Dean Young's poem, also posted here on my blog, is an incredible poem about love/sex/romance/desire/yearning . . . in other words, passion. Yet none of these words are in his poem.
Look at the words that are in his poem; sure, a few of them are words you might find in a typical love poem (eyes, song, burning, touch) but most of them are not words we associate with love/love poems.
And that is part of what makes his poem so marvelous. The poem also builds up in both speed and tension as it goes on, and there is alliteration, assonance, and consonance adding to the sensual/sexual tone.
Use Young's poem as your inspiration this week. Write a poem in which the speaker professes her/his/their intense feeling for a missing someone, avoiding all cliché, typical tropes, and any words you might find in a Valentine's Day card.
How will you express an emotion so intense in a roundabout way, while also being clear and having great sounds throughout?
This is a tough challenge, but I think you will have fun trying it!
