"Prodigal love" is a poem written in the traditional Shakespearean sonnet form with a modern slant.  This sonnet includes more punctuation than perhaps, typically found in Shakespeare's original works.  The theme, although inspired by the Bible story of the "Lost or Prodigal Son" (Luke 15) uses the example of a modern marriage to symbolize the emotional and spiritual journey's encountered when exploring the themes of unfaithfulness, loss, forgiveness and compassion.

The poem begins by giving you the couple's story in a nut-shell.  They were once in love and married but, there also came about some sort of separation.

Line 3, the husband, being typically strong shielded his wife and was her strength, until things changed and he became like the lost son, a "prodigal" husband.

Line 4, talks of "fallen-petals".  This may be seen to represent the relationship turning sour but is really informing the reader of the affairs that the husband has with "fallen-petals" or women, contrasting with his blossoming, wife.

In line 5, the husband is seen to be out wasting the inheritance of his marriage vow or promise to his wife of love and loyalty.  He is far from living a life of "holy" enjoyment, both spiritually and emotionally as well as literally.

Line 8, informs us that the wife, having realised her husband's unfaithfulness now has a choice to make. She can use this experience as a chance for personal growth in character ("refinement") or, to become bitter.

Line 9, refers to the Christian faith and calling to live a life of faith. Where the aim is to look towards a heavenly hope and, so the poem suggests that this is now the woman's primary focus and source of esteem instead of her marital status, "Victor's vision" her crown now, not, her veil".

The following line demonstrates the anguish experienced by the estranged husband who has wasted his life, just as the "foolish son" in the Bible parable wastes his father's estate/his portion of his father's wealth.  The imagery of "pig-like welds" and "trough-like hopes" is an attempt to reconcile the degenerate situation of the husband, with that of the "lost son" in the parable of Luke 15.

In the concluding lines, the husband, like the son, realises how futile and tragic his existence has become.  He looks at his ring-their ring and questions, will their love-marriage work "once- again?"

Line 14, of the sonnet leaves the reader with some hope of this happening as we are told that the wife has a "rich heart" (of compassion) rather like the father in the Bible passage and, her vows in spite of the distance of time and temptation, have remained.

All in all, the poem describes how a couple can transform a broken marriage -where the husband was typically strong and wife, weak...  To a mature, more solid relationship where the husband has now been broken in humility and the wife, surviving the test, emerges as a character that has exhibited the very, same qualities of God... of love, mercy and compassion.  The same qualities that God exhibits for us daily, when we, like the prodigal son (or husband) choose to come home.

-Elizabeth, DPW.

Atomic Love

Unstable.  The atom that rocks, and misses her cradle.