What I Talk About When I Talk About Love


Tina Turner will tell you it’s a temporary emotion and for some it is. Luther didn’t want it to make him a fool, though it has claimed millions. Stevie said it’s in need of love and I couldn’t agree with him more, but when I talk about love, I’m talking about all of this and more. Love casts a wide net that catches so much that it’s difficult to decipher exactly what folks are talking about when they talk about love.
What we define as love is tied far more into the feelings we have, or jive public declarations, than actually loving someone. I hear people all of the time claiming to love this one or that one, but they treat them like they can’t stand them, but cry a river when that person decides their love is too precious to be part of something so distressing. That’s what I see, so that’s part of what I talk about when I talk about love.

You and I have both claimed to have been in love or hoped to be loved, yet the people we were sat opposite of in those relationships couldn’t hold our attention during a commercial break. So, the relationship breaks down, but in stages, and we publicly live out each portion of the fracturing. We argue in bars, broadcast our issues via Facebook, cheat with best friends, have babies by strangers and jump the broom when we get all twisted in our hearts and can’t figure a way to straighten ourselves out.
That’s what I’m talking about when I talk about love. I’m saying, it can’t all be hugs and kisses and beautiful words; there are many people that live with the pain of love, the guilt of hurt and smiles of shame, but wish to wake in the middle of the night to see happiness resting comfortably. Who speaks of love to them, for them? Where’s their voice without bitterness, scorn, but with hope? I talk about love for those struggling to love themselves but loving someone else, until the love, like the rainbow is enough.

I talk about love like I’ve known it before, like I’ve cried from the pain or lied about the shame. I speak about love like it was my enemy and my friend simultaneously, equally occupying my heart and mind, but not part of my life. I talk about love like I was waiting to be reunited with it, but didn’t want it around. I talk about love like I don’t know that love don’t love nobody…

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