The Wait ~ A Poem by Richard Brautigan

The Architecture of Patience: Finding Love in the Fast Lane

In a world of instant gratification, is there still room for the slow-burning beauty of a “bouquet of kisses”?

The Wait

Richard Brautigan

It seemed
like years
before
I picked
a bouquet
of kisses
off her mouth
and put them
into a dawn-colored vase
in
my
heart.

But
the wait
was worth it.

Because
I
was
in love.

Source

Reflection

The post explores how Brautigan’s vertical poem structure mimics the stretching of time. It draws a parallel between the “dawn-colored vase” of the heart and the modern struggle against “swipe-right” culture. In a contemporary society obsessed with speed, the poem serves as a radical reminder that the depth of our connection is often proportional to the endurance we exercise during the “wait.”

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As you read this poem, ask yourself: In which area of your life have you traded the beauty of the “wait” for the emptiness of the “instant”?