After “Melbourne” by the Whitlams
If I had three lives, I’d marry you in two.
The other? Perhaps that life over there
at Starbucks, sitting alone, writing – a memoir,
maybe a novel or this poem. No kids, probably,
a small apartment with a view of the river,
and books – lots of books, and time to read.
Friends to laugh with, and a man sometimes,
for a weekend, to remember what skin feels like
when it’s alive. I’d be thinner in that life, vegan,
practice yoga. I’d go to art films, farmers markets,
drink martinis in swingy skirts and big jewelry.
I’d vacation on the Maine coast and wear a flannel shirt
weekend guy left behind, loving the smell of sweat
and aftershave more than I did him. I’d walk the beach
at sunrise, find perfect shell spirals and study pockmarks
water makes in sand. And I’d wonder sometimes
if I’d ever find you.
Sarah Russell
First published in Silver Birch
Winner of the Poetry Nook contest
Republished in Autumn Sky Poetry Daily
Sarah Russell Poetry 
I remember this poem. Still love it! Alarie
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Thanks, Alarie! One of my favorites too.
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It had so many images…It is like a rainbow of more than seven colours. ..
I like it…
Hope U visit my blog. ..
I have got some tears, birds, butterfly to share. ..
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I have visited, Aojhal, and I’m following your work. Yes, tears and birds and butterflies… Beautiful.
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Thanks a ton!!
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I love this exploration of the other lives we might have lived. My favorite part is the first line.
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Thanks, Ali. I loved that line too when I heard it in the song “Melbourne” by the Whitlams. But the line read “If I had three lives I’d marry her in two.” I wrote the poem for my husband, and I liked the pronoun change that made the line universal. You can find the song on YouTube. And thanks so much for mentioning my poems on your blog. Much appreciated!
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Thanks for sharing the story behind the poem.
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You’re welcome. That’s why I started the blog. My website didn’t let me talk to folks. I try never to “explain” a poem, but I enjoy talking about the inspiration for them.
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Love this. And anything that references The Whitlams gets an automatic like from me!
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Me too! Love your blog, BTW. I’ve been following it for awhile.
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Thanks Sarah!
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Life is filled with what ifs…..and the possibilities of that other life is endless ~ Love your share and nice meeting you at D’verse ~
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Thanks, Grace. Nice meeting you too. I’m new to D’verse. I really liked your poem today too. You have another follower!
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What a lovely read. Thank you.
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Thanks so much, Bev.
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That was hilarious — just what I thought that some of you gals thought about us.
Very cool
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If I had three comments,
One would laugh at the self dream of
One would smile at the one you are
and the last would compliment all the fun phrasing.
Ooops, I guess that is four, because of my own above.
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Hey, you guys do the same thing. Roads not taken and all that. All those “what if’s” of life.
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Yes all those dreams of what we could have done… the self instead of us.. maybe we all need a bit of that (maybe that’s why we are all bloggers)
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Hmmm. Hadn’t thought of the blogging life that way, Bjorn (Sorry, I can’t find the umlaut key). Blogger as alter ego. Nice!
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An interesting introspection this. What would I do with that “third” life? Would make for a wonderful prompt! Love this peek, Sarah!
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Thanks, Walter. Ah, those roads not taken…
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Sarah Russell….I LOVE THIS POEM~!~~ Period. Had me laughing and thinking. Excellent!
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Yeah, we all go there periodically, don’t we, Jane. Thanks a lot.
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I love this sooo much!!❤️ The emotions, the tone, the mood of this poem reaches out and tugs at the heartstrings.. and makes one wonder.. what if we had this chance.. would we do it all over again?.. Most gorgeous write!❤️
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Thanks so much, Sanaa. I guess we all wonder if, even if we married our soul mate.
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Sarah, this is beautiful, but I have come to it via this week’s quadrille post over at dVerse, and it’s not a quadrille. Perhaps you meant to post on Open Link Night from last Thursday? I will remove from the quadrille post. Please feel free to reshare over at Open Link Night. 🙂
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I goofed. New to this. #22 with my name is correct. If you are the administrator, please, please delete #19! Thanks.
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No worries! I removed it. Heading to your Q post now. 🙂
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PS: And if you were attempting to share a quadrille, I can’t find it. Help!
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Loved it! LOVE. But can’t find a place to comment on the actual post.
Such a playful time with shape, repetition. WONDERFUL.
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YIkes! OK it should be good now. Like I said, I’m new to this!
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I cant tell you how much I love this beautiful poem ! Every wondering line, especially the closing ones……..
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Thanks, Sherry. We all wonder about roads not taken, don’t we. Then we remember what we have.
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This is a wonderful piece, and one I can relate to… that other life I almost had and sometimes miss.
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Yes, Kerry, I sometimes miss it too. We all have those days.
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Oh I loved the line: “wear a flannel shirt
weekend guy left behind, loving the smell of sweat
and aftershave more than I did him.” That is a great line! and it is good to read the back story to this.
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Thanks, Kazen. If you get a chance, check out the Whitlams and the song “Melbourne.” Great song! It’s on You Tube.
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Thank you. I shall do that.
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This stunningly beautiful in the way the reader pictures the scenes so well. How we all dream of that other life.
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Thanks a lot!
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Oh this is beautiful… I keep saying that there’s a part of me living a parallel life on a beach somewhere being everything I’m not right now…you found all the words for it!
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I think we all have that other life, Rajani. It’s nice to think about sometimes…
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Oh my. So much to love here but if I had three punts i’d go for this line three times ‘loving the smell of sweat
and aftershave more than I did him’
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Thanks so much, Paul. Yes, sometimes the “idea” of a person is better than the reality.
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Honestly – I think one has to be of a “certain” age to truly appreciate this poem – I love it!
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Thanks, Margaret. Yes, I think a “certain age” does help!
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Someone posted this on Twitter yesterday, that’s how I found you and this beautiful poem. As of now, almost 20,000 likes. I hope that turns into more people enjoying your writing like I have.
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Thanks, Darren. I’m not on Twitter, but I guess I should be! Do you know who posted it?
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This is a wonderful poem. I am living that third life, happy, enjoying myself, but there is that wistful part of me wondering if I will ever find “her”.
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You will. I’m sure of it.
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