“I love you.”
What do you hear
When I say these three words?
What images do they conjure,
What emotions do they permeate,
Are these words adequate?

I have whispered, written
These words… for you… to you.
I have done so at every moment
That required these words
Still I wonder…
What do they mean to you.

Allow me to expand,
To explain what I mean
When I speak the words,
“I love you.”

My heart races
As my thoughts become focused on you
When I am graced
By your presence.
My eyes have a craving
For only you.
I want to embrace you
And keep you safe in my arms.

I yearn to know
What the rain feels like to you
When it falls down and soaks you
While we stand together in the storm
Holding each other.

I beg to discover
What the flowers smell like
When you accept them from me
And examine their fragrance.

I lust to understand
How you feel
When I hold you in my arms,
When we kiss.
Do you feel the same way I do?

I desire to wake up in the morning
To see you,
To listen to you breathe
And feel the warmth
That your body exudes.

I wish to hold your hand
As we walk together,
As we talk.
I want to watch you
Perform simple tasks.

I pray to know your thoughts,
Feel your emotions.
I want to be with you…
Every waking moment of my life.
I need to feel your presence
When I sleep.

I wish that you bear my children.
I want to watch you, be with you
Throughout the stages of pregnancy.
I want to be there when OUR children are born.
I choose us to grow old together.
I appeal to you to be a part of my life.

I hunger to take away
Your pain,
Your anguish.
I thirst to listen
To your concerns,
Your laughter.

I lose myself
In your smile,
In the ecstatic shivers
That you touch awakens
In my flesh.

My ears ache to hear
Your voice,
Your taunting laughter.
When you call my name,
I am fulfilled.

I want to know
So much more
But most of all…
Are these words adequate?