This is Love

Storge—familial love

I’m sitting at the table with a home-cooked meal

My mother strolls in and garnishes her famous dish with zest from a lemon peel

And the excited smiles and loving gaze of each family member is all that I can feel

My grandfather uses his fork to break the seal

And we are haunted by the sillage, the saudade of our ancestors as we dig into the real deal

Si vis amari, ama

If you wished to be loved, love

For these blood relations are sent from up above

Philia—deep friendship

I wish you all could see the smyster that blesses my face

As the lot of you shoot messages, insults, and compliments at a rabbit’s pace

We giggle on and on about a rocket launchers case

To each’s swevens one another we chase 

I fall back on you, and you can fall back on me even in haste

Because the kefi you exude leaves behind a wonderful taste

Ama et quod vis fac

Love and do what you want

And never stop to regret what you can’t

Agape—communal love

Little children snatch from my hands small chocolates and treats

The townsfolk behind me spread the gaudium in a lively beat

And the nyctophilia emerges under white dots on a black sheet

To adorn our lives with gossip, we each take a seat

Amor omnia vincit

Love conquers all

Let us overlook the bickering and have a ball

Philautia—self-love

With all my wits and courage, I stand before a mirror

Oh my, could my nose be any bigger?

The atelophobia creeps in, closer and nearer

Instead of a minefield of pimples, can my skin please be clearer?

Meeting the social beauty standards, to young souls there’s nothing dearer

All this hate to yourself, how can one bear?

Cherish the ravi, and let go of your fears

Dum vivimus, vivamus

When we live, let us live

There’s no greater gift to yourself that you can give

Pragma—longstanding love

A problem arises out of the blue

I stare into your eyes, and we already know what to do

We can manage anything, even if it’s a zoo

The thing that scares me most is the alexithymia standing between me and you

But the spark of kairosclerosis among us is the strongest glue

Amor est vitae essentia

Love is the essence of life

So let me help you through all this pain and strife

Sillage: some absentee’s trace left behind

Saudade: nostalgic longing for something distant, loved and/or lost

Smyster: to smile to yourself while you daydream

Swevens: vision/dream

Kefi: spirit of joy, enthusiasm, high spirits and frenzy

Gaudium: joy

Nyctophilia: love of darkness/night

Atelophobia: fear of imperfections

Ravi: deeply contended and satisfied from consciousness of wellbeing

Alexithymia: inability to verbalize emotions/lack of emotional response

Kairosclerosis: moment you realize you’re happy