Member Poem

I have never known love that one holds for a lover,
Never craved for the touch of another like air,
Oxygen mixed with nitrogen is enough for me.

I have never known love that sends butterflies to my stomach,
Makes me survey the world like a newborn fawn.
Frankly, I had enough of that when I had stomach flu.

I have never known love that places me at the top of the world,
Bungee jumping from one emotion to another.
I have never been a fan of rollercoasters, let alone heights.

I have never known love that makes my body ache
With longing for what could have been, should have been.
My muscles protest only at their use, not the absence of another.

I have never known love that has stained my pillow,
Made me make meals of salt and sorrow.
I like to keep my sheets nice and clean, thank you very much.

But if that love is anything like
The love of rereading a favorite story,
The love of putting pen to paper myself,
The love of hearing my mother say how proud she is,
Then I will fight for another’s right to that love

No matter the vessel that love comes in.