Love, Life, Loss, and Longing: A Poetry Anthology

By Kathleen Elizabeth Sumpton

LOVE, LIFE, LOSS, AND LONGING is a poetry anthology separating poems about the philosophies of the world, or main aspects of reality, into four categories. Each of these categories serves in the text as a chapter, herein called books.

The first section, LOVE, talks about the good.

The second section, LIFE, discusses what is.

The third section, LOSS, deals with the bad.

The fourth section, LONGING, touches on what isn't.

Together, all four make up what our emotions tap into when we experience things: the good, the bad, what is, and what isn't.

The order of the poems starts with the two most positive renditions of philosophy, namely the good and what is.

The second half of the text leads us into more difficult hurdles, such as the bad things and what doesn't really exist. The poems are not written in sequential order by date, nor alphabetical order, and are assembled entirely at random. This randomization reflects the way in which each of the four aspects come at us in the world. We never know when we will be
feeling good or bad, or feeling a fulfillment vs. an absence.

It is instinctive which of these categories a poem will falls into, and where they should be placed in sequence.

This anthology uses words that all start with the letter L because of its special powers in terms of energy when it comes to language.

At the end of the book, the reader should be able to relate to many of the poems and be able to have a more positive outlook on life overall, knowing that even though sometimes things are bad, they can also be really, really good. And if we didn't have the absence of things, we wouldn't appreciate them when they are there.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tellwell Talent
• Release date: May 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9780228833239

Kathleen Elizabeth Sumpton

KATHLEEN ELIZABETH SUMPTON is an advocate for the arts and often works with languages. With a passion for culture and a focus on communications, she is an Author, Poet, and Communications Professional with a primary focus on writing. She has a working background in 14 different languages.Her 5 Year plan is to secure two master's degrees in English and Business, followed by a PhD in English, while running her freelance business.Her 10 Year goal is to publish 10 novels and other works in the genre of satire in order to strengthen communications locally and globally by discussing the proper use of language and terminology.Her work brings awareness to large societal issues such as the criminal justice system, substance abuse, and mental health; a variety of topics everyone else is too afraid to talk about.As a representative for members of the community as well as for her own projects, Kathleen hopes to enrich her surroundings with both the beauty and power writing holds. It is now her personal mission in life to provide meaning and entice insight through literature.When she is not busy with her work, you can find Kathleen enjoying the outdoors or spending time with family. Favourite hobbies are working out and people-watching. She operates out of southern Ontario.

Book preview

9780228833239-DC.jpg

Love, Life, Loss, and Longing

A Poetry Anthology

A Satire Based on the 4 Main Philosophies of the World

Kathleen Elizabeth Sumpton

Love, Life, Loss, and Longing

Copyright © 2020 by Kathleen Elizabeth Sumpton

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Tellwell Talent

www.tellwell.ca

ISBN

978-0-2288-3322-2 (Hardcover)

978-0-2288-3321-5 (Paperback)

978-0-2288-3323-9 (eBook)

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements

Dedication

Introduction

Author’s Preface

Book I:Love

Book II:Life

Book III:Loss

Book IV:Longing

Author’s Biography

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to

My educators;

who are my biggest inspirations

to live life with abundance.

Special thanks also to everyone who helped me gather all the poems for this book, including those who inspired them, those who reviewed them, and those who choose to read them.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to

Every person I met on my journey

Throughout this world

And the next;

Introduction

Written by Janice Elizabeth Sumpton, Mother

Kathleen’s anthology portrays her life experiences divided into areas of importance rather than chronologically from early childhood to her mid-twenties. This gives greater significance to the message of the written word. The poetry is written under four separate books, entitled: Love, Life, Loss, and Longing.

LOVE is the good in life. The poems depict fantasy becoming reality. At the beginning the prose is very uplifting. Loves found in different cities while travelling is portrayed in Musee D’Orsay and Love Locks. The deep love of dogs is felt in Fetch. Home Again is love through a child’s eyes. A beautiful portrayal of innocence and hope. Throughout this book entitled LOVE, Kathleen expresses the complexities of love and its joy. The many kinds of love are indeed eloquently written.

LIFE is what is. This section is a tumultuous section with the author looking deep within herself, from depths of emptiness and depression, in contrast to, the impact and appreciation of the beauty in nature. Kathleen’s love for travel is also present. The Flower Petal describes the feeling of not fitting in, and Conscience yields deep reflection of self. The feeling of emptiness and despair is seen in I Am. Further reflections of life experiences and lessons learned are seen in I Am, I Am and in I Learned. The turning point of realization, of how lucky Kathleen is, with the life she was given, is seen in The Lottery. From an early age the freedom of writing has given Kathleen a forum to express her truest feelings as portrayed in To Write and A Creative Space. Other poems describe the enormity and beauty of nature from the beaches and lakes, to the mountains. Living life through the four seasons, and to relish in the beauty of their differences is seen in August. The adventure and life experiences that are gained only through travel are written in Montego Bay and Rick’s Café. The beauty of the Greek Islands is felt in Mykonos and Santorini.

LOSS is the bad in life. This section includes poetry describing loss of self, loss of love, and the loss of others in life. Venetian Torture gives a feeling of desperation and hopelessness. The poignancy of tears in loss and bearing one’s soul is found in Tears. I’m Burning describes negative thoughts and the feeling of unworthiness. The loss of dignity in working a job to earn money in order to survive is portrayed in Bathroom Meetings. Radio Station shows how negative self-talk resonates and erodes one’s self-worth. The loss of love and the depths it hurts to lose someone you love is felt in Never Ever Again. Aunt Betty is a poem that shows us with deep loss comes thankfulness in loving both hers and my Aunt Betty, and the unconditional love she gave us all. Kathleen’s love, respect, and sorrow of the loss of her Grandma, my mother, are expressed in Grandma and The Head of the Family. Reality of loss in the innocence of youth is seen in Things I Used to Know. The experience of witnessing the results of abused families in a shelter is described in First Night in a Shelter. On a final note, the reality of the loss that comes with death sinks in, in The Catacombs.

LONGING is what isn’t. The wish to be in another place, just going through the motions without feeling is felt in Calling All Cast Members and You Bet. Things are not what you think they are is depicted in Confusion. The beauty and power of Mother Nature sneaks in, in Niagara Falls. I Wish is a reflection of one’s inner most thoughts wished for. Question depicts longing for love. Asking what the future holds is seen in The Nineteenth of July.

Kathleen’s anthology of poetry digs deep into the soul. The poems show the power of the written word. This power is felt and lived by the writer and has lasting impact on the reader.

Janice Elizabeth Sumpton, Mother

Author’s Preface

Love, Life, Loss, and Longing is a poetry anthology separating poems about the philosophies of the world, or main aspects of reality, into four categories. Each of these categories serves in the text as a chapter, herein called books.

The first section LOVE talks about the good.

The second section LIFE discusses what is.

The third section LOSS deals with the bad.

The fourth section LONGING touches on what isn’t.

Together, all four make up what our emotions tap into when we experience things: the good, the bad, what is, and what isn’t.

The order of the poems starts with the two most positive renditions of philosophy, namely the good and what is.

The second half of the text leads us into more difficult hurdles, such as the bad things and what doesn’t really exist.

The poems are not written in sequential order by date, nor alphabetical order, and are assembled entirely at random. This randomization reflects the way in which each of the four aspects come at us in the world. We never know when we will be feeling good or bad, or feeling a fulfillment vs. an absence.

It is instinctive which of these categories a poem will falls into, and where they should be placed in sequence.

This anthology uses words that all start with the letter L because of its special powers in terms of energy when it comes to language.

At the end of the book, a reader should be able to relate to many of the poems and be able to have a more positive outlook on life overall, knowing that even though sometimes things are bad, they can also be really, really good. And if we didn’t have the absence of things, we wouldn’t appreciate them when they are there.

The cover on this novel I took while going for a walk in the city that I am from, London, Ontario. It is important to me to reflect who I am in terms of roots with the imagery because that’s where each of these poems came from. They are all inspired by things that have happened in my life. They are about places all over the world, but London will always be my home. And when walking, I often find the space to think about all the aspects of this world. Like Love, Life, Loss, and Longing.

Whenever I write a poem, it is instinctive which of these categories it falls into. There are no dates on the pieces as a lot of them were written without dates in the first place, and that can take away also from the depth of the piece in terms of the connection from page to reader. They are therefore not written in sequential order by date, nor alphabetical order, and are assembled entirely at random. This randomization reflects the way in which each of the four aspects come at us in the world. We never know when we will be feeling good or bad, or feeling a fulfillment vs. an absence.

I hope that somewhere in this book you will be able to relate to my words, and at the very least, know someone in your life that might. After being a ghost writer in the beginning of my career, it is a blessing to be able to offer reads this text under my own name. Although it has taken me quite a long time to gather these poems together for publication, I am continuing to write in this form as well as others including prose novels, and am excited to share more works with you in the future.

Kathleen Elizabeth Sumpton

London, Ontario, Canada

BOOK I

Love

LOVE is the good. We ask ourselves: what can be greater than love? Is love not the entire point of the human existence, in order to structure our lives in a stable, secure environment, namely: the family?

Our goal in this world is to find this indescribable element, harness it, and foster it. When we learn who we are in, of, and about ourselves, we are then able to find love.

The world works in a balance whereby it doesn’t teach us what we need until we prove ourselves worthy of knowledge. Only those who are worthy of its power find true love. Others, simply, fall prey to its twin sister: lust. Identical in almost every way, except spelling.

This section of the anthology contains several poems that highlight what it is like to be in love: wholly, truly, and completely. They do not, therefore, discuss lust or infatuation.

Arguably, love encompasses a certain type of loss when it ends. These pieces are not about the ending of love, but simply the feeling of being in the midst of it in its truth. Loss of love between a partner, friend, or family member is part of the section on Loss.

Enjoy them as much as you enjoy the feeling of being lost in love.

LOVE

That cute little thing,

We still don’t understand;

The type to make your heart sing,

As you’re walking and holding hands.

The one who makes you smile,

Wider than the ocean;

As if there’s time left for a while,

Together, alone in your motions.

But it’s also the one,

That’s the ultimate confusion,

Because you don’t know if you won,

Or if it’s all delusion.

DID HE REALLY JUST SAY THAT?

Usually it’s me

The one to ruin things

By speaking first.

But this time

Instead its

You to blurt it out.

I know you

Instantly

Regret it.

But still

I loved it

So much.

Because I never

Get to hear

Those words.

WHY DO YOU LOVE ME?

If I were to ask you

The reason why

You love me?

What would

You say back

To me?

I wonder if

You can

put it to words.

Or if

It simply

Is.

THE MEETING

When we collide—

Accost, coincide;

The sentiment is lost

And meaning hides.

In the winter frost

Where gremlins rot

The Queens have got

The master’s cot.

Who will contest

Indeed, what’s best

One would never guess

I’m the mistress.

ONLY ONE DAY

One day

When you think

Of seeing me tomorrow

It will be next to you

When you awake.

FERVOR

Shall the terror withhold?

Past the games played,

And promises broken,

Infatuation holds

Stranger than love,

But love lasts forever.

WHAT’S THIS FLOWER CALLED

Forget-me-nots

Are my favourite flower

Probably because

I hate to lose

My sense of self

In the web.

HE LOVES ME, HE LOVES ME NOT

I know why

People have

A one-night-stand.

They give up on

Ever having

A future.

It’s too hard

To see past

Temptation.

An imagination

Where it’s all

Potential.

This is

The Dreamworld—

Ultimate fantasy.

ST. VALENTINE

He seemed like a savior

When I was little—

Someone who would come,

And play the fiddle—

Seranade me with song,

Until I would kindle—

All the fires and flames,

Made to play for dwindle.

JAZZ MUSIC

Your touch feels

So beautiful

With every fingertip

Placed wisely.

I love the way

You fit with me

And I can’t

Get enough.

The sound of

Song is

In my ears

When you whisper.

You are

All the things

I dreamed of.

LUSH

I hold close the moments,

Of yesterday.

My darling,

The eve is of tomorrow.

When angels,

Hold forever in their harps.

My hands,

Clinging on to wisdom.

MILDEW

Not without honesty,

Do I relay the truth to you.

With rain drops,

Of morning dew.

We are euphoric,

And painful alike.

Happiness full of doubt,

And confusion.

I have a feeling,

Of utmost elation.

EMBRACE

If I stole your heart

And hid it

Next to mine

Would you mind?

MUSIC NOTES

The loud story of music

Which I sing

For peace.

I remember the dream

That loves

And believes.

Relaxing a connection

For two

In weaves.

Tying a ribbon

Around fingers

Holding on.

POETRY CORNER

Dream your world,

Imagine forever.

Discovering our story,

Give, create, remember.

Forget no love,

Believe for life.

Stand facing forward,

We will not turn back.

Purity in one,

Is perfection in another.

Love, peace, harmony,

You share with the poor.

To be courageous,

Picture yourself alone.

See your image as a stone,

You are above worthy.

I will address you with honour,

Leaving only what to take.

I will take your words of wisdom,

Luxuriate in your beauty.

Eloquence is in your tongue,

Teach me to speak.

Show me the way to success,

You are born for bigger things.

CINNAMON HOT CHOCOLATE

Blue and white garland

Twisting round the tree

Eating candy-cane crackle ice-cream

Sipping hot chocolate with marshmallows.

SHIPS OF RELATIONS

Where do we stand

On opposite lands

Or holding dear hands?

Where is our place

On which piece of space

Can I see your face?

FLOWERS

You pick one

And put it in

My hair.

I smile

So flattered

By this.

We sit in

This field

Admiring.

Each other so

Engrossed in

Each other.

You smile

At me

Brightly.

I smile back

On the outside

And inside.

Where love lies

Beats skip

And words trip.

Mumbled phrases

Escape lips

In dazes.

MR. LOVE

The letters on your forehead

Speak to me in my language

With hair splaying everywhere

And eyes, so beautiful in disguise

I want to know

What your face doesn’t show.

REASONS WHY I LOVE YOU

1.You are kind to everyone.

2.You are loyal and protective to loved ones.

3.Your personality is special.

4.You easily make others laugh.

5.You get along with everyone.

6.We almost always agree on everything.

7.You are cultured.

8.You are also European.

9.You are a great friend.

10.You also love food.

11.Your smile is so genuine.

12.You always know what to say.

13.You stand up for your beliefs.

14.You know when to bite your tongue.

15.You have all of the best senses, common and fashion included.

NO ONE UNDERSTANDS ME, BUT YOU

Crawling through my youth

Searching for a way to grow

I can’t learn to walk or run so easy

And it’s hard for me to find a place

Where I may belong;

The further I get

The more I see

No one understands me but you.

CANDY HEARTS

My heart is a conversation

Every