Valentine’s Day. 2016.

Due to circumstances outside my control (AKA: mystery fainting for two weeks now), I am not only late on my blog post, but didn’t manage to finish the one I planned to post about knowing your target audience.

Rather than skipping a week, I have decided to post a poem for Valentine’s Day.

I know many of you don’t like Valentine’s Day, for various reasons, however I always have. It’s so kitschy and a fantastic excuse to do something outrageous to embarrass your loved ones in public. Like show up at their work dressed only in balloons. Or that year I posted everyone packets of instant mac’n’cheese with romantic cards attached.

This poem is probably a little sincere for my usual brand of Valentine’s Day fun. Hopefully it has merit anyway.

Definitely

It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard,

I definitely don’t love you. Not today.

Not ever.

Except for those moments,

When the sun is up.

I definitely don’t love you,

Unless you are laughing.

And when you smile at me and your eyes light up.

But only then.

Even if someone told you it was true,

I definitely don’t love you.

Even if I said it. Even if I look at you,

Like you were the moon.

I definitely don’t love you.

Except when you are thinking,

And your brows crease.

I don’t know how anyone can look so serious,

About something I said in jest.

I definitely don’t love you.

Except for those moments,

When the sun is gone, and the sky is dark.

Because you are the light.

The only light.

Even if I could love you,

It would only be while that song is playing.

Or when you are so passionate,

You have forgotten you are shy.

And those times you make the right choice,

Even when you don’t want to. You grit your teeth

And do good.

Maybe someone told you,

That I love your salute.

Or that the things I loathe in others,

Are somehow charming in you.

But that would be a lie.

Because I definitely don’t love you.

Definitely not.

- Talitha Kalago. 2016.