Heart and Soul
Our Beautiful Love Story in Poetry
by
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BEHIND THE POEM - MY PRECIOUS FLOWER
"For it was not into my ear you whispered but into my heart. It was not my lips that you kissed, but my soul."
~Judy Garland
John invited me to lunch for the first Valentine's Day since we had known each other. As work colleagues, we knew we shouldn't, but neither one of us was willing to stop what seemed destined. He had spaghetti and meatballs, and I had chicken parmesan, a lunch we would share many times over the years. I still have my first Valentine gifts from him: the card, the coffee mug that says "Today, Tomorrow, Forever, I Love You," and the little cow that plays a lullaby.
After lunch, we both went back to our respective offices. I wasn't very focused the rest of the day and worked quietly in my little cubicle. Around 4:00 p.m., I received a call from the region manager's assistant. She told me I had a delivery. I walked to her desk, and she gave me a small vase with two long-stemmed red roses and a card attached with a ribbon. The message on the card was a simple rhyme:
'Cause I thought of just a single rose,
But alas that would not do.
For one is so you'll think of me;
The other is to say "I love you."
There was no name, but I knew immediately they were from John.
Soon after the roses arrived, John called me and was insistent that I meet him that evening for just a short while. Under a streetlight, he pulled out several hand-written pages. On the pages was a poem he had written, and he read it to me as I fought back tears. After reading "My Precious Flower," he looked into my eyes and said, "I am smitten with you." He told me he wanted to marry me. We hugged and kissed, and of course I cried.
The first touch of love is a memory that stays with us. The intense mingling of emotions, from fear and doubt to exhilaration and pure joy, is not easily forgotten. John's words in "My Precious Flower" give beautiful insight into his earliest feelings of love for me, feelings that only grew and became more meaningful with time. The magnolia photos that accompany John's words were taken in our garden. The white magnolia represents beauty, perfection, and things at their beginning - a perfect complement to start our beautiful love story.
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About the Book
“Striking in its simplicity, moving in its message,
and profound in its purpose . . .”
“We never know when true love will take hold of us. Perhaps that’s part of its beauty and mystery - what makes it so precious and all-consuming. Once we have it, we never want to let it go.”
Heart and Soul tells the story of two people who experienced the depth and joy of true love, even when faced with tremendous hardship. Through a series of intimate, original poems and several heartfelt narratives, Bea and John Boxx share their moving love story - one that was not defined by circumstances or time, but by complete devotion to each other. Ardent professions of commitment and poignant personal accounts encourage total abandon to a truly fearless form of love - the kind that encompasses both heart and soul.
About the Author
Bea Boxx married her best friend and love of her life 20 years ago. She and John shared a love of writing. It was their dream to write and share their beautiful love story through poetry and treasured memories. This book serves as Bea’s tribute to her loving husband.
As “the wind beneath her wings,” John was Bea’s inspiration behind her writing and photography. Bea continues their shared passions - supporting cancer research and rescuing unwanted, abandoned small dogs - lasting legacies for her soul mate.