Bare

This is one of those ones where you dance all around what you want to say but alas there are no words...

It is in ghosts
that we seek to
find that which
is not there.

Love is not a
face.

Beauty maybe
but not love.

Love is not
a beautiful
face that you see
when you come
up the stairs
and see it there,
looking back
at you.

Love is something
different –

youth has a
pretty face but
but not love –
it wears no mask
no paint.

Love wears no
visage
no countenance.

What I see when
I see the face of
youth is only
youth, perhaps
beauty too
but not
love.

There is nothing
for you to see
in its eyes.

It cannot look at
you
and you cannot
look at it though
you have eyes
and only through
eyes can you
see what
you look toward
which is nothing
really.

So take it for
what it is: a face,
be it beauty or youth
or both
but do not take it for
love
for love wears no
face.

It speaks not either
though it has lips,
young, beautiful
lips
that make up a mouth.

You can try to make
it say something with
a kiss but it’s only
flesh against flesh
and it does not see
or speak or hear

any of the desperate
soul-speak that love
could say if it had
words to say it – if
it could be anything
so little as words, to say
it would be untrue

because words do
not speak of love only
love speaks, without
words.

Words are pretty,
youthful somethings
to describe your face
your lips your eyes
but they do not equal
love
they fall short like my
promises
like my eyes which
do deceive me into
thinking that I can
see your face and
call it love.
 

Reviews

[Emily B]

Somehow, your words brought to mind those, of Elizabeth Barrett Browning. Something from the sonnets that haunts my memory vaguely on a cloudy day.

It is good writing. Work to be proud of.

[StrawberryDream]

I have never read a poem quite like this before, and it has certainly enchanted me! I hope you never stop writing! This piece was great... And subject for thought. :)

[Charles D. Moorer]

Nicely done. Love is...

[Frank F. Atanacio]

streams down perfectly, love the flow and the write--it was well done and it entertained!!!