Personification 11: Trust Quartermaster Love

The seed idea for ‘Trust Quartermaster Love’ was that love can assist us in many ways through life. It can give us the strength to cope with things that would otherwise overwhelm us. It can make us feel joy. It can protect us when the elements of life threaten our wellbeing. The best personification character I could imagine for this aspect of love, was the quartermaster.

The quartermaster, or QM, is the person in the military who provides stores, equipment and weaponry. I initially imaged, based on the military significance of the role, this sonnet would largely be about battling others; fighting those whose agendas threaten us directly and intentionally. But, as I wrote the sonnet, I realised we face many different challenges in life. It would be distortive to suggest that most of our struggles are created by dedicated opponents.

So, this quartermaster is more of an expedition QM. Yes, there will be affrays that require armour and weaponry; there will also be struggles that are more akin to weathering storms and scaling indifferent cliffs.

Trust Quartermaster Love
Trust Quartermaster Love to equip you
For storms unbrewed, for whirlwinds yet unformed,
For seismic shifts, eruptions that ensue;
Unleashing anger where rare springs once warmed.
Fast-changing nature’s not your only foe,
Marauders will emerge from muddled mists;
Turncoat tormenters who approach tiptoe
Then launch themselves fleet-foot with studded fists.
Yet more than hail and hate can knock you down.
QM provides the cord to haul you up:
Geppetto threads that flip a sad soul’s frown,
Olympus rope so you can nectar sup.
	Across life’s span ’twixt abutments of night
	Love prepares you for each unforeseen fight.