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You are my muse

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A collage of over 110 titles from 2012 – 2017. Used with permission from Eileen Manassian

Every single word of this poem, including the title was derived VERBATIM from titles of poems by Eileen Manassian.


Cento Form and Creative Integrity

  • A cento is, by definition, a patchwork of lines or fragments from other works. My piece innovates by using titles only, which is a constraint that adds both creative and ethical clarity.
  • I’ve not misrepresented the origin of the words. In fact, my note section is a model of transparent attribution.

 

I wonder: would you make me your mistress
lost in a world of poetry under your wings
I’ll celebrate heaven's gift; more to me a tortured love
wretched wishes: life's greatest anguish 

our heaven's in sight, you see my eyes
voyeur, I see you looking at me
don't try to love me if you can’t, I will not break 
the day will come I can resist you

taking a chance, there is beauty; life’s symphony
gentle murmurs – the scent of your soul
indulgent love, you tempt me –  hold on to me
to bloom in red flame amidst the fallen petals

if you wonder how do I love thee
I'm here because words spoken by you
you touch me with your words from your heart’s caverns
your maze of words blazing across your sky
speak my language; the coupling of our souls

I have seen those lips, that smile
you said there's more to life what you want
life is short; kiss away my pain

there is a place beyond perceptions
from a distance, I love to watch you fly
fireflies or fairies: the difference between you and me
out of the wilderness I thirst for an angel

way back when the day we met it was easy 
my need for love; a place to lay my head
in tenderness of night touch me like you mean it
in the moment the journey of your lips
my lover's words a melody divine
glitter on my skin, serenading the senses
stream of memories; you listen to me

they ask me why I love you through the mist
you keep me grounded – must it be black and white
you are my spring; you are my sanity; my muse

I always believed wishes are for fools’ judgement
if I were stronger the essence of love the reward nearby
a dream within reality, a chasing after the wind
if I could hold back the dawn: serenity and peace

I used to write for you; just let the poet be
your words pale, were I to know you too will go
don’t tell my heart; let me write; don’t censor me
the day you gently let me go, my love endures

once love has died spare a few kinds words for me
remembered echoes put on hold; I'll die in peace 
when velvet turns to stone, let my tombstone read:
the scent of poems past never to be erased

A repost of the original - copyright © Suzette Richards 10 June 2021


As per the request made by Constance on Chetta's blog (see comment section below), here is the list of titles:

THE TITLE
You are
My Muse X 2

THE POEM
1.	A Chasing after the Wind
2.	A Dream Within Reality
3.	A Melody Divine
4.	A Place to Lay my Head
5.	A Tortured Love
6.	Amidst the Fallen Petals
7.	Beyond Perceptions
8.	Black and White
9.	Blazing Across Your Sky
10.	Don’t
11.	Don't Censor Me
12.	Don't Try to Love Me
13.	Fireflies or Fairies
14.	For an Angel
15.	From a Distance
16.	From your heart’s caverns
17.	Gentle Murmurs
18.	Glitter on My Skin
19.	Heaven's Gift
20.	Hold Back the Dawn
21.	Hold on to Me
22.	How Do I Love Thee
23.	I Always Believed
24.	I Can Resist You
25.	I Have Seen
26.	I love to watch you fly
27.	I See You Looking at Me
28.	I Thirst
29.	I Used to Write for You
30.	I will not break
31.	I Wonder Would You
32.	If
33.	If I Could
34.	If I Were Stronger
35.	If You Wonder
36.	I'll Celebrate
37.	I'll Die in Peace
38.	I'm Here Because
39.	In Tenderness of Night
40.	In the Moment
41.	Indulgent Love
42.	It was easy
43.	Judgment
44.	Just Let the Poet Be
45.	Kiss Away my Pain
46.	Let Me Write
47.	Let My Tombstone Read
48.	Life is Short
49.	Life’s symphony
50.	Life's Greatest Anguish
51.	Lost in a World of Poetry
52.	Make Me Your Mistress
53.	More to Me
54.	Must it be
55.	My Love Endures
56.	My Lover's Words
57.	My Need for Love
58.	Nearby
59.	Never to be Erased
60.	Once Love Has Died
61.	Our Heaven's in Sight
62.	Out of the Wilderness
63.	Put on Hold
64.	Remembered Echoes
65.	Serenading the Senses
66.	Serenity and Peace
67.	Spare a few Kinds Words for Me
68.	Speak My Language
69.	Stream of Memories
70.	Taking a Chance
71.	Tell My Heart
72.	The Coupling of Our Souls
73.	The Day We Met
74.	The Day Will Come
75.	The Day You Gently Let Me Go
76.	The Difference Between You and Me
77.	The Essence of Love
78.	The Journey of Your Lips
79.	The Reward
80.	The scent of Poems Past
81.	The Scent of Your Soul
82.	There is a Place
83.	There is Beauty
84.	There's More to Life
85.	They Ask Me Why I Love You
86.	Those Lips, That Smile
87.	Through the Mist
88.	To Bloom in Red Flame
89.	Touch Me Like You Mean It
90.	Under Your Wings
91.	Voyeur
92.	Way Back When
93.	Were I to Know 
94.	What you want
95.	When Velvet Turns to Stone
96.	Wishes are For Fools
97.	Words Spoken by You
98.	Wretched Wishes
99.	You are my Sanity
100.	You are My Spring
101.	You can’t
102.	You Keep Me Grounded
103.	You Listen to Me
104.	You said
105.	You See My Eyes
106.	You Tempt Me
107.	You Too Will Go
108.	You Touch Me With Your Words
109.	Your Maze of Words
110.	Your Words Pale


Copyright © | Year Posted 2025




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Date: 8/14/2025 11:04:00 AM
I'm glad you chose Eileen's poems; she is one of my favorites. It takes a lot of time and energy to do a poem like this...bravo to you...
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Date: 8/14/2025 4:21:00 AM
I'm so honored... so very honoued that you took the time to piece together such a beautiful poem. I will treasure this all my life and will share it with others, with your permission, of course. It's your poem and your creative genius that shines through. Blessings.
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Manassian Avatar
Eileen Manassian
Date: 8/14/2025 5:20:00 AM
I'm so happy that poem... The Classical Argument for Love made it into your book. :)
Richards Avatar
Suzette Richards
Date: 8/14/2025 4:33:00 AM
Like the title says: "You are my muse". Your poetry, especially your Suzette Prime poem, THE CLASSICAL ARGUMENT FOR LOVE, was written at a time when the form and I were still finding our feet. Thank your for the compliment. Yes, you may share it, Eileen. Blessings to you as well, Su
Date: 8/14/2025 3:28:00 AM
"Suzette, in your Cento. you are my muse, is it only titles of Eileens poems ? Wish they were defined more. I noticed you claim the copyright at the bottom., though you did not write them, just rearranged them to fit your poem intention I personally do not like using even others titles, the concept of a tribute is great but I know an excellent poet like you could write beautiful lines to honor Eileen,. Her titles could be used in a way of quotes throughout the poem with credit after each, Constance" The comment left by Constance La France on Chetta Achara recent blog, And then there's Cento, dated 12 August 2025. (See, this is how one accredits a post, text, poem, extract, etc.)
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Richards Avatar
Suzette Richards
Date: 8/14/2025 4:18:00 AM
Giving credit where credit is due: I regularly do that, for example, in my poem, https://www.poetrysoup.com/poem/lingering_dusk_1657636
Richards Avatar
Suzette Richards
Date: 8/14/2025 3:29:00 AM
Thank you, Constance, for raising thoughtful concerns. I agree that tribute poems must tread carefully between admiration and appropriation. In this case, every word was drawn from Eileen’s poem titles, with her permission, and I’ve listed them in full to ensure transparency. While titles aren’t protected by copyright, I believe ethical homage requires clarity, which I’ve aimed to provide. Your idea of quoting titles within original lines is lovely—and I may explore that in future tributes. This cento was an experiment in constraint and reverence, and I appreciate the dialogue it’s sparked.

Book: Reflection on the Important Things