A North & South fan site—2004 BBC miniseries with Richard Armitage and Daniela Denby-Ashe. Fan prose and poetry.
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Next to each title (in parenthesis) is the name of the C19 member who contributed that particular portion of the poem.
John Thornton’s Renga
1. Penetrating gaze (Noone)
You are a knot tangled around my heart,
A shiver running through my veins.
You hide in the quiet corners of my mind.
And I study you, closely,
To understand if this is love.
2. Midnight-black hair (harmony)
To understand if this is love
That I feel as I stroke your hair
Of midnight black lying across the pillow
As you dream silently
In the darkness of sleep
3. Don't look back in anger (elle)
In the darkness of sleep
Peace overwhelms me
The longing subsides and my sleep is content
She looks at me there, I catch her brilliant gaze
She smiles and I run, but I never reach her
4. One yellow rose (harmony)
She smiles and I run, but I never reach her
For she is gone like the night
And as dawn breaks once again
I find I am alone
Wishing that things could have been different
5. Without you (Elle)
Wishing that things could have been different
If only you would have me as yours
Despite the anguish you've caused me, I still want you
I ache to see you, touch you, breathe in your essence
I know I'll never be satisfied till you're mine
6. Heartful ease (neelma)
I know I'll never be satisfied till you're mine
My days are full of thoughts of you and only you
Where I go, what I do, I do not know
Your image I find in the trees, the birds, the flowers on the street
The smell of your hair is their fragance
7. Dark confusion (Noone)
The smell of your hair is their fragrance.
These are the words I heard you say,
Words that tumble and turn in my mind
Causing my heart to beat faster, for you.
Have I understood what you said?
8. Cotton choke (neelma)
Have I understood what you said?
The thought of life without you
Makes it hard to breathe, makes me gasp for air
Like cotton in my lungs
Only you can rest this torment in my heart
9. Obsession (Noone)
Only you can rest this torment in my heart
This creeping, consuming, drowning desire.
I can feel the warm blush of your face
Slide softly against my finger tips
When I close my eyes and you love me too
10. Falling into you (harmony)
When I close my eyes and you love me too
Then nothing else seems to matter
The dark days of yesterday are gone
Taken flight, like an eagle soaring high
In a cloudless, dreamy sky of azure blue
11. The colour of fruit (neelma)
In a cloudless, dreamy sky of azure blue
The apples in the trees ripe to a crisp green
The roses bloom red, white and yellow
Overhead I see rainbows bright with colour
How can one person affect nature in such a way
12. The ways of industry (Noone)
How can one person affect nature in such a way?
I see the blue of her eyes in a smoke-choked sky
And hear her voice in the push of a breeze.
She has become woven into my hair and my soul.
How can I tell her she has my heart?
13. All by myself (neelma)
How can I tell her she has my heart?
I long to tell her how much I love her, I desire her,
How I would cross the seven seas for her
Or walk through burning coals if she asked me to
All she has to do is smile at me and I’m under her spell
14. Pure of heart, strong of mind (Remontant)
All she has to do is smile at me and I'm under her spell
But everything has been shattered
By displacement, loss, and death.
She is calm at farewell, too strong to glance back.
I am duly repaid for my ink-black jealousy.
15. Presumptious Way (Noone)
I am duly repaid for my ink-black jealousy.
God has spoken through her lips
And my penance is clear.
She will not have me, forever and a day.
This burden is mine to cherish
16. A love complete (neelma)
This burden is mine to cherish
Yesterday I saw you with another
You looked at him with love
How I wish that look was reserved for me and only me
A wonder that this makes me love you even more
17. Missing you (mmargaretT)
A wonder that this makes me love you even more
Though my heart is torn with longing
And every act and thought have you at their centre
Can you not feel the magnetic pull of our opposite poles?
Stained with red, my soul cries out for you
18. You have to look hard (Noone)
Stained with red, my soul cries out for you
But I must stifle and suffocate my desire
I will purge you from my thoughts, given time.
I will be ghostly pale, a shadow made of ash.
You will have to look hard to find me.
19. A master of all he surveys (harmony)
You will have to look hard to find me
But know that I will be there
In your every waking moment and darkest night
When you dream, it will be of me
I am all around you - I never left, just listen
20. Braveheart (Remontant)
I am all around you - I never left, just listen
For the sound of my voice in your thoughts.
Everything I'd hoped to give you is gone.
Only my honour, my hands and my heart remain
They are irrevocably yours.
21. Cold and empty (Noone)
They are irrevocably yours
The spaces where my heart and soul took shape
The fist of muscle and the vital force - both gone.
You have drawn me hollow, you refused my hand.
What little I have left is yours
22. At a loss (neelma)
What little I have left is yours
Take my heart, my take my soul,
Take my pride, take my dignity
I am nothing without you
Nothing if I don't have you
23. Speculation (mmargaretT)
Nothing if I don't have you
Two spirits, two hearts grown together
Empty spaces filled with vibrant living joy
The seed of hope sends out a pale green shoot
And I dare to dream of your heart-gift
24. What is a gentleman? (Noone)
And I dare to dream of your heart-gift
As I hold your hand, touch your face.
I should reign myself in, show restraint
But surely honesty has honour too
Our lips touch and I have my answer
25. Dreams of you (neelma)
Our lips touch and I have my answer
Your lips part, accepting my kiss
Sensations not felt before rush through me
I find myself drowning into you
You are mine and I am yours
26. In control (remontant)
You are mine and I am yours
One verity I have always known
But only now can I believe
You feel this shared fate.
Providence provides an unexpected gift.
27. My mother's love (mmargaretT)
Providence provides an unexpected gift
And I overflow with the wonder of it!
See her, mother; I am in good hands
The love you have taught me
Clasped to my bosom for eternity
28. Soldiering on (sarahD)
Clasped to my bosom for eternity
The angel of my dreams stands beside me
I will no longer battle the world alone
I thought my eyes decieved me but now I know
There is a love between us that is unbreakable
29. Tormenting insecurities (Noone)
There is a love between us that is unbreakable
This was a hope I never dared believe
A tormenting dream I could never hold onto
But you have kissed me, a softened give,
Your pulse racing under my thumb is a promise
30. Delicious silence (neelma)
Your pulse racing under my thumb is a promise
The smile on your face tells me your mine
The touch of your hand tells me you’ll never let go
As we move through the world together
Creating dreams of our own under the star filled sky
31. Jealous heart (sarahD)
Creating dreams of our own under the star filled sky
Mere mortals are we- deceived by all we see
A passion deep it drove me wild
Scenes of betrayal veiled my heart
It mourned for love and hopes deceived
32. Is this the last goodbye (MmargaretT)
It mourned for love and hopes deceived
With sharp edges still turning, cutting me anew
A thousand declarations and pleas thrown at you
But unheard, they evaporate and turn to smoke
Why, why do you not look back?
33. Misopportunities (Noone)
Why, why do you not look back?
This mantra, repeated, as I gave up hope
Is all but forgotten - a distant place
Now, our eyes meet and hold a promise
The warmth of our joined hands an embrace
34. Breathless (neelma)
The warmth of our joined hands an embrace
Kiss me breathe life into me
Catch me as I fall and stumble at your feet
Love me until the end of time
This endless love is ours, everlasting
35. Beautiful name (Noone)
This endless love is ours, everlasting
A poetic line I dare not voice.
But I am free to speak my heart
And whisper in the softness of your ear
Margaret.
| Main Poetry Page | Margaret's Renga |
