Maya Angelou

Prelude to a Parting

Prelude to a Parting - meaning Summary

Fear Undoes Reluctant Intimacy

The poem describes a strained intimate moment in which physical closeness exposes emotional distance. The speaker admits discomfort in touch while recognising the partner as the one who withdraws. It suggests that fear — specifically the fear of loss — cannot keep a relationship together when love itself is retreating. The tone is resigned and observant, focused on the quiet dynamics that end affection despite mutual longing.

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Beside you, prone, my naked skin finds fault in touching. Yet it is you who draws away. The tacit fact is: the awful fear of losing is not enough to cause a fleeing love to stay.

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