What Is Love Poem by Riley Choma

I was 10 the first time that I asked- 'What is love? '

I told myself that love is butterflies and sunshine, and I left it at that.

The second time that I asked, I was 12.

I asked my mom, and she told me it means to care for someone more than you care for yourself.

I paused and wondered if she meant to tell me that our woes are temporary, or that we are.

I decided that love is both the storm and the smell of the wet ground.

I was 15 when I learnt that the smell of wet ground isn't always beautiful- sometimes it smells like salt.

But the storm still excited me anyways.

At 16 I used the words 'I love you, ' for the first time.

Sometimes it is our eyes that rain; not all storms are exciting.

I learnt when I heard 'I love you, but not in that way.'

At 17 I heard 'I just dont love you anymore.'

This is when I learnt that the storm doesn't always last, and that it doesn't have to storm to pour.

I was 18 when I relaized some people would rather stay inside than dance in the rain.

To some- I guess clouds are just clouds, and rain is just rain.

This realization preceded the words 'I didn't think this meant anything.'

At 19 I asked myself again- 'What is love? '

And I still don't know, but I hear my mother's voice- and I wonder...

Why can one not have love for themselves?