What Love Is (For Me)

Love is
the wagging of a tail
happily greeting you
at the door of your home
after a long day at work.

Love is
the gentle kiss on the head
from a loving husband
of twenty-seven years
before he says goodnight.

Love is
the gas that is burned
on the road to a friend’s house
to comfort them
in the late night hours.

Love is
the sound of a text
being typed and sent
under the desk in class
just to say, “I love you”
one more time today.

Love is
an email from your father
telling you he is proud
of the woman you’ve become
for no other reason
than love.

Love is
heartbreaking pain
when the man you love
with all of your heart
says that you are not at all
what he wants for a wife.

Love is
painfully stepping aside
when that man you love
asks for your best friend’s
hand in marriage
and she accepts.

Love is
a joyful heart-flutter
and a painful angst
that we all crave
and want to experience.