By anonymous
Date: 16 December 1997

Three L's

The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
To extricate one thread for inspection belittles its power and overestimates mine.
But, try:

Lust. Simplest to recognize, the dull ache unmistakable.
My body fitted to yours, unable to discern where I begin or end.
My sighs blending into your moans.
Pleasure in the means, rather than the ends.

Like: Of course. But shallow, based in the moment.
The purging of daily annoyances over coffee.
The deliberate 9-to-5 choice of e-mail over productivity.
The discussion of obscure syntactic intricacies.
Like: necessary. but alone, not enough.

Love? Crosses the line into unacceptable vulnerability, its immutability sandpaper against raw skin.
But... undeniable.
The soul's truths and lies revealed over the pretext of a beer, received quietly, unquestioningly.
The acceptance of one word: "pretty," when offered in open hands.
The soft, cleansing rain of an embrace over the invisible walls of history.

I allow the threads to merge once again, and blended they glow.