My Love Is Like The Fragrant Myrrh

My love appeared to me in the hour
before sunset,
in the dusky hour heavy with the
weight of unspilled secrets. Tell me,
my love,
where do you gaily frolic in the hours
you are apart from me? ‘I toil ‘neath
the scorching sun,
weaving love’s incessant yearning like
the beams of bridges to find my way
to you.’
My heart is made of sandalwood, I trail
myrrh and fragrant spices
with abandon.

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Author: ebonyandcrows

Hello and welcome to my page~ My name is Larisa--a very common Slavic name that was either derived from the Latin word hilaris, meaning "cheerful," or from the Greek city of Larissa, meaning "strong fortress." Born in Ukraine, I emigrated with my family to America when I was still a small child and now make my home in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. Growing up immersed in two vastly differing cultures led me to have a burning curiosity about people all over the world. Stemming from said curiosity, I have fallen in love with traveling to other countries, meeting new people and delving into their culture, exploring new cities, and of course, dining on the local cuisine! If I cannot escape into a different country, then my next favorite method of adventure is to lose myself in a spectacular book. I enjoy books of all genres--from fiction and novels, to biographies and ethnographies. As long as it captures my fancy and holds me spellbound the entire time, I will burn through the book like a forest fire! Because of this penchant for reading and travel, coupled with my love of deep and mysterious things, I have been often called a dreamer and I find the title suits me. With that being said, I invite you to stay a while, perhaps make yourself a cup of tea and linger through my posts and feel free to comment or share a thought :-)

121 thoughts on “My Love Is Like The Fragrant Myrrh”

        1. I cherish your words. Although I tend to write about darker passions, lately I’ve been inspired by the heady intoxication of young love. As one other author told me, there is something so pure in it. (Love and the classical style of composing it.)

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          1. As someone who writes some poetry and enjoys reading it, your inspirations and muse are what matters! And the darker passions are intriguing and your words flow passionately! You are talented and admired! And I agree about the purity in young love and youth before the world ruins innocence!

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            1. Ahh you are turning my heart into a pile of mush 😍 Thank you ever so much! There are times I write something and then reread it so much that I hate it. I love to hear feedback from people who read my work. Thank you! ♥️

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    1. Comments like this are poetry in themselves, C. D. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts! I agree, modern technology has detracted so much beauty from the delicate passions of love that it is nigh unrecognizable. Modern dating behind a screen kills off all inspiration for said passion. It’s a shame.

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      1. I know quite a few people who have done the whole online dating thing and seem happy. I won’t spoil their parade. I think the biggest tragedy of online dating is that they typically match people with all sorts of similarities. Some things are necessary so that there is common ground but if I had to date someone who shared every interest I did and never spoke up for themselves, I’d lose it.
        Anyway, ranting aside, it bears repeating that it was a nice poem.

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        1. True, I know someone who has been married for 20 years and they met on a dating website when they were first beginning. So it does work. But I remember the dating life of my oldest sister when I was still a small child, and the wild excitement that came along with it. Of the suitors coming over for tea, and setting out the best china and shooing all the children into the playroom. We would sneak out for some cake. I just am old fashioned and I long for more intrigue and excitement, like in the books I am so fond of. Thank you again for your kind compliment 😌

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      1. You are so welcome, I love your writing, so reading and commenting are truly my pleasure.

        My holiday so far has been lovely. Visiting my home town and the people I love there nourishes and grounds me I think. 🌺

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            1. Oh wow, you are clear across the world from me! I live in Washington state, the west coast of America. I have researched New Zealand before and it appears to be a quiet and calm place to live. I imagine that you have a lovely accent ☺️

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                1. Yes, I think I’d get a little bit of island fever if I were to live there. Maybe. I was in Iceland last June, and that was an eye opening experience. As lovely as it is, island fever for sure! Italy so far has been my favorite. The Italians are so jovial and loud and cheerful, I always leave my heart behind when I have to go home.

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                    1. Such a lovely way to put it! I think I must travel the world to find all the pieces of my heart that were lost along the way. I wonder if giving away pieces of our heart depletes it or makes it all the more full?

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                    2. You have a beautiful and poetic mind 💜. “I wonder if giving away pieces of our heart depletes it or makes it all the more full?” That is such a good question. I want to say it makes our hearts more full. But more full of… longing too. That yearning for something that we had but we can’t easily have again. Whether it’s a place, a person, a feeling…

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                    5. Aha, ‘tis to be a duel, I see—a duel of compliments! If we are to duel to the death, which of us shall expire first, hmm 🤔 And yet, I firmly maintain that you are the fairest of them all! Take that, my lovely friend 🤺

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                    6. Haha ha! And you have a great sense of humor too. You bestow your grace on so many. I bow before you, I would never fight you, even in a duel of compliments, who could fight such a beautiful soul ❤️🌺❤️

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                    7. Ahh I fear I have expired first (someone quick, bring the smelling salts!) I am laughing at this conversation, it is pure joy to find someone who is witty and with whom I can banter with 💞 I return your bow with heartfelt gratitude 🙏🏻

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    1. As always, you leave me at a loss for words. The words “thank you” seem like such a poor choice of words to convey my gratitude of your beautiful endorsement. But please accept them, nevertheless. I haven’t written in years and I feel that I am still a bit rusty, but it is my desire to compose words in a way that I myself would enjoy reading. What better mentor can I have than someone who writes as gorgeously as you?

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      1. Oh my! That is some mighty praise… I’m not sure I deserve it, Larisa!
        I’m quite surprised to see that you’ve not written in years – my God! – believe me, it seems as if you’ve written forever! Even your comments are so well worded, so heartfelt and eloquent, it makes me think you are an old soul, graceful and possessing the art of thought provoking, inspiring and engaging conversation!

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        1. Alas, ‘tis true. I haven’t put pen to paper for creative purposes in many a year, being in a dark place and all that. But I have consistently read at least one book a week for pretty much my entire life, so my diction and manner of speaking tend to lend themselves to all the bookishness that’s so much a part of me, that I fear all my close acquaintances view me as a walking library. There are worse things to be known for, I suppose. As for being an old soul—sometimes I feel like I am as old as the earth itself, and there are days I feel naive and as if I know nothing. I rather suspect that you are quite the old soul yourself and we simply understand one another due to recognizing that in each other. As always, please accept my deepest gratitude for all of your kind words. Xoxo
          -Larisa

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          1. I’ve read and re read your comment here, wanting to know more, wondering how to reply and being utterly mesmerised by the depth of your soul, the way you feel etc. You seem to be one of those very rare human beings who can look at their life from a higher perspective, having deep set awareness and empathy. Dear Larisa, to read books and be known for it would be something most people would trade anything for so a walking library should be worn as a fine suit of armour, a crown, a jewel! I love what you said about old soul..!
            P.S. If you decide to write about/have written on your life, memories et al, do let me know. I’d love to read. xoxo

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            1. Isha, you belong with the sages and the scribes, the philosophers and the wordsmiths—it is no wonder you are a poet extraordinaire! Everything you wrote is pure enchantment, my senses are reeling! Thank you so much for such incredible and high praise, I hardly feel as though I am deserving of it.

              I am deeply humbled that you have expressed a desire to glimpse into the depths of my mind; reading so made me grow quiet and still so as to try and absorb the enormity of such a compliment. I do not know if I have succeeded or not. Touching upon what you speculated about my nature—you are incredibly intuitive and, I suspect, a bearer of said qualities in your person to be able to aptly recognize them in someone else. I am impressed. One quote I read once by Elisabeth Kübler-Ross deeply resonated with me about the way beautiful people are shaped:

              “The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”

              With that in mind, I think you would be rather surprised to read what I’ve scribbled in my journal over the years. The entries are dark and not fit for pleasant company. It now simply serves as a personal testament to the darkness one’s mind can traverse and I rarely reread them.

              Again, thank you so much for such astonishing praise. Truly, it will be immortalized in my heart for eternity. Xoxo

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              1. Look at the insight you yourself possess on the dark journal entries and what they’re a testament to! Darkness has its own role to play and it will help you not just to know yourself, but others as well. I am sorry you had to go through so much sorrow… I send you my warmest regards. What I did with my own dark journal entries was turn them into poetry, – the ones I could, that is. That way I preserved the thought but changed the tone, rendering the entry ineffective to move me any further. The worst that these dark times and their record can do, is try to pull us back into the labyrinth of despair – make us one with our pain. I am so relieved and glad that you found a way to move past and start writing again.
                I know that you will be a much loved writer very soon – souls like yours are rare – they come out of their suffering with scars and wounds and use it to heal and not inflict on others. Your power lies in that. You know exactly what can scar and hurt a soul and thus, know exactly where to heal them too – in yourself and others. You’re a gift to the world. Glad to have come across one like you.

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                1. Wow, you leave me speechless. I feel that I am soon to become a broken record with how much I try to express my gratitude to you. In light of everything you say, my paltry “thank you” seems almost trite, so forgive me for their inadequacy.

                  I completely agree with everything that you said, and I understand the wisdom of going through the darkness, but it’s still such an awful thing to have to experience, isn’t it? Thank you for understanding and offering up pearls of wisdom, they have all been placed inside my treasure box to be taken out often and admired.

                  Thank you so much for being such an uplifting and beautiful soul, you are the bright light that makes life bearable in this dark world.

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      1. Very true! Love how you’ve expressed it here.

        Thanks ever so much for always being such an encouraging reader for my story – means the world! If there’s anything that stood out to you in the previous few chapters, ‘d love to hear your thoughts!

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  10. I’ve stayed up too late. Again. But I got to get to you on this one before I crash. Third time I’ve read it…it’s lovely and evocative, all of it. But, L…the last line, both animate and intimate, is mesmerizing to me. It’s like the rustle in a drape of silk, really…difficult to describe. For certain, it’s beautiful…

    p.s. Feature image is pensively perfect; your words share lines of grace with it. Oh…and the Ursine Vulpine Wicked Game ft Annaca single in your music widget is absolutely phenomenal. I’ve loved that song for years and years, but I’ve not yet heard the UV&A single (I can’t believe it’s gotten by me somehow). Just an incredibly stunning track. I can see why you’ve set it right there for us. So thanks for that!

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    1. John, how can I begin to express my gratitude for all that you have written above? As Elizabeth Barrett Browning once so eloquently put it, “..let me count the ways.”

      I am beyond flattered that my words had the ability to evoke such a beautiful sense of feeling in you, and that is what makes the poem worth reading. So thank you for lending legitimacy to the poem by sharing (in such a stunning way!) what you felt.

      Ah, the Wicked Game song by Ursine Vulpine ft Annaca—someone once shared it with someone else via a YouTube link and I happened to stumble across it and click out of curiosity and felt myself slowly drifting into the depths of the song and simultaneously in love with it. It expresses such haunting and vivid emotions in the vocals and the manner in which it is sung. I didn’t think it was very widely known, so it comes as a pleasant surprise that you know it and love it! I am glad I was able to share this version with you.

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      1. Now, how ’bout a quiet smile from me for a change? I’m humbled, L. Your words, and the warmth of the person who wields them, are a hammock I’m heartstrung to have happened upon. You’ll be kicking me out soon, I imagine, for hogging it…

        …still trying to decide if I should apologize for that?

        Maybe later. Lol.

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  13. A beautiful expression of how our desire/love can consume us. And there are plenty of negative examples of that but
    This one was filled with all the beautiful feelings love gives us and I’m happy to rest my mind there ❤️

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    1. You totally understood my sentiments with this poem—I’ve drunk too much venom when it comes to love and I just wanted to celebrate love in its idyllic sense with this one. Heady, romantic love conjures images of fragrant spices and aromatic oils for me sometimes so it was also fun to incorporate that a little into the poem.

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  14. This. Entire. Piece. Is. A. Fever. Dream. 😍 Larisa I am watching you grow exponentially as a writer and it fills my soul with fluorescent light. I could read this poem 1000 times and each time find a different word, a different line that intoxicates me. I am so impressed and so in love with the ambiance you weave. 💋🦊

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    1. Oh April, would it be weird to say I just love you? How about we settle on the word “adore” then? ♥️ I melt every time I read something from you. Thank you for being here and being so amazing and smart and badass. In my mind, I feel like you are my leather and lace queen 👑

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  17. ” ‘I toil ‘neath
    the scorching sun,
    weaving love’s incessant yearning”
    I’m sure you were born to write. Such passion and artistry can only be natural ❤️😍

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      1. I’m so happy I came across ebony and crows – but how could I not, when even the blog name is so enticing, with auditory images of fluttering amid bright skies subtly darkening with the threat of showers – of poetry, and artistic flights of fancy!

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        1. What a gorgeous gift this comment is! It was like I was unwrapping delightful morsels, one after the other, that were hand-crafted especially for me. Thank you so much for that, Isha! I am eternally grateful that we found each other as well! Xoxo

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  19. I would like to point out the lines that resonated so beautifully in my soul, but if I did, I would have to recite the entire poem.

    “in the dusky hour heavy with the
    weight of unspilled secrets”

    Aw, this was so perfect. Creative, poetic, and mysterious.

    Larissa, the expensive fragrance of your sandalwood heart created this gorgeous breath of fresh air that some call poetry. Beautifully done.

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    1. Wow, what a delightful experience it was to read this comment..thank you so much, Andrew. I am left simultaneously humbled and joyously elated at your beautiful praise. Overflowing with gratitude and fragrant spices from this sandalwood heart..

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  23. Hi Larisa,
    I want to let you know that I nominated you for the Liebster Blog Award. QueridaJ surprised me with a nomination and I wanted pass it on to you. I hope I’m not putting you on the spot and you have fun with the questions.
    I’ve been idle for too long and this was a great motivation for me.
    I hope things are going well for you. Stay healthy.
    Tim

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      1. You too, Larisa! I’ve continued releasing short stories & luckily found some online journals who will publish them soon 🙂 If any take your fancy, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them 🌸

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    1. Thank you for such a lovely comment! I appreciate that you enjoyed this piece. I briefly went through your blog earlier and liked what I saw—will have to go through and peruse when I have a bit more time.

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      1. We seem to draw from some similar themes. Only, your blog is organized. Mine is… well. It’s a bit of a mess over here, let it go a bit – I only get to it occasionally lately. I may have to redress that balance. That said: have at it, and welcome.

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            1. If that’s isn’t the truth! I often thought to myself that I do more courting and coaxing on my blog than with anything else! Whether it’s coaxing that elusive poem to take shape, or courting other bloggers in mutual love and adoration—it is definitely a labor of love.

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  29. Damn!! Your word choices!! So thoughtful..!! & there’s a classic tone!! Such a beautifully illustrated poem… Absolutely brilliant!!!! ❤

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        1. I am glad it did because that is exactly what I was aiming for! I was reading Elizabeth Barrett Browning poems and wanted to try my hand in that style. So I wrote a few in the classic themes. Classic poetry is so gorgeous, sometimes I am utterly in the mood for them.

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          1. That’s why I felt a classic tone in your poem. I know how much I love classic works. I have been studying and (should I say) living with English Literature since 2002, at very young age when I had this obsession towards literature. Done my graduation in English Language and Literature too. I am so much deeply into John Keats, Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley, Wordsworth, Coleridge, and many other classic poets…. SO, I can easily understand how you feel about it… 🙂

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                1. How odd, I was wondering why you never replied to my question but I just found your answers in my spam folder. Bangladesh huh? How neat! I’m going to have to google it to see a little bit of life through your eyes.

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                  1. Ah!! That’s why….!! I was waiting too… 🙂 & sure you can google to see how my world is here… Nothing new to see though… 🙂

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