David M Pitchford's Page

After the Vows: Poems Between Lovers

My wife and I collaborated on this book of sonnets. We've been writing a dialog of 14-line poems since about 2001 or so, and we're finally getting published!
It's available direct from our publisher, Diminuendo Press.
Here are two poems from the collection (the two exerpted on the back cover):

On Those Days
When I leave the house, you sleeping soundly
in our bed, and the kitchen is a mess,
and the children have been fussy, I rail
at you in my head. I rant and I rave,
for you to take away the strain of it.
And then, when sitting up to my elbows
in projects, you call—my frustration melts.
Tears form and dribble down unpainted cheeks,
and I smile. I can hear in your tone love
for me and how much you miss having me
with you—knowing my spirit always is
even when my body is miles away.
I have grown with you and the love you give
beyond the starry-eyed girl I once was.

Virtue’s Daughter
Who’d have thought we would be good examples
for others in love? Kissing and cooing
wherever the impulse grabs us, groping
each other without concern for spying
eyes or jealous glares, with outright contempt
for stilted prudes and other shame-mongers
who would stifle all such public displays
and spread their heretical ideas
about abstinence as true purity,
and coitus as original sin, when
we know better. Sincere affection is
life’s greatest virtue—and love its daughter.
Writing sonnets, kissing often, loving
well—that is our example to the world.