Last night,  

I thought you spoke to me,  

the voice so clear, so authoritative,  

I thought,  it could only be You.

What is love?  

The Voice asked and when I hesitated, answered: 

It is Need. 

And because for each that Need is unique, it is hard. 

Love is not therefore meeting every Need 

but rather willing  

and wanting  

and never completely succeeding. 

For the True Purpose of Life

is to wish to see another happy. 

It that all? I asked Is that what Love is?  

No, it is more.

It is Peace. 

The chance to breathe unimpeded,  

without Resentment. 

To unmask Self without Fear.  

To be truly Naked in your Trust. 

To know that if mistake  

is made, it will not be registered indelibly in  

the great Black Book of MISDEEDS. 

Paraded at every Opportunity,

the very page tapped with one accusing finger.

Everyone makes mistakes, 

I interrupted.

Of course! You are not a stupid person, normally. 

Try to understand The Cause.  

And you must also learn to ignore  

petty Hurts

though don't deny Pain. 

That is a False Step that leads to the very  

Death of Love. 

Call it by its True Name, 

then Forgive no matter how difficult 

and also ask to be Forgiven.

Pain is not always so simple, I responded, 

nor forgiveness easy. 

Did I not say so?  

Test the Truth of each Decision, again and again. 

And then, make Amends. 

But only in the Way most Valued by the Other. 

And do so with Love. 

With no thought Of Gain. 

And if you find that It is 

Beneath Your Dignity to do so, then ask yourself, 

do you truly Love?

What is love?  What is love? 

I asked and asked  and asked myself  

when You had gone. I still don't entirely know. 

But isn't that the Right of it?  

The Truth of it? 

Not to be perfect or Expert 

or to vainly seek Perfection in Another 

but to be Open and Willing and genuinely Seeking, 

not in the beginning,  

nor in the middle, 

not even at the very End

but FOREVER?          I think so.         Perhaps.        Yes, I truly think so.