Free Kiss Me Like You Mean It by Dr. David Clarke Page B

time, Sandy and I were watching a television sitcom with two of our kids. In the show, a guy had expressed romantic interest in a female coworker, and she had turned him down.
    After the show ended, Sandy went into the kitchen. I followed her, took her in my arms, kissed her, and said in a loud voice so the kids could hear: “When you expressed interest in me back in college, twenty-eight years ago, what did I do? I guess it’s pretty obvious what I did! And twenty-five years of marriage and four kids later, I’m so glad I did. I would do it again. I love you!”
    Sandy laughed and then gave me a big, lip-smacking kiss. The kids made gagging sounds, but we didn’t care. It was a moment of playfulness. Solomon and Shulamith would be proud of us.

Terms of Endearment
    “I love you, Sweetie Carkst.” This is one of my many special names for Sandy, and I call her this often. “Sweetie Carkst?” you ask. Carkst is a form of Clarke. Well, it’s hard to explain. All I can tell you is that my calling Sandy a variety of pet names—and vice versa—is a good practice. It’s biblical, and Sandy and I like it.
    Solomon and Shulamith use pet names for each other throughout the Song. It’s part of their playfulness. Take a look.
    Solomon calls Shulamith “my darling” in:

    Shulamith calls Solomon “my beloved” in:

    Solomon also calls Shulamith “my dove” (2:14; 5:2; 6:9), “my bride” (4:8, 9, 10, 11, 12; 5:1), and “my perfect one” (5:2; 6:9).
    My personal favorites are names Shulamith calls Solomon three times: “gazelle” or “young stag” (2:9, 17; 8:14). In today’s language, this means “stud” or “hunk.” Now, what husband wouldn’t love to hear this as a pet name?
    So, “darlings” and “beloveds”: don’t stop using pet names for each other. Be gushy. Be mushy. Be sentimental. Be syrupy sweet. Be lovey-dovey. As Solomon and Shulamith demonstrate, those special endearments add playfulness and a romantic spark to a love relationship.
    You Are Such a Flirt!
    The lost art of marital flirting is in full, shameless display in the Song. Solomon flirts. You kind of expect that from the guy. But Shulamith is just as big a flirt. And that doesn’t make her a bad girl. Hardly. That makes her a girl madly in love.
    Solomon and Shulamith, with the full blessing and approval of God, make all kinds of sexually suggestive comments to each other. They tease. They joke about sex. They describe each other’s bodies in vivid detail. They talk about making love. They talk about various sexual positions. It is not inappropriate. It is not nasty. It is beautiful.
    You might want to take a cold shower before you read the following verses. On second thought, forget the cold shower. Let these verses arouse your sexual passion for your spouse.
    Shulamith (1:2)
“May he kiss me with the kisses of his mouth!
For your love is better than wine.”
    Right at the beginning of the book, Shulamith is doing some serious flirting. She’s begging Solomon to kiss her! This kind of talk is beyond erotic for a man.
    Shulamith (1:4)
“Draw me after you and let us run together!
The king has brought me into his chambers.”
    In case he didn’t get the message the first time, she asks Solomon to take her into his bedroom and make love to her.
    Shulamith (1:16)
“How handsome you are, my beloved,
And so pleasant!
Indeed, our couch is luxuriant!”
    She is not talking about the furniture here. She is referring to their being in bed together. And what do lovers do in bed?
    Shulamith (2:6)
“Let his left hand be under my head
And his right hand embrace me.”
    She describes an extremely intimate position: the embrace of two lovers.
    Shulamith (8:2–3)
“I would lead you and bring you
Into the house of my mother, who used to instruct me;
I would give you spiced wine to drink from the juice of
my pomegranates.
Let his left hand be under my head,
And his right hand embrace me.”
    Shulamith gives Solomon an erotic proposal. She