Love's Curse

Failte, Reader. Welcome back if you're a regular.

I'm not a big lover of platitudes. Well, that's not entirely true. I enjoy the odd cliché, but I enjoy much more questioning them, and determining the truth in them for me. One I often hear is "you only live once," when people are encouraging others to take chances or go on adventures.

But it's not accurate. Every day, we wake up to the potential for a new life. Sometimes, when the day feels like a curse, we go for a nap, exercise or meditate, then start the day again. You live as many times as you allow yourself to. You only die once, of this life that we know of. Yep, that's another potentially platitudinal statement, but it works better for me than the former. 

It's a good one for people like me because I'm an adrenaline junkie. I adore an adventure, so much so that I may take greater risks (like climbing onto the metal beside the diving board into the sea, just to get wee bit higher.) Saying to me, "You only live once," can spur me on in risk. Saying, "You only die once," makes me think. "Am I OK with dying like this?" Then, maybe, I'll consider the risk more carefully. 

Risky Business

I ponder the power of love in comparison to anger. I was a very angry child. Anger was, and still can be, my protective shell. Even this week, as I attended a wedding event, I had someone tell me I "come across very" ... what was his word ... "hard," I think he said. "Yet, you're still chatting with me," I replied. He was a sound chap, lovely family; we had good chats. But his comment hit me. For most of my life, people have made that comment to me. It has taken me until now to sit comfortably with it. In the past, I'd have been very upset that I was being misunderstood. "Why do people always think I'm tough and hard?" I hated it. I am, in fact, quite soft and squishy on the inside. Anger masked fear, and has helped keep me safe.

To me, love is the greatest force in the world. Anger is powerful but can be destructive. Love can be painful, sometimes more so than anger, but only one can dilute the other. No matter how angry I may become, at some point, I will see a leaf blowing in the wind, hear the coo of pigeons as they nestle together on a rooftop, or smell the seabed as the tide goes out - and my heart will smile, diluting the anger and fear.

To love another is one of the greatest feelings in the world; to receive love, the same. Yet to love, we risk. We risk pain, suffering, and loss in the hopes of receiving joy, laughter, and togetherness. For many, the risk is too great. For those who have loved and lost, it is often hard to let love in again. For those who have yet to love, only the gain may be seen. 

Those who risk love always gain. Moments of bliss when a smile is smiled only for you, when a cuddle dissolves all discomfort, when a word makes your soul feel fuller. Today, as this post goes live, one of my best friends will step beyond fear, through risk, with the man she loves holding her hand, standing strong beside her as they promise themselves to each other. Today, we celebrate their love, and the power of love in overcoming, enriching and encompassing all that is pure and beautiful in our world. 

This poem, like last week's, I wrote in 2009 while living in Australia's Outback. There are aspects I'd like to tweak, but I'm going easy on myself this week as I'm on holiday for the wedding. Love can conquer all if you're willing to risk it.

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Love's Curse

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So much to do, so much to see, 

how great it is to be utterly free. 

Gliding out and gliding in

the smile on her face becomes a grin.

There he is, she's seen him before.

The music blasts as they twirl round the floor. 

Up they rise, soaring high

their energy lifts them right to the sky

where they rest upon a cloud

looking down upon the ground. 

Turmoil everywhere, the earth in a state. 

"How can we those people placate?"

The heavens open, down they fall

nay a sinner can hear their call.

The earth is shattered, yet they remain

intact, embracing, no hurt or pain. 

"How did this happen?

Upon what do we rest?

Is this the end?

Is it some kind of jest?"

Standing, they hear it, 

a voice, loud, deep and clear,

"Your love has lifted

people's crippling fear."

Children are laughing,

All people are one. 

Love has broken the curse.

A new world has begun. 

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