The Power of Love

(for J.)

Love is a straight line –
it gets right to the heart of things.

Love squared is expansive –
it covers a multitude of sins.

Love to the power of three is deep –
it takes time to explore.

Give me your hand
and don't be afraid.

12 June 1994

The geometry of love. That would’ve made a decent title too. A one-dimensional straight line grows to become a two-dimensional flat plane which expands to become a three-dimensional cube. This is a love poem but what kind of love I can’t say. Not a simple love; that much is true. Interestingly I don’t use the ‘in’ word in this poem. I don’t talk about diving into the deep. I do think of it as a dark place and darkness can be scary. Yet what does it take to reduce that fear to a tolerable level? a spark? a reassuring voice? or maybe a hand to hold? By this time in my life I’d been infatuated with, had crushes on, lusted after, doted on, adored, loved and been in love with more than a few women. And now here was one more desperately needing to be cared for. The last thing in the world I was looking for was another woman. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t wary.

2 comments:

Tim Love said...: My "Shape of lost love" was based on a similar idea. Less optimistic, it started with a circle but dwindling away to

Within the four walls of your flat
the eternal triangle seems as far away
as Bermuda. It’s time to draw the line
but what’s the point - there’s nothing left.; 12 June 2017 at 07:06
Jim Murdoch said...: No, I like this, Tim. Exactly the kind of thing I might’ve written. Not like me as you should know by now to be optimistic about anything. Not for any length of time.; 13 June 2017 at 04:29

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