Deciphering Love

I.
They all kept raving, about
Some fiery, rapturous thing:
Listening, then with a child’s ears,
I collected the jigsaw pieces, analyzing
The edges of their words, looking for
Corresponding tabs and recesses.
Desperate to see it all fit—
I wanted the Mona Lisa, but
They gave me a million colored tiles,
Said, “Good luck!”
And walked away instead.

II.
In innocence, love seemed
Quite a violent thing...
You had a crush, perhaps
You fell in love, and then he
Broke your heart.

III.
Rinse, rinse, and repeat.

IV.
I thought it would never happen to me.
Once, I thought I’d best them-
The four-letter words;
I’d swallow them, and be safe
Forever, safe from Time, Fear, Hope, Loss, Pain,
Love.

V.
Life whispered in my ear, sighing
“Don’t be so sure.”
Time met me at the door,
Took my hand, led me up
Steep trails, through thick
Patches of green’s every hue,
Led up through the years, I grew
Into a woman, in love with
Water; Music; Sky; Trees; The Color Blue.
And one autumn day, he came along, and then
We happened—because he loved them, too.