Monday, May 04, 2026
THE THRUST OF THE SPORT - A SMALL COLLECTION OF POETRY, MAY 4, 2026
BY DONOVAN BALDWINDONOVAN BALDWIN
the thrust of the sport
so delightfully displayed
upon such sinful snow
-----
fabric cannot hide
the thrust of her fantasies
displayed in textures
-----
she would not deny
confessed all her sins to me
love's beautiful sins
-----
how beautiful you are
resting in my mind's images
pleasured by poetic passions
and most intimate desires
for constant loving contact
most sacredly sensual
-----
she wanted to love
and to be loved in return
and at last she was
-----
in love each one is all
and all are to be loved
there's no sin in that
-----
told her wild desires
afraid i could not love her
i loved her for them
-----
she's most visible
a center of attention
among his desires
-----
not sure she could reach
then body swept with wonder
as desires trembled
-----
she's desired the strange
the most daring adventures
with him at her side
------
she awaits his words
prepared to obey poems
touching her inside
-----
does she dare declare
what his words have done to her
having seduced her
-----
sometimes she regrets
that history's sands are so dry
causing her own rain
-----
in riptides of lust
swept away by her desires
his hand held tightly
-----
she is full inside
taken by her lover's touch
words spill into her
-----
Do you still bathe,
With the candles lit,
Scented oils in the water,
Erotic poetry upon your lips,
Prurient pleasures neath your hand
Stirred by your flickering fingertips?
-----
opens her flower
beckons him to come inside
taste her warm nectar
-----
lovers without music
dancing in the night's silence
hearing all through touch
-----
her eyes meeting mine
both of us blushing our way
with understanding
-----
till he came to her
she never knew she wanted
so many pleasures
-----
i desire too much
lifetime spent seeking someone
who could give me that
-----
to whom the art is all
soul and spirit must be
explored and shared
and the inner artist
must be naked and
completely exposed
because that
is the art
-----
time spent watching you
precious treasures you reveal
dancing before me
-----
spoke poems to you
the words simmered on my lips
as you tasted them
-----
arms in freedom's flight
amateur ballerina
posed almost en pointe
-----
she awaits my words
praising present and future
the past's vibrations
-----
goddess discovered
bares herself to wind and wave
dear nature revealed
-----
similar hearts lost
separate by fate and age
meant for each other
-----
spreads petals for me
this lovely cinnamon rose
most treasured blossom
a treasured blossom
i watch this cinnamon rose
spread petals for me
-----
she comes in my dreams
bringing words i cannot hear
touches i can't feel
-----
thought of you again
remembered a museum
you and i held hands
-----
don't deny your sins
ecstatic and erotic
such pleasing secrets
-----
be bold with your words
always speak the strength of love
reveal your desires
------
love stripped down to words
satin sins upon your skin
poetic orgy
-----
slowly his words trace
naked contours of her mind's...
erogenous zones
-----
oh that younger me
who went places and did things
loving adventures
-----
In my absences you are present,
In my lacks you are my necessity,
In my wants you are my wishes,
In my days you are the hours,
In my hours you are he minutes
In my minutes you are the seconds
In my any you are my all.
-----
many before me
have known your love's pleasures
preparing you for me
-----
more than a garden
she is a landscape of love
desire's flower bed
-----
all that we have done
all that we desire to do
sanctified sinners
-----
i've lived a sinful man
damned for having loved too much
forgiving others like me
-----
we met two strangers
in this land where love commands
and are united
-----
aphrodite's daughter
touched by a sanctified past
a modern goddess
-----
noli me tangere
for gods have forsaken me
here in this strange land
-----
does she wear the art
or is she herself the art
in my mind's museum
Another interpretation...
not just what she wears
she herself the objet d'art
priceless in his eyes
-----
this urgent flower
blossom aching for release
breathless with her love
-----
innocence tempted
by the sexual tensions
of mutual needs
-----
a foolish mistake
once i gave my heart away
and she destroyed it
-----
two bodies coupling
a scene of carnal innocence
sinless intercourse
-----
never felt before
this desire for something strange
new way of loving
-----
a timeless woman
she reveals and exposes
illuminates the past
-----
someone to hold her
to caress that empty space
that longs to be touched
-----
steps out of the past
winsome and wind kissed woman
parasol in hand
-----
many eyes on her
she saw the poet watching
knew he could see her
-----
our secrets exposed
our naked thoughts on display
our minds undressed
-----
first time she kissed her
in a daring departure
into secret dreams
-----
naked flesh and thoughts
honest exposure of truth
a restricted art
-----
beauty beyond words
rose glows in sun and shadow
blushing cinnamon
-----
Interested in your health? You might enjoy Nitric Oxide And The Endothelium.
Labels: donovan baldwin, love, poems, poetry, romance
Thursday, April 30, 2026
NITRIC OXIDE AND THE ENDOTHELIUM
Nitric oxide (NO) is a colorless, odorless gas that revolutionized our understanding of cardiovascular physiology. Once dismissed as a mere environmental pollutant, it was later revealed to be the "endothelial-derived relaxing factor" (EDRF), a discovery that earned Robert Furchgott, Louis Ignarro, and Ferid Murad the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1998 (The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1998 - Presentation Speech, n.d.).
CLICK IMAGE
The Vital Role of the Endothelium
The endothelium is a single layer of cells lining the interior surface of blood vessels. Far from being a passive barrier, it is a highly active organ that regulates vascular homeostasis by balancing the production of vasodilators and vasoconstrictors (Frontiers, 2022).
Nitric oxide is the endothelium's most critical signaling molecule. It is synthesized by the enzyme endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) using the amino acid L-arginine and oxygen as substrates, alongside essential cofactors like tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) (Molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase, 2002; Cellular regulation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase, 2001).
Key Functions of Nitric Oxide
Nitric oxide exerts a variety of protective effects on the cardiovascular system:
Vasodilation: NO diffuses into the underlying vascular smooth muscle cells, activating the enzyme guanylate cyclase. This increases cyclic GMP levels, leading to muscle relaxation and vessel widening (The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1998 - Press release, n.d.).
Anti-thrombotic Effects: It inhibits platelet aggregation and adhesion, preventing the formation of blood clots (Frontiers, 2021).
Anti-inflammatory Action: NO prevents the adhesion of white blood cells (leukocytes) to the vessel wall, a key early step in inflammation and atherosclerosis (PubMed, 2020).
Antiproliferative Effects: It limits the overgrowth of smooth muscle cells, which helps prevent the narrowing of arteries (Frontiers, 2022).
Endothelial Dysfunction: When NO Fails
Endothelial dysfunction is defined primarily by a reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide (PubMed, 2020). When the endothelium cannot produce enough NO, or when NO is rapidly neutralized by reactive oxygen species (ROS), the vascular balance shifts toward a "pro-thrombotic" and "pro-inflammatory" state (Roles of Vascular Oxidative Stress and Nitric Oxide in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis, 2017).
The Phenomenon of "eNOS Uncoupling"
Under conditions of high oxidative stress—such as hypertension, diabetes, or smoking—the eNOS enzyme can become "uncoupled." Instead of producing life-sustaining nitric oxide, the uncoupled enzyme produces superoxide, a harmful free radical that further damages the vessel wall (Roles of Vascular Oxidative Stress and Nitric Oxide in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis, 2017).
| Condition | Impact on Nitric Oxide | Vascular Result |
| Healthy Endothelium | High NO Bioavailability | Dilated, flexible, and protected vessels. |
| Oxidative Stress | NO neutralization by ROS | Constriction, inflammation, and stiffening. |
| eNOS Uncoupling | Superoxide production | Accelerated plaque formation (Atherosclerosis). |
Clinical Relevance and Future Directions
Maintaining nitric oxide levels is a cornerstone of modern cardiovascular therapy. Common medications like ACE inhibitors and statins are known to improve endothelial function partly by increasing NO production or reducing its breakdown (Nitric Oxide, Atherosclerosis and the Clinical Relevance of Endothelial Dysfunction, 2003).
Current research as of 2026 is focusing on "NO-donors" and therapies that can specifically re-couple eNOS to restore the natural protective shield of our arteries (Frontiers, 2026).
References
Frontiers. (2022). Endothelial dysfunction due to the inhibition of the synthesis of nitric oxide: Proposal and characterization of an in vitro cellular model. Frontiers in Physiology.
Molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of the endothelial nitric oxide synthase. (2002). American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, 280(2).
Nitric Oxide and Endothelial Dysfunction. (2020). Critical Care Clinics, 36(2), 307–321.
The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 1998 - Press release. (n.d.). NobelPrize.org.
Roles of Vascular Oxidative Stress and Nitric Oxide in the Pathogenesis of Atherosclerosis. (2017). Circulation Research, 120(4), 713-735.
If you enjoyed this article, you might also enjoy Boosting the "Miracle Molecule": How to Increase Nitric Oxide Naturally
Labels: anti-inflammatory, cellular health, donovan baldwin, endothelium, l-arginine, nitric oxide, vasodilation
