I Love You, Poetry Poem by Gianfranco Aurilio

How I love thee, poetry,
the way I could never love a woman
the way I could never love a man
because the tears
that you make me shed
are not tears of love,
they don't burn
the way pain does
nor do they grip my heart
the way anguish does when it's all too much,
they don't make my eyes spring open
the way fear can do
nor do they destroy my body
overwhelmed by loneliness.
I love thee, poetry,
because these are tears of beauty.