Poem

This is a poem about a dream I had about my future husband. There are a lot of symbols in this poem like a line, chairs, clothes, trees, kisses, carparks, hair and going home. Have fun interpreting it! However, it is only symbolic. The promise that I found sollace in was that someday someone would give me an invitation that I would want to accept (someone that I perhaps already know) and he would wait with an empty chair beside him (i.e. he would wait for me).
This dream was also a warning that there will be troubles that I will have to face even when I meet the right person. In the end, if the man I choose knows God, he will seek refuge in God in the midst of temptation. With God's strength he will be able to lead our relationship and marry me with my father's blessing.

You Don't Know This Yet But...I'm Your Wife

I already knew you, so that's not new, but in my dream the shadow of mysef knew something I didn't.

She knew that though you were never my object before, you were dear to her; so loved.

In my dream your future self knew something you don't.

He knew she was the one and risked all to send out the invite.

She frantically dressed for the occassion, but nothing fit.

She tried outfit after outfit, but nothing matched.

In the meantime, he waited.

He sat in a chair with an empty one beside him.

Waiting in a line of other happy couples.

Waiting, but not hopeful.

She was so afraid that he would give up and leave, along with her last chance.

She slipped something on and her friends showed up.

In the rush, she didn't notice things were small.

Her zipper wouldn't do up, her shirt was tight, she was exposed before everyone.

She was afraid he would leave but she couldn't offer herself half dressed, so back home she trekked.

Then inspiration found her and she searched at the back of her draw.

She pulled out a flowery dress, so pure and preserved.

Once again she felt beautiful to present herself to him.

She ran with incredible speed as if she could make up lost time with foracity.

She walked into the building fearing an empty chair.

Instead, he was faithfully sitting there.

She pulled a chair close beside him and sat down with confidence.

He stared in disbelief, but yearned to believe.

His eyes read hers like a book until they got to the page that said:

I'm yours.

His eyes took on a passionate glow, a possessive shine, a solid resolve.

He kissed her so their lips melted together.

They were heady with emotion and it was strangely familiar.

The kiss was a seal that confirmed the perfect match.

He claimed her once and for all.

He said he'd drive her home.

She had never been so cherished before.

But, wanting more and overcome by lust, she made him wait.

She made him stop in the carpark, not ready to leave just yet.

Delay.

He complied because he would never not do anything she asked.

She was drunk with the power she had over him and tempted him till he was weak.

Only, the same temptation gripped her too.

She tried to control that which could not be controlled.

Somehow he broke the spell and sought refuge under the bough of a shady tree.

He blamed himself, not her.

He threatened to pull out his hair for not cherishing her like he should.

She was hurt and feared her loss of him.

Control was all she knew outside of rejection and she'd lost control.

She feared he would never touch her again and she had already awakened the need to be touched.

He pulled her in with words of love, saying that his first kiss should have been enough.

The love he spoke of touched her in a way that she wanted his hands to and she realised he'd passed her test.

Deep down she knew she wanted him to protect her from herself, to save her for himself.

They declared their love and she entwined her fingers in his hair.

She was willing to follow him anywhere.

He held her hand and led her to his car and said he would take her home.

He would take her home and declare himself to her father.

In my dream, you knew me so well. We fell in love, fought our demons, and overcame.

I remember it well, as if I were her, but you you are forever stuck in the past.

You have not kissed, nor touched, nor declared.

You don't even know that he exists and exists for her.

I feel a weight as I wait, just wanting to go up to you and say:

"Hi. You don't know this yet, but I'm your wife."

- A poem by Nicky MacAskill

Power of a letter

“Let’s never underestimate the power of a well written letter” – Bernadette ‘The Jane Austen Bookclub.’

I was watching the play Hamlet, the movie version performed by Mel Gibson, when I heard a familiar letter read out:

Doubt thou the stars are fire

doubt that the sun doth move

doubt truth to be a liar

but never doubt I love.

It hit me as I heard Hamlet’s letter, which was written for his love Ophelia, how often in romance stories a letter has the power of transformation.

In Pride and the Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennett had a horrible opinion of Mr. Darcy (which the reader, at first, would perceive to be well-justified). The point of the book, however, is that not everyone was as they first seemed. The well-mannered Mr. Wickham, that Elizabeth liked, turned out to be a scoundrel and the proud Mr. Darcy, that she hated, turned out to be a saint. Elizabeth would have continued in her ignorance if she had never received Darcy’s letter—which revealed all. Elizabeth wouldn’t have given him notice to speak if he had approached her in person. She wouldn’t have believed his tale about Wickham if it wasn’t stated so matter-of-factly in writing. She wouldn’t have taken it all in, if she wasn’t able to read it over and over, meditating on the words—and with the space to do so.

In The Jane Austen Book Club the character Bernadette says, “I like how Austen always allows the men to explain themselves. Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and the Prejudice, and Frank writes to Emma [in Emma]… In Persuasion everything hangs on Wentworth leaving [Anne] that note—when everyone is all around them…smart guy. Perfect timing.”

A quick investigation led me to believe that many other movies follow a similar theme. There is The Lake House where letters had the power to connect Alex and Kate who were from different times. You’ve Got Mail united Joe and Kathleen through anonymity when in real life they hated each other. P.S. I Love You, while not one of my favourite movies, letters kept romance alive for Gerry and Holly even after death. In The Notebook the romance between Noah and Allie was delayed because of letters that were held back and it was later in reading one of those lost letters that made Allie’s mind up to return to Noah. In Never Been Kissed Sam Coulson forgave Josie for her betrayal when he read her article in the newspaper. In Sleepless in Seattle Annie wrote a letter that won over Sam’s son Jonah, which led Sam to Annie.

There is something so honest about a letter. It can be well thought-out. It can be focused without too much emotion and can force the reader to acknowledge what is written—that is, the other person’s perspective.

I mention romance only because letters are used as a tool in romance films and novels, but letters have nothing to do with romance and everything to do with love and understanding. Take the bible, for instance. It is made up of a number of letters and stories. It is as we read the bible that we begin to understand God more and we can believe that He loves us. There is power in the written word. Much more so than we would care to acknowledge.

My challenge, if I could present one, would be for you to learn to write down your thoughts. Focus your words and express what you really think to others. Writing a letter is not cowardly. There is something so terrifying about bleeding yourself out into a letter and having to wait for the other person’s response. Never write a word in haste. If words have the power of transformation, they have the power to do harm as well as good. Make sure that your motives are pure, because if the intention is good—if the purpose is for the benefit of the other person and not yourself—then the outcome will always be good. There is power in a letter. Embrace it.