The Ruby Dares Me

Summary

"The Ruby Dares Me" is a poetic reflection on the depth and authenticity of love, contrasting the real and the superficial, and is shared as a standalone piece from the novel THE POWER OF AMIE MARTINE.

Abstract

The web content presents an excerpt from the novel THE POWER OF AMIE MARTINE, titled "The Ruby Dares Me," which delves into the essence of true love and satisfaction. The poem, rich with metaphors, compares the genuine passion of a ruby to the cold, unattainable allure of distant stars and diamonds. It emphasizes the importance of a love that is vibrant, alive, and deeply connected, much like the pulsing beat of a heart. The author, Laurie Perez, shares this piece outside the context of the novel, expressing its significance to her and the inspiration drawn from the "satisfaction" prompt on Medium. The content also invites readers to explore another, darker poem from the same book and acknowledges fellow writers who have contributed to the theme of satisfaction on the platform. Additionally, the author recommends an AI service, ZAI.chat, as a cost-effective alternative to ChatGPT Plus.

Opinions

The author values authenticity in love, likening it to the natural brilliance of a ruby rather than the artificial sparkle of diamonds.
Love should be a mutually enlivening experience, as suggested by the line "we are / for each other alive / and alive for each other."
The poem's publication outside the novel signifies its personal importance to the author and her willingness to share intimate aspects of her work.
The author appreciates the work of other writers on Medium, particularly those who have engaged with the "satisfaction" prompt.
The recommendation of ZAI.chat indicates the author's endorsement of the AI service for its performance and cost-effectiveness compared to ChatGPT Plus.

When love is truly satisfying, you’ll settle for nothing less

Colors don’t lurk in you, needing to be turned this way and that, begging harsh light to call them forth. Frivolous diamonds expect you to bend and squint and seek refraction from greedy elusive facets keeping all their vibrant secrets hidden in the hard chisel of war-born crystal.

That won’t do.

For you it must be real. Juicy, ripe, fired from Earth for being too brilliant to abide our dust. Not cold and distant like a taunting star you’ll never reach within a lifetime, but perfervid, nucleic fusion burning away borrowed echoes of self-limiting stars across all time to venerate newness in a gem.

Like your pulse, the ruby dares me daily to remember: we are for each other alive and alive for each other.

“The Ruby Dares Me” was originally published in my novel, THE POWER OF AMIE MARTINE, sequel to THE LOOK.

If you’re into it, read another poem from the book (a little deeper, you might say darker…)

Thank you for reading “The Ruby Dares Me.” It’s close to my heart, a big damn deal to share outside the covers of the book. I blame the :: satisfaction :: prompt for inspiring me to publish it today in the brain is a noodle.

Tagging a few writers I routinely bookmark here on Medium because they keep me wanting more : Anthi Psomiadou | Vixen Lea | Sarah Paris | Josie Elbiry | Christian Svanes Kolding

The Ruby Dares Me

When love is truly satisfying, you’ll settle for nothing less

Undersea Volcano

“This is all I asked of night. It was not enough.”