Perception Poem by May Speak

My Perception of love has changed

I used to think that Love was kind.
It is not.

It is cruel and calculating.

I used to think Love was selfless.
It is not.

It is selfish. It takes until there is nothing left to give.

I used to think that Love was brave, and could conquer anything.
It is not.

It is a coward that hides behind the idea of itself, the name of itself so that naive people would follow it thinking that it would lead them to happiness. In truth, it only leads them down a road of doubt and regret. A never ending road of despair.

I used to think that Love was true.
It is not.

It lies. To itself. To You.Making promises that it can't keep. The only truth is that it keeps the promise of breaking yours.

I used to think that Love was a fairy tale.
It is not.

It is a fable. Tales made up to keep us warm at night, hoping for something better.

But there is no Prince searching far and wide for his perfect fit. There is no Knight to slay the dragon that keeps you up at night. There is no white horse coming down the way with a Hero to wake you from your seemingly endless nightmare.

There is only a glass slipper that probably fit the 5th maiden that came along and the search was over. There is only the arrogance of men who burn themselves in trying to prove their valor to the world. There is only you with which to save yourself, for a hero may come along and wake you from your sleep but he cannot rid you of the darkness of your dreams.

This is the incurable fate of Love.

It will break you into unimaginable shapes that become so jagged, and so crooked that they will never fit back together again. You may try to smooth the edges. You may try to glue them back again, but it will be obvious to the eye that you have been tainted by Love. your back will never be as straight, your eyes never as bright, your laugh never as loud, your spirit never as bold.

THIS is the unavoidable, unbelievable, unforeseeable effect of Love.