When We Talk About Love

“What do we talk about when we talk about love”? 

Well there’s a good quesion

but I may know a better one

Why do we talk about love at all? 

Why do we look in the mirror when we already know what we will see

drawn to every magnetic flaw

we return

to speak again about love

inside the jackets of books or holding hands on long walks where it is too cold to have hands bare but we do it anyway

silent on the edges of our bed not speaking volumes

When it hurts

why are we still talking about love?

preaching from rom pulipts and praying in private, 

chanting mantras or choosing fine china we are talking about love  

or not love

every human thought may orbit love

but does stardust talk about it? 

is that the twinkling?

is love what dogs are baking about in a language I don’t understand? 

Through the five foot fences

Are the gleeful clicks of dolphins and the mournful moans of whales

going on about love?

Is it more beautiful to think that they are or they are not?

Is love more sacred if we humans lay claim, or if we are scratching at some old secret the animals know? The rocks know? The whole earth knows.

Is it better to belive that love lifts humankind above all creation – this altruistic urge beyond natural selection – Imago Dei-

or is it better to believe

that when I walk in the front door alone, 

my family long sleepong

and my dog Carl flips over on his back

and I know he wants me to rub his tummy, and I do

we are talking about love

he knows how to talk about love. 

and why?

because love is all that is talked about by anyone or anything at any time.