Love, Can You Tell Me? Poem by Elizabeth Padillo Olesen

Who can speak of love
and describe it as it is?
It is the subject of the day
on the lips of those in love
this Valentine's Day -
fourteenth of February.

Why 14? Why not ten or fifteen?
Or the first or the last day?
Why in the middle of February?
Can somebody tell me?

Why flowers of red roses?
Why red wine and perfume?
Why wrapped gifts with
red hearts and more surprises to guess?

Can love be measured
by how much one gives
and by what one receives?

_________
February 14,2016