ↓

• @songsofsunandmoon.official on Instagram

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