Although I Conquer all the Earth
Yet for me there is only one city.
In that city there is for me only one house;
and in that house, one room only;
and in that room, a bed.
And one woman sleeps there,
The shining joy and jewel of all my kingdom.
~Ancient India
In my high school creative writing class we were charged with finding a poem to share with the class. This is the poem I chose. You see, I've always been a daydreamer. When I was younger I had a tendency to have romanticised daydreams of being swept off my feet into a fairytale of love. I am older now and the daydreams are less about being swept off my feet in love and more about how I get out of the rut of a daily routine and into a tropical paradise...but for over 10 years I have carried this poem in my wallet in hopes that someday I might have the great fortune of being the object of even a tiny fraction of this kind of love. To be the only woman, the last woman, he could ever hope to love.
In the dictionary, there are 28 different explanations regarding the meaning of the word "LOVE". Profoundly tender, passionate affection for another, sexual passion or desire, affectionate concern for the well-being of others, to embrace and kiss someone as a lover, sexual intercourse, to have love or affection for another person; to be in love... And just as important as love, are the synonyms for love. The things that invigorate and perpetuate love: Tenderness, fondness, predilection, affection, devotion, adoration, enduring loyalty...
While being in love may cause madness and pain at times, it should not create volatility and suffering. Love means nothing if we can't let down the shades of secrecy we hold within ourselves. One cannot truly love without letting go of the fear of being loved back; of embracing the vulnerability love creates and looking it straight in the eyes.
You may conquer all the earth, but what good is that conquest if you scourge the love awaiting your return?
Monday, July 21, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
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