Do You Love Her?

Don't pretend to love her

Save her the heartache

If her laugh doesn't make you stand a little straighter

And you don't panic at the thought of never hearing it again

You are not in love with her

If her eyes can't make your mind go blank

Or make you stop mid-sentence as you wonder what to say next

You are not in love with her

If her voice isn't enough to calm your worst fears

And it isn't the most soothing yet alluring sound in the world

You are not in love with her

If her smile doesn't remind you of a sunrise

And it doesn't make your hands shake because you want to take her in your arms

You are not in love with her

If the sight of her naked and vulnerable before you is when you pay the most attention

And you think that this is when she is the most beautiful

You are not in love with her 

Reviews

[Coyote Poetry]

Honest and true love. We must excite the mind first. Sex is pleasure and love is a blessing. Thank you Askew for sharing the amazing poetry. I did enjoy.
Coyote

[Nightmare_Springle]

It’s an amazing piece of work, and I can relate to it a lot.

[Abhishek Izy]

Nice write and yeah darn be people with masks over their emotions. Loved it

[trying_to_write]

The whole thing is like a punch to the gut. A very, realizing, piece. Beautifully written.

[PonQo]

I feel like there's a really strong character narrating this--I can't help but let my imagination run wild about what the context is, who the "you" is. As it stands, I could see this in so many places, which is really cool. Perhaps it's a best man talking to the groom before the wedding, when those jitters are setting in. Perhaps it's an embittered ex-lover telling off her ex who's moved on. It could even be an estranged child telling their dad the skank he ran away for won't make him happy. But I digress.

I will ask if you'd consider rewording the bit "If the sight of her naked and vulnerable before you is when you pay the most attention" -- I think this is a really powerful point, but in my individual reading, the line broke up the meter/flow of the poem in a way that felt a little awkward. This is a nit-picky critique, because the poem is still fabulous as it is, but I thought I'd mention it.

Really lovely work, thank you for sharing!

[Askew]

Thank you for reviewing. I don't want to take away the ability to interpret this the way one chooses, but I will say that nearly everything I write is based solely off of my own experiences and feelings, including this. I do like how many ways it can be taken though, it's interesting because I had never thought of it in that way.
I'm aware the line you're talking about is rough and choppy, and that's kind of what I was going for. I wanted people to focus on that line and linger there for a bit, but I really appreciate you pointing it out. If choppy hadn't been what I was going for, then I would take your advice and change the rhythm to make it flow smoother.

Thank you again,
Lexi Askew

[PonQo]

I suspected that was your goal--good to know! And I totally respect that it's based on your own experience, but I think there's something really interesting in the way one person's experiences can conjure similar words and ideas to other people's experiences. It's probably just the theatre person in me, though :p

In any case, as I said, really lovely work!

[R.E. Ray]

Love is difficult to define, but you’ve identified the standards we used to measure it. As I read your poem, I saw truth explode on the screen. An exceptional poem and a message for every man and woman. Thank you for sharing.

[BlackPrince]

This is a wonderful anthem for womanhood! I like the overall structure of the stanzas. Each stanza is packed with meaningful content.

I must say that love is reciprocal. A man and woman must equally cherish each other, feel the urgency of mutual togetherness, with mutual support and care.

Well done!!!

[Einstein Noodle]

slam dunk Lexi ... the strongest close i have read yet today ... hits me right between the eyes ... when reading i almost wished to be smitten in just such a way ... but going through all that is too much to have a do over ;) love had great depth ... to find it in ones self .. and then in another is not an easy journey ..wonderful read for me ... things to ponder now as i sign off and watch the sun coming up ;)))
E.

[Nicole West]

There are many stages to love, this is one of the more painful...to be consumed by it... You certainly captured some of the more insecure elements, which is a compliment! I looooove angsty writing, so keep it up!

[Davidgeo]

3rd line... "though" should be "thought"

You have a high standard for love. As you get older you will see that real love is more about friendship, respect and general compatibility than all the tropes we are fed through watching movies and advertisements. There is truth in what you write about though, the beginning of falling in love is pretty much just like that. And as you alluded to in the first two lines... some people just fake it and it's a total dick move to do so. Usually it's just to get laid and usually it's guys who are guilty. Usually... not always.

[Askew]

You are right, I do have very high standards for love, and they've only gotten higher and higher as I've gotten older. Perhaps they're unrealistic, and that's fine, but for now at least I refuse to settle for anything less because I have a very good idea of what I deserve. This may backfire sometime in the future, and if it does then I'll learn from my mistakes.

[Davidgeo]

It's not a bad thing, having high standards for love. As long as you're not a total a*****e they won't backfire. It just might take a while.