Your Loving Name (poem) by John Herlihy on AuthorsDen

Your Loving Name
by John Herlihy → (All Poetry by John Herlihy)
Tuesday, October 16, 2018 Rated "G" by the Author.

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Your Loving Name By John Herlihy The problem with people is: They never stay the same; They do change from day to day, but never their name. Joseph will always be Joseph, Peter will never be Fred; Alice may like to eat cucumbers, Mary apples instead. Never did understand the mystery attached to a name; A person’s identity one thing, but who takes the blame. The baby does glow a honeyed light when I whisper Bill; The exchange of smiles and laughter amounts to a thrill. The toddler can be as stubborn as the sawing of a cricket; Insisting on crawling on all fours in brambles of a thicket. When I call my friend Peter, he responds as none other; In the intonation of his voice an intimacy as my brother. The likes of my childhood friend Philip is another matter; As fickle as a day is long and as strange as a Mad Hatter. One day as friendly as could be, the next ready to betray; I never knew if to trust him, no matter what he may say. I haven’t seen him for ages, but remember him somehow; The name has stayed the same; I wonder who he is now. People come and go in life, nothing ever stays the same; One thing to stay constant, when I call your loving name.

Reviewed by Jms Bell

Reviewed on October 30, 2018

THIS IS TRUE. EVEN WHEN YOU MEET SOMEONE YOU'VE NEVER KNOWN BEFORE AND THEY REVEAL THEIR NAME TO BE THE SAME AS SOMEONE YOU ONCE KNEW,SOMEONE WHO BRINGS A 'NASTY' TASTE TO YOUR MOUTH...THE THOUGHTS OF THAT PERSON, FOR REAL, JOHN...IS NOT ALWAYS LOVING AT ALL. SO NAMES DO INFLUENCE, GOOD AND BAD, THOUGHTS INDEED. THANKS FOR SHARING. LOVE, BLESSINGS AND FAITH...JOYCE * HIS INSPIRATIONS

Reviewed by Jane Noponen Perinacci

Reviewed on October 17, 2018

I always take something wonderful from what you write, John! Again, I will take this and ponder it "with kid gloves". Reality!

Love ya!

Jane

Reviewed by La Belle Rouge Poetess Of The Heart

Lovely poem, you write so beautifully, John. An inspiring pen.

Reviewed by Sandie May Joyce (Sandie Angel)

People will change but their given names at birth will always be the same. Nicknames we've got or given to friends when we were kids were terrible, and we thought it fun to call them at the time!

I think there are places on the net where you can search for the meanings of your names too.

Sandie

Reviewed by Michael Schafer

I enjoyed reading this this take on names, and I've often found that nicknames are the cruelest, or the most loving of all. Your 1st two and last two lines were superb.

Reviewed by Ronald Hull

You're right about the lasting quality of particularly, first names. Although some would like to bury their childhood nicknames for very good reason. I find when I do a Google search for someone there are many others with the same name, nearly the same age or live in nearly the same vicinity. So, using those kinds of searches may lead us to someone of that name, but not the person we are looking for.

When I call out, "John!" A million men answer. What am I to do?

Ron

Reviewed by Jerry Bolton

I suppose as people change, that is correct, I suppose it has to do with their "growing."

Reviewed by Eva Pasco

Past experiences with certain named individuals can predispose us to make prejudgments based on a name.