Carl Sandburg Doubts Love With The Word "Maybe"

Maybe

Maybe he believes me, maybe not.

Maybe I can marry him, maybe not.

Maybe the wind on the prairie,

The wind on the sea, maybe,

Somebody somewhere, maybe, can tell.

I will lay my head on his shoulder

And when he asks me I will say yes,

Maybe.

Does this poem remind you of picking daisy petals from a flower?

Like a child who is unsure of love, the poem vacillates back and forth with a desire and wanting, yet not knowing for sure.

When we are young, we looked for love and don't really know if we have found it.

When a suitor comes along and attempts to sweep you off your feet, do you fly?

When you speak the words of love and tell the other that you love him or her, does the person believe you to the core, or are they unsure?

The answer we find in the word, "maybe," because we don't know absolutely.

When you say the words of love, do you believe them when you speak them?

Perhaps, it is not believing when they have been spoken to you.

Both parties share the same insecure hesitancy.

Next the commitment and the answer to the question.

Will she say yes? Will you say yes? Will he say yes?

Will he even ask? So far, this mental gymnastics ponders the question.

Back and forth it goes, maybe I can and maybe not, can I tie the knot?

Where does the wind fit in that blows across the prairie?

Why have we brought in this imagery of a landscape pregnant with meaning?

At the time of Sandburg's writing in the 1930's and 1940's what was developing across the land?

Were their dust-bowls and unpredictable weather?

Was it the the romantic adventurer and traveler who would see such sights on the outposts of the prairies?

Was it simply because the winds were unpredictable, that they could kick up at anytime and then die down quietly again?

Once again we have the imagery of the sea.

This time, the wind blows across the sea, instead of the prairie moving the grains of wheat and the sheaves of corn.

What is the difference between these two gusts of wind that move the waves or kick up dust?

Does the wind intimate this inconsistency and wavering indecisiveness no matter on land or water?

Maybe, maybe not.

When meditating and giving yourself the possibilities for healing, opportunity and growth, we say, "Maybe, maybe not." This way the door to the answer remains open.

At the right time we can step through that doorway.

We can set sail or ride the open trail when that voice calls.

When you don't know the answer, when I don't know the answer we wonder if someone, somewhere does have the answer. We want them to tell us, so we can be sure and receive confirmation of the final decision.

Finally, playing with the actual event, when we sit close and rub our skin next to the other, will we know then?

Maybe.

All rights reserved, © copyright Debby Bruck 2012

About the Author

This Hubpages blog ruminates on the uncertain, on love, on the possibilities of love and the question that has not yet been asked for a commitment. The answer let open in "Maybe" of Carl Sandburg.

Debby Bruck, CHOM loves to write about various topics on Hubpages. As a graphic designer she loves to create compositions with the elements of design. Debby is the founder of Homeopathy World Community a social network of professional homeopaths enlightening the world to the healing powers of energy medicines. She hosts numerous radio shows each week on a variety of health topics. Debby believes that homeopathy is the wave of the future that provides hope and healing to those who have tried every other approach. Follow Debby on Twitter

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