Love Poem: The Choice
Matthew Wetter Avatar
Written by: Matthew Wetter

The Choice

It's not about love, not about hate.
It's the promise of two that one can negate.
It's not about dark, not about light
It is about peace found after a fight.
It's not about courage, nor about fear
It's less about far and more about near.
It's heavy as stone and light as feather
Not growing as one but growing together.
It's about protecting our own, each other's child,
It's giving up choice about being tame or wild.
It's not about whether I'm ready or not
It's not about ceremony or giving a shot
At happy, and sad and nightmares and dreams
It's less than everything but more than it seems
Family is forever, even if you leave
So protect those to whom you cleave.
Love boundless and wild and free
Loving others is more than just loving me.
Make me believe the impossible’s real
To forget this pain ever was real.
Show me a future that's full and bright
Where even the shadows are full of light.
When all is lost, when abandoned and dying
Show me hope in your eyes unlying.
Deathless be love, even if pain
Arouses weakness to leave me again.
Strength is in weakness, so offer your hand
To make this, my heart's bastion, last stand.
When I'm lost, fend off damnation
When I'm found, be thou salvation.
Ask of me less, inspire me to be more
Forgive me my failings, yet lead me to shore
When drowning at sea and surrounded by sharks,
Aim not to kill, but never miss your marks.
So ask, if you dare, to walk the path imperiled
And collar my finger with gold unsterile’d.
Take no water along to the desert you cross
Nor provisions to the wasteland, nor your loss...
Sacrifices dear that cannot be undone.
The desires you seek, after which you run
Are mirages, rainbows, uncaught, unsung,
And I'm not who you think you see.
I'm not noble, no hero, just me.
The answer you seek may be your greatest loss
So carefully weigh your life's cost.
What am I worth broken, or worse, ag’in thee?
Is your life still better with bitter in me?
If me at my worst beats not you at your best,
And temptation’s lures no longer test
Your wishes for a life of love and and content
If owning swamp beats the penthouse’s rent
If joining to me means losing your breath
If loving me staves off soul-death
And only when you've nothing left to lose nor gain
If honoring me keeps you yet sane
When the disease without cure has beaten you back,
You cannot retreat, take cover, nor attack
When asking has been aching heavy on your soul
And you see mine, too, has been betrayed and you know
The answer is yes, then is plain to see
Then, only then, may you kneel and ask me.