Love Replied

She is from the Philippines. She has children over there, overseas. A husband here. She helps me, I help her. She is cleaning my fridge while we catch up. Her questions are casual, my answers lighthearted. How my love life is? Am I happy? I explain my current situation to her. My voice quivers as I do. A lot has happened. We’ve known each other for a while.

“Never love too much,” she says, hiding her discomfort behind the door of the fridge.

“Why?”

“You will suffer.”

But. “But… if you don’t love someone wholly and completely then how can it ever become a good relationship?”

“You don’t need to love. You need to respect.”

My heart sinks when she repeats, “you will suffer,” because I know she’s right.

But. But… there’s also this. Isn’t there also this?

Love came up to me

& got down to his knee

& said I am here to serve

you what you deserve

All that you wish

as on a gold dish

eyes tongue and heart

your most private part

Why do you eat

my behind & my feet

Why do you kiss

my belly like this

Why do you go down

& suck my cock crown

when I bare you the best

that is inside my breast

I lay there reproved

aching my prick moved

But Love kissed my ear

& said nothing to fear

Put your head on my breast

There let your skull rest

Yes hug my breast, this

is my heart you can kiss

Then Love put his face

in my tenderest place

where throbbed my breast sweet

with red hot heart’s heat

There, love is our bed

There, love lay your head

There you’ll never regret

all the love you can get

From the hair to the toes

neck & knees in repose

Take the heart that I give

Give heart that you live

Forget my sweet cock

my buttock like a rock

Come up from my thighs

Hear my heart’s own straight sighs

I myself am not queer

Tho I hold your heart dear

Tho I lie with you naked

tho my own heart has ached

breast to breast with your bare

body, yes tho I dare

hug & kiss you all night

This is straight hearts’ delight.

So bring your head up

from my loins or the cup

of my knees and behind

where you touch your lips blind

Put your lips to my heart

That is my public part

Hold me close and receive

All the love I can give

Love Replied by Allen Ginsberg.