Then we reached a point where I no longer knew who you were and I was grasping the hands of a stranger. But I didn’t let go. And neither did you.
..................................
I had my first dream about you last night.
Really? She smiles. What was it about?
I don’t remember exactly, but the whole time I was dreaming, I knew you were mine.
Rogue Planets
As a kid, I would count backwards from ten and imagine at one, there would be an explosion—perhaps caused by a rogue planet crashing into Earth or some other major catastrophe. When nothing happened, I’d feel relieved and at the same time, a little disappointed.
I think of you at ten; the first time I saw you. Your smile at nine and how it lit up something inside me I had thought long dead. Your lips at eight pressed against mine and at seven, your warm breath in my ear and your hands everywhere. You tell me you love me at six and at five we have our first real fight. At four we have our second and three, our third. At two you tell me you can’t go on any longer and then at one, you ask me to stay.
And I am relieved, so relieved—and a little disappointed.
Sea of Strangers
In a sea of strangers,
you’ve longed to know me.
Your life spent sailing
to my shores.
The arms that yearn
to someday hold me,
will ache beneath
the heavy oars.
Please take your time
and take it slowly;
as all you do
will run its course.
And nothing else
can take what only—
was always meant
as solely yours.
Closure
Like time suspended,
a wound unmended—
you and I.
We had no ending,
no said good-bye.
For all my life,
I’ll wonder why.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my agent, Al Zuckerman, for his invaluable guidance and wonderful support.
To Kirsty Melville and her passionate team at Andrews McMeel, for sending my books out into the world.
To all the amazing people I have had the pleasure of meeting on my book tours (you know who you are), thank you for working so tirelessly behind the scenes and for making me feel so welcome on my visits.
To my family and friends, it goes without saying that I wouldn’t be here without your love and encouragement.
To Ollie Faudet, who likes cows and makes me laugh.
And last, but definitely not least—a very special thank you to all of my beautiful readers. Your unwavering support and kind words inspire me every day.
About the Author
The work of poet and artist Lang Leav swings between the whimsical and woeful, expressing a complexity beneath its childlike facade.
Lang is a recipient of the Qantas Spirit of Youth Award and a prestigious Churchill Fellowship.
Her artwork is exhibited internationally and she was selected to take part in the landmark Playboy Redux show curated by the Andy Warhol Museum.
She currently lives with her partner and collaborator, Michael, in a little house by the sea.
Index
Lost Words
Chapter 1 - Duet
And/Or
A Phone Call
A Pilgrimage
Clocks
Déjà Vu
Devotion
Entwined
Her Words
He’s Leaving
His Kiss
If My Life Were a Day
Keys
Loving You
Lullabies
Mementos
Message in a Bottle
Metamorphosis
More than Love
My Heart
No Other
Over My Head
Passing Time
Patience
Sad Things
Second Chances
Signposts
Stay
The Seventh Sea
Thoughts of You
Tsunamis
Us
Well Wishes
When
You
Chapter 2 - Interlude
Dumplings
Nostalgia
That Night
The Dinner Guest
The Garden
The Professor
Vania
Chapter 3 - Finale
A Cautionary Tale
Afterthought
A Ghost
A Letter
All There Was
Almost
Always with Me
Amends
An Artist in Love
A Sad Farewell
A Winter Song
Beach Ball
Broken Hearts
Change of Heart
Concentric Circles
Crosswords
Dead Poets
Despondency
Dyslexia
Edgar’s Gift
Epilogue
Fading Polaroid
Fairy Tales
False Hope
Forever for Now
Forewarned
Forget Me Not
For You
Grounded
He’s Forgotten
History
Karma
Living a Lie
Losing You
Love’s Inception
Love’s Paradox
Masquerade
Melancholy Skies
Minefield
Mixed Messages
Musical Chairs
Nostalgia for Today
Ode to Sorrow
Pen Portrait
Perfect
Poker Face
Pretext
Reasons
Regrets
Remembering You
Shipwrecks
Soundtracks
Tell Me
The Dream
The End
The Most
The Poet
The Very Thing
Thoughts
Three Questions
Time
Two Fishermen
Unrequited
Wishing Stars
Wounded
Encore
A Dream
Angels
Closure
Rogue Planets
Sea of Strangers
Souls
Posted Poems is a unique postal service that allows you to send your favorite Lang Leav poem to anyone, anywhere in the world. All poems are printed on heavyweight art paper and encased in a beautiful string-tie envelope. To send a Posted Poem to someone special visit: langleav.com/postedpoems
Lullabies
copyright © 2014 by Lang Leav. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of reprints in the context of reviews.
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ISBN: 978-1-4494-6293-2
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