A LOVE POEM

 

                A LOVE POEM

            Love is life and life is love. Nobody can survive in this world without some sort of love. The best thing is not only to love a living being, a relative, a mistress, a  friend, a companion, a partner, a pet but also the whole existence of this world.

            Love is the food of the heart, the mind ant the soul. Lovelessness is starvation.

            There are people who love not only the earth but also the sky with its sun, moon and stars.

            Love is light. There are lovers who see everything with the eyes of their beloved.

             Your lady love is not confined only to the appetites of your heart. She  is the breath of your total self.

            A lover whose love is partial or limited or short-lived is not a lover worth the name. He is more a stranger than an intimate alter ego.  

            The English poet William Shakespeare (1564-1616) said:

Love is not love that alters when it alteration finds. He also said it is not time’s fool. On the contrary it is an eternal affair which continues even beyond death.  

            It is surprising that almost all persons in whatever field of life they may be temporarily or permanently engaged claim t be whole-hearted lovers. Their claim is more false than true. Faithful lovers in this selfish world are few and far between. That is why we find many poets whose poems talk about the dearth of perfect love.

            Given below is a beautiful love poem entitled The Garland. Despite some efforts, I could not find the name of the poet. The full text reads as:

“Here is a garland; I made it for you.

Lean, Love, to my circle of fragrance and dew.

 

I mingled the flowers with my secret dreams,

Wove the leaves with a wistful heart,

Laced the stems with magical schemes,

And fastened the chain with sorceress’ art.

I twined it in wishes , foolish and wise;

The wreath by my passionate hopes is blessed.

Each cool petal my longing eyes

Have dewily kissed and glance-caressed.

 

Here, then, is my garland created for you.

More than a token of glory or wealth,

I wove it for you. Love, out of myself.

 

                                                ********

G. R. Kanwal

27 September 2025