Robert Melliard

Dec 14, 2008 ⭐ View statistics (Premium feature)

What's love?

"What's love?" she asks, and I reply:
"It's the strong, pure admiration
that I feel for you inside."

"And why does love exist?"
"To make life bearable," I say,
"and compensate for grief and pain."

"But when does it take place,
and where?" she wants to know.
"Each time I glance at you," I answer,
"and everywhere I look, from head to toe."

She seems quite happy with these words,
romantic as they try to be; but then
I sense that something isn't right:
if this sentiment were mutual,
she'd know what love was like!

— Robert Melliard, Dec 14, 2008

About This Poem

About the Author

Region, Country: Asturias, Spain

Favorite Poets: Chaucer, Shakespeare, Du Bellay, Metaphysicals, Petrarch, Dante, Baudelaire, Lorca, Becquer, Coleridge

Critiques

Arrow

17 years 5 months ago

This is a charming poem

in which I see no real need for revision. Light yet serious. My only (very minor) stumbling block is this line: “and balance so much grief and pain” which doesn't flow quite as nicely as the rest for me. I'm not sure why it is - maybe the string of unstressed syllables in the middle? Maybe: "to give relief from grief and pain"? Whatever. It doesn't matter. Very enjoyable.

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi Arrow,

I'm glad you enjoyed this poem. I'll think about the line you mention. The problem I have with old poems (this one was written two years ago) is that I have read them to myself so many times that they sound fine (to me, at least) even if they really have a flaw. Many thanks for reading and commenting. By the way, I love your photo! Best wishes, Robert.

Arrow

17 years 5 months ago

Thank you -

I was a broken egg but I am feeling better now - hence the hippo. Your skeptical donkey isn't bad, either. I know what you mean about losing all sense of objectivity with old poems. That's why this site is so nice.

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

This site

Yes, this site is nice, perhaps because everyone soon gets to know everyone else. I have tried poemhunter.com too but it's not the same. There's too much poetry coming in for anyone to keep up with. I spend several hours with Neopoet every day, so when we lost our internet connection yesterday I almost panicked. What was I going to do without my blog? Best wishes, Robert.

Jo Latimer

17 years 5 months ago

Hey Robert

Poignant & sweet. Enjoyable read. Regards, Jo

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi Jo,

I'm glad you enjoyed this poem. Perhaps I have to be careful not to be TOO sweet or people will think I'm sentimental. Best wishes, Robert.

Nature Mithya

17 years 5 months ago

How well you put through your thoughts...

.... about love; and the end is beautiful for if it is not mutual it is no love. Congrats.

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi nature,

I'm glad you liked this poem, but I'm not sure if I agree with you about love always having to be mutual (though I know that is the ideal situation). Sometimes in my life I'm afraid love has been a one way flow, not returned, or at least not with the same intensity. I shall post a poem on this subject soon. Many thanks for your comment. Best wishes, Robert.

Nature Mithya

17 years 5 months ago

Lol

Let me consider a bull fighter with the red cloak to attract the bull. Ok to induce a bull to fight(love). Consider all the questions in your poem, as the She-Bull(girl) asks the fighter(You), as the you show the red cloak (your Charm to attract).The She-Bull has three choices to love, hate, or stand till she wishes to make her move. You show love by coming near and she lifts you off the feet to show her love. Or next you distract her and put your spear into her for the kill in hate. The third is when you are not certain what to do; LOVE OR HATE. Exactly the position the poem puts you into. Well my friend confronted by a she-bull(like with a Lion) what will you do is not the question. Laugh! This point is well known as a joke; it does not matter what you do; What really matters is what the she-bull or the lion does to you.So is love not the final action she takes the truth.

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi nature,

As I live in Spain, the bull-fighting analogy is appropriate. The woman who inspired the poem certainly lifted me off my feet, and as you say, what mattered was not what I did but what she did, because my intense love for her made her much more powerful than me. I'm not sure if hate ever came into play though. All I remember was a deep sadness when the relationship ended. Best wishes, Robert.

Nature Mithya

17 years 5 months ago

Yes it is this sadness...

....that makes us want to write about it.To capture its beauty in thought frozen in time. Congrats for a lovely write and the great emotions that you put down in memories sake. God is great for he surely has some one much lovable than this one or she would have charged your red cloak. True, I gave the example of the bull for Spain is famous throughout the world for its bull fights. Hope you find the one you love soon.

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi Janice,

Thanks for your comment. I can see from your poems that you know exactly what love is like, so your approval is valuable. Best wishes, Robert.

Rett

17 years 5 months ago

Great write Robert

The last two verses really top off the write. Very well done. Respectfully, Rett: "The people of America must really like idiots, look at EVERYONE in Washington." Rett

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi Rett,

I'm glad you liked this. It's satisfying to see that it seems to have gone down well with a number of readers, not like some of my previous poems which were hardly noticed. Yes, I guess the last two verses are the best, though I'm also fond of the one about love making up for grief. Thanks for the feedback. Best wishes, Robert.

Ink Dragon

17 years 5 months ago

Dear Robert,

This is almost philosophical. I don´t think anybody who does not know what love is can feel it, or appreciate it when they are loved. Thank you for nailing this down in your last two lines! Regards, ID P.S. Glad to learn from your comment above it´s no recent heartache you´re describing here.

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi ID,

When you think that most people probably only fall in love once or twice it may be hard to coincide with another person at the right time in their life to create a mutually passionate relationship. Also, some people are better at showing affection than others, so love is sometimes not communicated even though it exists. Personally I was quite happy being in love even though the feeling wasn't returned - until she dumped me, that is... Best wishes, Robert.

themoonman

17 years 5 months ago

Robert...

this is the second time trying to leave a comment! more of the validation aggravation... I liked your poem... been there! actually been on both sides of this one... to my ear I thought the second line needed to be longer... maybe.. It is the strong, ... just a suggestion... loved the poem and the final stanza had that eye-opening realization... Richard

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi Richard,

Many thanks for your comment and suggestion. It might make more sense to use 'It is' or 'It's' to start the second line, as well as sounding better. From what you say it seems you have both loved and been loved, but not always at the same time. One-sided love is clearly a theme a number of readers can relate to. Best wishes, Robert.

jean-louis bouzou

17 years 5 months ago

Nice words, Robert...

Nice romantic words... Believe this is a question which it's difficult to answer when we are in love... because at this time, the heart supplants the head... even later when it ends and the head commands again, it's not so easy to analyse why (s)he attracted us... From my part, it's a feeling I think difficult/impossible to demystify... so I can understand her interrogarion about it... Have a nice day... jean-louis

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi Jean-Louis.

Love is indeed hard to define. When I called it a strong, deep admiration perhaps I was leaving out the element of purely physical attraction, for example. But it's intriguing to try to pin it down from time to time... Best wishes, Robert.

Linda Moses

17 years 5 months ago

Robert

Enjoyed this one. I have noticed all of your poems, I think you do very well Sincerely, Linda

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Hi Linda,

Many thanks for reading this poem and others of mine, and for your encouraging comment. It's wonderful to get so much feedback from other poets. This blog is taking up most of my free time now, but it's definitely worthwhile. Best wishes, Robert.

infinite_dwarf

17 years 5 months ago

Robert

Bang on with the last few paragraphs. Love isn't just about the little tingles in your stomach. It's about being speechless when (in my case) he walks in the room, when you feel incomplete when they're away, and physical pain when they're away for too long. It's when you try to imagine your life without them, and realize you can't. THAT is true love, and it's very hard to find. And if your partner ain't feelin' ya, then the situation that you have described evolves. Absolutely true write. Well done! ~Jess K. ---------------------------------------------------- - "Does Rudolph fail the safety inspection if his nose is burnt out? And where does he go? I don't think he'd fit in the bay at the Jiffy Lube." Happy holidays, y'all!

Wafi

17 years 5 months ago

Robert

Robert it is sweet and touching. Enjoyed it alot specially "if this sentiment were mutual, she’d know what love was like!" Loved reading it , 5 stars from my side. Sincerely, Wafi

Robert Melliard

17 years 5 months ago

Thanks Wafi

for your appreciation of this poem. Please try to find time to read A Formula For Peace (which I have just posted) as I believe it is closely related to the theme of your poem about Israel and Palestine. Best Wishes, Robert.