I have been told every year, for many years now, on Valentine’s Day, to love exactly then more intensely or to love and that’s it, and to gift bonbons to girls, especially expensive flowers, as expensive as possible, on a day that is apparently unique in everyone’s imagination. This imagination was the same for all of them, a sign that it was not imagination at all, but a word-of-mouth rehearsal, or a pretence in which some exaggerated expectations were allowed. I never understood them although I approved of their temporary loss of sanity in their search for love as they did, I did as they did for a while, some good years, mind you. There were times when I was very intrigued by the lack of love after Valentine’s Day, this intrigue was latent in my impoverished words and thinking, because of the idea that love would need an official celebration day, it stood like an unanswered question. Holidays are celebrated with love, love itself is not a reason to celebrate. I’m not being cynical, I’m just an annoyed lover on 14 February because, if I behave differently on Valentine’s Day, the demands will increase from the 15th onwards. I gave them candy and flowers all year round, out of my own feelings, so that on Valentine’s Day I’d be thrown into a guilt-horror among the romance-themed shelves. I try to keep quiet, even to laugh at the candy and flowers offered for the sake of appearances, at some ideas that love needs a special celebration. Everything I do with love is a celebration in itself, without asking for gratitude and without being compelled by pride to flaunt my velvety bonbons and huge bouquet of roses around the neighborhood. Every withered flower that is replaced, no matter what, is love, represents this aspect in the clearest possible way. I understand very well the collective concentration of love, when love brings many people together in one place or for a common purpose, but I don’t understand why more love on Valentine’s Day would be necessary. More love is a trick anyway, love only seems bigger when we let it flow freely inside us, we get bigger, not love. Love declared or offered on fixed dates is not love. It’s not my opinion, the love told me personally that it doesn’t manifest itself according to days but according to truth. So… why don’t you always love like Valentine’s Day? Flowers too expensive? Am I cynical? Or cheap? In many ways, I am. Although I buy flowers all year round, not just a few days a year when I’m misled by misconceptions about love. Either way, go and celebrate love tonight on Valentine’s Day, maybe next year you won’t feel the need to because you haven’t stopped loving and celebrating all year round. Flowers are needed from time to time, bonbons are for children, and… for a hug of pleasure we can always have our arms open. Come on, love is not complicated, she just wants the space in the heart, to be the boss there, that’s all she wants every day.

The complete does not exist
It pretends
A part exists
Only if the complete exists
There is no such thing as loving a woman
Part only exists
With 3 roses in hand
Sitting like a fool
At the wrong gate
That’s why there’s no complete

________________________

FIN

Roberto Palu