BONSAI BY EDITH TIEMPO INTERPRETATION

All that I love

I fold over once
And once again
And keep in a box
Or a slit in a hollow post
Or in my shoe

In the first stanza, I have my two interpretations of this. The first interpretation is

that when a person falls in love or receives love, they will keep it. We can call this a

person who is a “keeper of love." The second interpretation is that when a person is

deeply in love and gets hurt, they will never be given a second chance. They will be like

“okay, I can forgive, but I will never forget” and then move forward and heal by

themselves.

All that I love?

Why, yes but for the moment

And for all time, both

Something that folds and keeps easy,

Son’s note, or Dad’s note one gaudy tie

A roto picture of a young queen

A blue Indian shawl, even

A money bill

This stanza right here is something like two kinds of love when a person falls in love.

The first one is that when a person falls in love it could be just puppy love. The second one is
when a person falls in love, it could be forever or a lifetime. Once in a lifetime, a person can

experience these two kinds of love. For me, it would be very amazing if I would have the chance

to experience a kind of love that is for a lifetime.

It’s utter sublimation

A feat, this heart’s control

Moment to moment

To scale all love down

To a cupped hands’ size

In this third stanza, my interpretation of this is that when a person falls in love they love

wholeheartedly. A kind of love that is so soft and genuine. It’s like something that is a kind of

love that is balanced; you have a love for yourself and a love for that person. And then they

treasure every moment with the person they fell in love with.

Till seashells are broken pieces

From God’s own bright teeth

All life and love are real

Things you can run and

Breathless hand over

To the merest child

For the last stanza, my interpretation of this is that this kind of love is a very beautiful

love for me because it’s like the kind of love that God gave to you. A love that ‘for better, for

worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health until death does us part’ love like that.