How Do I Love You? Let Me Tell You Why....

A rewrite of Elizabeth Barrett Browning's poem " How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..."

How

Do I 

Love you?

For reasons

Innumerable--

I can 

Only attempt

To explain.

My love

Springs from

Depths

I never

Knew I had,

And courses

Through

My soul

In a fullness

New to me.

Underground,

The stream

Runs long

Into the seas

Of forever.

Simple, predictable

Daily storms

Please my soul.

I am not

Tied

To you,

Only carried

By your

Liberating

Waves,

Whose movements

Wash me

Cleaner

Than sin.

I relish

You--

My cool

Quenching love,

For you

Satisfy

In a way

Nothing can.

I searched 

For healing

I thought

Was lost

To me--

The sweetness

Of your tonic

Fills my lungs

With fragrant

Breath,

Blooms my lips

In rosy curves.

You rinse

My tired

Eyes

With tears

Of clarity.

And if

You should

Drown me

In a beautiful

Watery bed,

Still

No other

Body

Could be more

Beloved.

Author's Note

Based on the following poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. The goal was not to duplicate the poem in a modern way, but to try to get some of the essence of the poem in my own style with my own imagery.

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways...


How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of everyday's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with a passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints, --- I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! --- and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.

Reviews

[Sami Khalil]

I like this poem. Both.

[Caitlin Lea]

I'm glad! Thanks for reading. :)

[Sami Khalil]

You are welcome. Keep shinning.