The Larvae of Love
I feel it, under my skin.
I feel it, eating me alive.
I feel it, do you not see it?
The Larvae of love.
I cannot help but bite into your apple.
You seduce me with your shamelessness.
I bite, and staring back at me
is my halved desire;
The Worm of love.
I go through my days, distracted.
I go through my days clutching my head, a man in grief.
I go through my days, spreading my affliction.
I go through my days, spreading the Lice of love.
This is my life.
Love has taken root and sprouted within me.
Flesh-eating,
mind-bending,
heart-coiling.
All-consuming.
Love spreads,
in light
and in darkness.
Out of sight,
yet always felt.
All-consuming.
Wouldn't you care for a taste of the Worm?
Wouldn't you care to feed the Lice?
Wouldn't you care to host the Larvae—
The Larvae of Love?
This piece is dedicated to @yahialababidi, to whom I promised there will be a poetry book where this will be the titular poem ;-)
I originally wrote only the first stanza, and then wrote the remaining bits later. Did I perhaps lose my way, or focus on the unimportant stuff? For sure. But it made me smile. I could write another poem going off of the first stanza, and I just might.
My hope is for this poem to bring a smile to your lips.
Of note, this poem is not inspired by the person all my other love poetry is inspired by. Even if she has infected me with an all-consuming love that leaves me burning up.
Check out my latest posts:
- Steemitschool Poetry Class - Critique Thursday Class #7 - 03/05/18 - Recording and Notes
- Transformation - Poetic prose.
Art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
© Guy Shalev 2018.
Yes, you did bring a smile to these lips :)
What can be finer than being a poet of Love, one who loves, helplessly—lice, worm & All 🐛
Thank you, brother, for the kind dedication & may you keep wriggling & twitching, lyrically ❤️
PS - I await your debut poetry book, with anticipation
:)
Laughter is so good. I don't get to laugh nearly enough. I am glad I could bring a smile to your lips. As you did to mine with those calls of "lurve" that originated this poem :D
That won't be in the debut book, though. The debut book's name was already decided a while ago.
Ah, you have more than one book up your sleeve? Thatta boy!
Yes, laughter saves lives — if I had you in front of me, I’d tickle you silly 🤣
Wishing you light-heartedness, dear Guy, many books and an appreciative audience. Sweet dreams ✨🙇🏻♂️💫
I have less than one book up my sleeve, but I already know what the first will contain, and this poem doesn't fit in it :D
And thank you. Those are all great wishes that are deeply appreciated :)
<3
WOWZA. You captured SO well the ache, the pain, the overwhelming all consuming... FEELS of love. I am left breathless just form reading it.
Thanks Byn!
After writing the first stanza, I wondered where to take it. After I finished writing it, I thought I'd need to write another version at some point, without the humorous side to it, and just make it fully serious.
But even before your comment, I started thinking that it also accomplishes that route, of being overtaken, consumed, by love, and that how humorous or not you read it as is up to you as a reader. Your comment does help me feel like I've succeeded in that.
Thank you :)
Maybe I've been married way too long and maybe I enjoy humor in life, but I thought it was so potent and realistic that even the humor bits fit well for my tastes!
Haha, this is awesome Guy! I don't think I've read a more subversive take on love - you made my skin crawl and my heart reach out all at once.
Glad you liked it, and that it made you chuckle!
I think there are more subversive takes, sadly, they are often serious - choking "love" poems. I've seen them.
But here, it's all about the butterfly wings! After the larvae cocoons and hatches ;-)
And just you wait till you see "My Penis is a Gun," a slightly satirical take on spoken word slam-poetry, which is waiting for someone to have the time and muse to record it before I share it :D
oooh kitteh well written but my OCD has me looking for bugs ...Lice of love -EW! lol noooooooooooo ! Tapeworm of love eating you NOOOOOOOOOOOOO ...gonna have night mares over this one for weeks ...
This silly cat. First he invades your mind as you write poetry, and now as you try to fall asleep. Tsk tsk!
I must admit, every itch making me look for tapeworms and fleas and such is an issue. It rarely is.
Besides, would you rather be bald of love? That'd guarantee you'll never be afflicted with the lice of love :D
You're making it worse Guy .... stop saying lice ...hides under rock ... As for love in my life it has always turned out to come with hidden blades so I truly do not know ...
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