Do not love me too much, do not love me too much,
For there’s trust in my eye but there’s flight in my touch
And I’ll dance like desire away from your clutch;
Do not love me too much.
Do not call me your own, do not call me your own,
For I’m not of your blood and I’m not of your bone
And my true name is something that you’ve never known;
Do not call me your own.
Do not mourn me too long, do not mourn me too long,
For my love was not yours and your love was not wrong
And there’s many another will sing you this song;
Do not mourn me too long.
By Jonathan Steffen
Photograph by Nathalie Todd
Visit the Tuesday Poem blog for more: www.tuesdaypoem.blogspot.co.uk
Song of the Mare appears in Exposure
{ 3 comments }
A haunting poem. I might ask you if I can quote from it in my work! Will read it to my horse later. Amanda
Dear Amanda,
Many thanks indeed for your kind words. Please do feel free to quote this poem in your work should you consider it appropriate. I assume, incidentally, that your horse favours metre over free verse.
All the best,
Jonathan
i’ll let you know what my horse thinks.
btw, I’ve been working on a conference paper on Sylvia Loch’s work (long story) and found your work via a link in something she had written. Am glad I did. I’ve got several horse-related project on the go, so I am sure some lines from this poem will end up in one of them. Will inform you in any case.