Love

After one of the retreat leaders gave their heartfelt talk about love, we once again split off into small groups in order to discuss the matter more thoroughly. We were asked to write a poem, given 20 minutes, and the prompt of "What is Love?" I mulled over my thoughts for what felt like an hour. How was I supposed to explain love... in a single poem... given only 20 minutes to write it (of which I had wasted half just thinking about it)?

"A list of things you do for a loved one"
You change their diapers,
You touch their dirty laundry,
You pick their nose clean.

You hold their hands,
You stare into their eyes,
You listen to their heartbeat.

You let them go,
You give them space,
You let them make mistakes.

You give them money,
You share with them you wisdom,
You share with them your  life's stories.

You are at their every back and call,
You retrieve their thrown items,
You lick their face.

You sacrifice your life for them.
You show them your Father's kingdom.
You give them everlasting life.

I shared my poem and explained to them my reasoning for it's unruly format. I told them that I had attempted to define love before , and that it was nothing but a futile attempt in my logical mind. But, like the wind that shook the redwoods surrounding our cabin and retreat site, love is best described by the things it causes in the world. Wind can't be seen, but we know of it's presence because of the effects it has on the world. My poem was a list, a list of love's effects on the world.