What is Love?  By Sheryl Rosen Copyright 2/14/07. All Rights Reserved.  Dedicated to my daughters and now a few others (including my cute little yorkies, who can not read but make good use of paper).

One day my daughter came home from school with an assigment to find narratives explaining what is love. One would think this an easy assigment, especially since it was asked of a high school student. She looked up poetry, she looked up philosophy, she looked up scientific explanation, she looked it up in Wickepedia.  She searched the web for hours, yet came up empty handed.  That is when I intervened; I am a good mother.  After all there has to be some benefit to having a mother who is a writer (I've won some award for my Mother's Day poetry but did not want to buy the book it was published in. Hey $125 to buy my own writing and a bunch of others I do not want?  Where was my prize, I'd still like to know?).  Does one have to search any further than one's one heart and soul?

So we sat down and thought it over. What is Love? 

There has to be a part two to this story, perhaps another poem, since after having written this poem I embarked on a new relationship with a wonderful man.  My daughter, now nearly two years older, immediately wanted to know, "who do you love more, him or me?" It was a ridiculous question (only those who are truly loving know why). However, I addressed the issue the same way we attacked her assignment.

So, what is love and the realms of the reach?  I can only attest that nothing in life is special if it's not shared.


What is Love?

My love is so many things
for you are my love
but not you alone.

My love is a splendor one can not hold in a hand
for more than an instant
yet can always be in my heart.

My love is an ideal
for sometimes it is strong like a chain which can not be broken
but also can be stolen, lost or abandoned.

My love is life
for without it there is no beauty
nor meaning to any day.

To live, to laugh, to love and be loved is my love.
Thank You, my love.