Tears stain the porous page with nostalgia for a time when love meant the world would stop spinning on demand; when obsession meant an urgent need to create, rather than anger, regret and yearning lodging themselves below my nails. When the heart, the chest, the beat of hunger, heaves in anticipation to experience the most desired intimate act, before words become routine—the embrace—the original kiss—the permeation of love through touch, through body, a mere vessel to penetrate my soul.
I dissolve into this thought, this heat, this wave, letting my arms fall to my sides, as a sweet mauve scent plunges me into a place I have yearned for all my life—a place where love is not an expression of lust, or ink, or the familiar yet distant voice I remember now and then—it is a place where love is tangible, and lush, like the fruit hanging from the grape vine in the rain. Ripe. Wet. Waiting to be devoured.
What is love to you?
Love for me is a hug from DH and my children.
ReplyDeleteYour words are truly beautiful ♥
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ReplyDeleteBeautiful! Love for me? Doing something I wouldn't normally do, like watching infectious children. Being "in love" well, now that would take a whole page.
ReplyDeleteUnconditional. (I'll just refer to 1 Corinthians 13.)
ReplyDeleteLove is always listening...no matter how bad your day has been.
ReplyDeleteLove for me is like Alex said...unconditional. Hugs from my kids go right along with that!
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post, Jessica.
ReplyDeleteMy brain is failing me this morning. I'm still halfway asleep. All I can think of when you ask me what love is to me is, "words."
Please check out this week’s anonymous critique!
definitely unconditional, giving because you want to not bcos the other person gave or you are expected too, its giving even when you know it will be under-appreciated.
ReplyDeleteI LOVE this!
ReplyDeleteSuch a passionate post. Beautifully written.
ReplyDeleteLove for me ... Hmmmm ... that's a tough one. It's more than passion. It rips through your soul. You loose yourself to someone else. Hoping. Praying, they will treasure your gift.
Michael
very nice. I like the fruit hanging from the grapevine waiting to be devoured... I think you've captured it very well. Love for me? Well, it is more images, sensory, little fat hands and rough, strong arms... ugh. I have a head cold. :D <3
ReplyDeleteI wrote myself into a corner in my first novel when I needed to have a character define love. Albeit a little wordy, this is what I had him say:
ReplyDeleteTrue love … is volitional, not emotional. Love—even the word—is a soft cushion to rest your feelings on, fancy wrapping paper, sugar coated good ol’ fashioned desire half the time; lust made respectable. You see there’s real love and there’s cathexis. It’s love, too, but it’s more a what-can-you-do-for-me kind of love rather than a what-can-I-do-for you sort.
"When the heart, the chest, the beat of hunger, heaves in anticipation..." *swoon* Such beautiful writing, my dear. Stunning.
ReplyDeleteWINE!
ReplyDeleteNo, but seriously - this is beautifully expressed. Thank you.
*sigh* That was truly beautiful, Jessica. Love is warmth and joy and reaching out to others (like we did with Lenny for his birthday)! :-0
ReplyDeleteI'm still in the process of figuring out what love is. Often in my mind, love is a horrible place to be and I try to avoid it at all cost and other times, it's all consuming. I think love and heart break are the most wonderful feelings in the world... yes, even heartbreak.
ReplyDeleteCD
That was beautiful Jessica. I'm a total cynic about romantic love--I think it is nothing but delayed pain. But the peaceful full acceptance--unconditional and forever... I can and do do that one pretty darned well. I think the real love is the place you get to where you don't wonder if anything could ruin it because nothing could.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful post. I wish I knew what love is. Maybe I should try to find out.
ReplyDeleteWonderful post!
ReplyDeleteLove--that has many meanings for me.
Love is not being able to stop yourself from smiling when you think of someone, nor wanting to stop yourself.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree that a good hug is up there too :)
Stately so beautifully, what else is there to add?
ReplyDeleteWow! I'll take your version. :)
ReplyDeleteThat was beautiful. Love to me is neverending faith in that person. Sometimes it has to be blind faith, but that's the beauty of love. That's when you know you really love someone.
ReplyDeleteBeautiful! You've got such a lovely way with words! :)
ReplyDeleteFor me love is that shiver in the heart and the ability to completely relax with someone.
You have such a way with words. That was sheer poetry.
ReplyDelete"LOVE" is when I refrain from
ReplyDeletekilling someone I'd love to kill.
~ D-FensDogg
'Loyal American Underground'