In the theme of revisiting old poetry, I’d thought I’d bring this one out of the depths of the past! I wrote it four years ago when I was 18, as I slowly fell in love with my best friend. That relationship didn’t last (see Hey Betsy… for more details), which is also the source of my first heartbreak. My first love and my first heartbreak were from the same girl, and now she’s married and raising another man’s baby, but it’s okay because we were meant for different things in life. Hope you enjoy the sappy love poem that came out of the relationship, because my writing is almost never happy!

 

Love is like a fire;

It must be built,

Of inconsequential commonalities

Like twigs, or a shared hobby,

As well as sturdy stanchions

Like logs, or a shared faith.

Love is like a fire.

 

Love is like a fire;

It must be lit,

By a shower of sparks

Like from flint and steel, or a look in the eyes,

As well as bigger flames

Like a match, or a kiss

Love is like a fire.

 

Love is like a fire;

It must be stoked,

With additional fuel

Like another log, or a romantic evening

As well as fanning the flames

Like a breeze, or a weekend in bed

Love is like a fire.

 

Love is like a fire;

It can spread,

By jumping to the dry grass

Like a lit stick, or a marriage

As well as larger jumps,

Like to a tree, or beautiful baby

Love is like a fire.

 

Love is like a fire;

Even when extinguished,

It exists

Like glowing embers, or quelled longings

As well as smoking remains,

Like rising ash, or fond memories

Love is like a fire.

 

Love is like a fire;

It can be relit,

By stirring the embers, or apologizing

As well as adding fuel,

By throwing in sticks, or humbling oneself

Love is like a fire.

 

Love is like a fire;

Its heat is better felt up close,

Like in a fireplace, or cuddles on couch

As well as more intensely,

Like a bonfire, in bed after dark

Love is like a fire.