Love Poem: Long After and Long Before
Joe Dimino Avatar
Written by: Joe Dimino

Long After and Long Before

Long before we met
I loved you

though countenance as yet unclear;

long before I ever heard 
your voice, sensed I a perfect fit 
out-there, somewhere
for my very eclectic ear -- 

Destiny is the word she used,

the old woman, with cards and
tea-leaves – a White Witch her
advertised claim: in a tent, at
an outdoor carnival somehow
I can’t say, she even knew your name…

Long before the first kiss sealed

with embrace made promise

with vow made sacred

perhaps before the first spring came
tossed its dingy veil, made colorful
beguile...into us spoke scented petal-like 
blossoming smile

long before the first step
and endless seeming mile -- 
season given time to entrance,
great power to smudge and erase


Perhaps long before
God had written His best romance -- 
imagined human hearts, couplets of 
tender poetry, song and joyful dance -- 


perhaps far back, when God
first considered love, make sketch
and model design -- made man’s visage
and form resemble His own Divine…

gave creation license to copy, 
to fondly reline or trace – for 
sometimes careless figuring gave wash 
of forever grace – a lonely God, releasing
His kingdom, wanting only to freely
share, breathing life into lungs of 
clay beings, declaring each his
child – offspring, royal heir

Perhaps even then, that far back
in God’s perfectly caring heart,
you and I were resident tenants
there, as angels reside in heaven above
wherever we travel, goes with us 
signed lease of eternal love -- 

though having transient souls predetermined 
never long us to dwell apart – such depth of union
like God’s glittering universe ever expanding

as those endless fields of stars linked together
twinkly hand-in-hand, love -- time’s radiant, inextinguishable 
source and core -- God will keep us sparkling brilliantly close

adhered to His Loving Heart

Now, long after and long before