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Brian Patten (7 February 1946 / Liverpool / England)
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And Nothing Is Ever As You Want It To Be
You lose your love for her and then
It is her who is lost,
And then it is both who are lost,
And nothing is ever as perfect as you want it to be.
In a very ordinary world
A most extraordinary pain mingles with the small routines,
The loss seems huge and yet
Nothing can be pinned down or fully explained.
You are afraid.
If you found the perfect love
It would scald your hands,
Rip the skin from your nerves,
Cause havoc with a computered heart.
You lose your love for her and then it is her who is lost.
You tried not to hurt and yet
Everything you touched became a wound.
You tried to mend what cannot be mended,
You tried, neither foolish nor clumsy,
To rescue what cannot be rescued.
You failed,
And now she is elsewhere
And her night and your night
Are both utterly drained.
How easy it would be
If love could be brought home like a lost kitten
Or gathered in like strawberries,
How lovely it would be;
But nothing is ever as perfect as you want it to be.
Read poems about / on: lost, loss, home, pain, night, love, world, wind
Comments about this poem (And Nothing Is Ever As You Want It To Be by Brian Patten )
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Last few lines are beautiful! simple and yet so deeeeeeeep..great penning!
i'm impressed after read your poem..it's really beautiful...great poet u are..
Ah! Brian!
I thought truth was complicated and you have shown TRUTH in such a simple way.
I AM DELIGHTED TO HAVE DISCOVERED YOUR WORK.
yes, indeed, nothing is ever as perfect as you want it to be...
I have read these poems from end to start and they are all beautifully fabulous.
I read this poem in an anthology of poetry and I couldn't believe how spot on Brian is/was.... the final stanza says it all, a very fine poem that deserves its place in the Top 500. HG: -) xx
I too have long loved this poem... but in the printed version I have the title reads 'And nothing is ever AS PERFECT as you want it to be'
Ah, now that's better!
I love Brian Patten's poems too. He uses emotional expression so well, a few of his poems have had me tearful. The poem 'it is time to tidy up your life' is a very poignant poem and one of my favourites. Just today I cam on to find it, and looked and cannot find it. Then one last go at inputting it - I found it! A friend gave me this poem at a low point of my life, and it's just so.........well you know read it and keep reading it - till something sticks! The poem you refer to can be found here: www.annasach.net/peafair/otherwork/tidyup.htm
I'm a big fan of Brian's work. I read a poem of his a few years ago called 'It's Time To Tidy Up Your Life' and have been unable to find it since. Does anyone know where I could get a copy?
Hugs
Anna xxx
This is lovely, Brian; yet I was totally distracted by the line, It is her who is lost.' It needs to be 'It is she who is lost.' Those are the things that cause writers to lose credibility with the reader. My favorite part was your longing to bring home love like a lost kitten or strawberries. It is a happy, tender fantasy and lovely to read.
Raynette