Something about the very word “beloved” causes a frisson in us. Out of the people that matter to you, who matters the most? Whom do you love, or whom have you loved more than anyone else? What does the word “beloved” summon up in your imagination? What songs, poems, stories, movies spring to mind? Who is your beloved?

I can’t look at this assignment without thinking of the Bible passage from Song of Solomon 6 and Song of Solomon 5:16. “I am my beloved and he is mine…”…”This is my lover, this is my friend.” I am nowhere near as eloquent as the author of the passage, and I realize that there is no way to verbally capture the intense love I feel for the one I was fortunate enough to marry. He balances me. I am strong and would be fine on my own, but he takes me to a better, higher, stronger, more passionate plane. For which I am thankful.

This poem is a Petrarchan (or Italian or Miltonic) Sonnet, according to http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/harris/Rom_Travel/Handouts/RomPoetryForm.pdf.

It’s written as a 14 lines poem with the first eight-line octave in abba, abba format showing a situation, followed by a six-line cde, cde resolution:

It has been twenty-four years
On this roller coaster we call life
Happiness, sadness, triumphs and fears
Since that day I became your wife.
Balance and love are the keys
Taking turns, being strong, showing love
Bolstering up the one who’s in need
Showing grace. You. My beloved.

An etching on my soul
You make me whole
And will ’til the end of my days
You’re the yin to my yang
The whole shebang
I adore you now and always.