What’s your definition of romantic?

of or relating to music of the 19th century characterized by an emphasis on subjective emotional qualities and freedom of form. Also: of or relating to a composer of this music.

Merriam-Webster-Webster Dictionary

Oh – you meant like el corazón! I am not the best reference for explaining romance. Ya know, the hopeless romantic and all that?

I was with the same man for 10 years, married for 3/10, and divorced in 2020. After that, I’ve had a few rough relationships involving a stalker, a hoarder, an unstable personality, and a really good friend (which turned out perfectly fine). It’s like a 1:6 odds for me, but I am not really looking anymore.

I don’t feel like I can love someone to the same extent that they might love me, or as much as my first husband. I do feel broken when it comes to love, and I am not sure I will be able to find someone who is “right” for me.

My solution is to collect felines (3-at-a-time, I am not that insane). They listen, love, and bring me up, not down. Sure, they are stalkers, but only for my lap when it is freed of annoying lap ornaments – phone? Phooey, get that off of there.

I am still a little under the weather, so here is another poem:

“The Willow’s Embrace, The Water’s Touch”

By: Arwen-Wynter Oakley ©


In verdant woods where wildflowers sway,
I find solace in nature's embrace.
With pen in hand, I wander and stray,
Seeking truth and a romantic grace.

For what is romance but a yearning,
A longing for beauty in every form?
A delicate dance, the heart's slow burning,
In awe of nature's elemental norm.

I stroll the banks of a babbling brook,
Its melody whispers in my ear.
The sunlight filters through leaves that shook,
I feel the romance of the atmosphere.

The birds, they sing their love songs so sweet,
Their melodies float on the gentle breeze.
They court and woo with melodious tweet,
Romance embedded in their harmonies.

I spy a butterfly, vibrant and free,
Flitting among blossoms, a tender display.
Its delicate wings enchant and decree,
The beauty that romance can convey.

In solitude, I ponder love's embrace,
How it weaves its threads in nature's rhyme.
The passionate sunsets, the moon's soft grace,
A symphony of romance through space and time.

To be romantic is to live fully,
To be enraptured by life's grand design.
To find love in a wildflower, a tree,
And feel its essence in the heart's incline.

So let us embrace the romantic's way,
With Thoreau's spirit as our guiding light.
In nature's splendor, we'll ever stay,
Seeking romance in each day and night.