I don’t write too many poems about love and romance. I feel like the world is already saturated with poems and songs on this topic. But as Elizabeth Engstrom stated in the book Chicken Soup for the Writer’s Soul, “I have come to believe that there are no new plots and few new stories, only unusual recombinations of things that have been told before. But what is new, and fresh, and original is the author’s lens through which these situations are viewed.” So even if I did choose to write more about love and romance, it would be through my own unique perspective and viewpoint. Maybe I will dabble in that genre in future years. For now, we are going in the way-back machine, to a poem I wrote when I was very young. I believe I was in my older teenage years or very early twenties (I so wish I had dated my poems back then when I wrote them). This was probably at an age when I was just starting to experience love and romance, and looking ahead to what my future might look like once I found my beloved. I probably had very idealistic and romantic impressions of what love would be like, as many do at that young age. But somewhere along the way, that changed. Most people, especially young girls, dream of their weddings and having a house full of babies. Notice I said “most” people. I was not one of those young girls. I rarely saw myself as a bride, or a wife, or a mother. I don’t recall ever dreaming of a wedding or babies. I am not sure back then that I even thought very much about it, aside from writing this poem on the topic. If someone asked me if I ever wanted marriage or kids, I recall shrugging it off and saying something along the lines of “if it happens it happens”, but I wasn’t planning my life around the possibility. To be honest, the thought of having people around me all the time, even if it was a husband or my own children, didn’t sound appealing to me. I am very much one who craves time alone in order to recharge, regroup, and feel my best. Selfish? Maybe. But I choose to look at it as someone who was in tune with what her heart and mind needed in order to thrive, and didn’t feel the need to give into societal pressures of falling into traditional marriage and housekeeping. Have I regretted that decision? Sometimes….to be honest. When I think of the prospect of getting old and not having anyone visit me in the old folk’s home it makes me kind of sad. But that is where the real selfishness lies. We can’t bring other humans into our world to live and exist just so that we aren’t alone when we are dying.
So it is no surprise that this poem was written with a bit of caution and cynicism, even though I was at that young and impressionable age where love and romance seemed like a very real future possibility. Even back then I had a healthy skepticism regarding romance. This poem was written with the message of protecting one’s heart, even if they choose to give it away. I am proud of myself for having that perspective at such a young age, and to realize that despite our best interests, there are people out there who don’t necessarily have our best interests at heart.
In this poem, the person is giving her heart away to her groom, but she is also warning the person who is accepting her heart. She is saying “I am giving you my heart, but I am also watching you. And if you stomp on it or mistreat it or disrespect it, there will be consequences” (kind of makes you wonder why she is marrying him, right?!). The heart is indeed precious, and whomever one chooses to give it to should treat it like the gift it is. I am proud that at such a young age, I realized the value of protecting one’s heart at all costs, and opening oneself up to the possibility of love, while also being strong enough to walk away from a situation if the heart was disrespected. Have I always followed this thought process? Unfortunately no. There have been times when I should have grabbed my heart and walked away but I stayed far longer than I should have. The heart may need to be protected, but it also wants what it wants, even if our mind and subconscious feel otherwise. But life is also about living and taking risks, and that sometimes means taking a leap of faith, and hoping that parachute opens if the leap turns out to be a freefall into a place we don’t want to go, or into a situation where we don’t want to remain.
This poem actually has two versions. The original is first, and I have no issue with it, other than when I decided I wanted to read it at a friend’s wedding, and did not think the gloomy ending was suitable for the happy occasion. So I revised the ending which is the second version. In the first version, the bride is really only concerned with protecting her own heart, which as I mentioned above makes you wonder why she is marrying him in the first place. In the second version, the bride brings her groom into it, realizing that love and respect is a two-way street and both people must work together to protect each other. This is a much better way to begin a marriage, don’t you agree?
This Heart I Give (Original Version)
It’s a part of me, it’s in my soul.
Through the years I’ve felt it grow.
I hold it deep inside of me;
I’ve never let it go.
But now there is you, my chosen one.
I’m giving you my heart.
It holds the contents of my life.
It’s quite a work of art.
Take my heart and cherish it
And hold it oh so tight.
It’s precious and it’s fragile
And it must be treated right.
It’s like a rose that’s in full bloom
When given proper care.
It’s a gift I give with love to you.
It’s infinitely rare.
But like that rose that fades away
If treated with neglect
You’ll find my heart will wither too,
If not treated with respect.
I vowed to love and honor you
When I agreed to take your name;
To treat you daily with respect;
From you I ask the same.
So keep in mind throughout your life
Each day we both shall live,
The vow to honor and respect
Comes with this heart I give.
And if by chance some day you find
This vow you must deny
My heart, like the neglected rose
Will wither up and die.
This Heart I Give (Revised Version 2020)
It’s a part of me, it’s in my soul.
Through the years I’ve felt it grow.
I hold it deep inside of me;
I’ve never let it go.
But now there is you, my chosen one
I’m giving you my heart.
It holds the contents of my life.
It’s quite a work of art.
Take my heart and cherish it
And hold it oh so tight.
It’s precious and it’s fragile
And it must be treated right.
It’s like a rose that’s in full bloom
When given proper care.
It’s a gift I give with love to you.
It’s infinitely rare.
But like that rose that fades away
If treated with neglect
You’ll find my heart will wither too,
If not treated with respect.
I vowed to love and honor you
When I agreed to take your name;
To treat you daily with respect;
From you I ask the same.
So keep in mind throughout your life
Each day we both shall live,
The vow to honor and respect
Comes with this heart I give.
But love is not a one-way street,
So I shall do my part
To also treat you with respect
As I protect your heart.
And in this crazy world of ours
Love can get pushed aside.
Let’s make a vow to not allow
Our feelings to subside.
And if that starts to happen,
Let’s right now make a pact
To not only have each other’s heart,
But also each other’s back.
As we start on this new journey
Never more apart
Please know that when you take my hand,
You also take my heart.
So please know this, from this day on,
Each day we both shall live
The Joy of spending life with you
Comes with this heart I give.
-K.A. Bloch-
