Do you know what true love is?
Can you understand wanting to give
so much of
yourself
that holding back feels like impotence?
Can you comprehend canceling
all concepts
of guilt and innocence
in favor of a single act of self-indulgence
that
would last you a lifetime?
Can you grasp the reason for emptying
all of yourself
into a furtive
attempt at avoiding emptiness?
Can you appreciate ideas and acts
of self-sacrifice
and forgiveness?
Do you really know what true love is?
September 1996