j'aime

Title: Paris in the rain

A rainy day in 1989 - kla4067

Title: Your kisses are wasted on me

Somewhere in Paris, very late - delgoff

Title: Dosineau, Les amoureaux de Paris

Photo de Robert Doisneau, 1950, Paris - ginieland

Happy Valentine's Day!

image credits: kla4067, delgoff, & ginieland

on the eve of santo valentino...some neruda

Sonnet XVII
by Pablo Neruda

No te amo como si fueras rosa de sal, topacio
o flecha de claveles que propagan el fuego:
te amo como se aman ciertas cosas oscuras,
secretamente, entre la sombra y el alma.

Te amo como la planta que no florece y lleva
dentro de sí, escondida, la luz de aquellas flores,
y gracias a tu amor vive oscuro en mi cuerpo
el apretado aroma que ascendió de la tierra.

Te amo sin saber cómo, ni cuándo, ni de dónde,
te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:
así te amo porque no sé amar de otra manera,

sino así de este modo en que no soy ni eres,
tan cerca que tu mano sobre mi pecho es mía,
tan cerca que se cierran tus ojos con mi sueño.

Translation:

I do not love you as if you were the salt-rose, topaz
Or the arrow of carnations that propagate fire.
I love you as certain dark things are loved,
Secretly, between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms
But carries in itself the light of hidden flowers.
And thanks to your love, darkly in my body
Lives the dense fragrance that rises from the earth.

I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you simply, without complexities or pride.
I love you in this way because I know no other way of loving
But this, in which there is no I or you.
So intimate that your hand upon my chest is my hand,
So intimate that when I fall asleep, it is your eyes that close.

No one has ever said it better.

image credit: dailynorthwestern

amour doux

"Thou art to me a delicious torment" - Ralph Waldo Emerson

image credit: nicolas*

love letters

Passages from the many love letters written between my great-great-grandfather and great-great-grandmother before their marriage in September, 1896

Conway, Arkansas
Saturday Morning, December 28, 1895

Darling Eugenia,

....You are to be in all life the dearest of all mortals to me and I shall trust you more. I could never trust anything to any other woman. To you I can trust all things. In your intellect and your judgment I have confidence. In your true heart I have all trust for I don't think it will ever falter. When adversity comes upon us I think I can turn to Eugenia, my wife, and find a heart still true. Need I ever fear that you will be afraid of the darkest time that ever comes into a mortals life? But I think if I could see you and hear you, you would say, "Need you?". All the people shall like us for your sake. Should we ever attain to distinction, it will be because you are brave and true. Without that I think I shall fail. With you ever cheerful, ever hopeful, I don't think I shall fail. I miss you now. All day I have been in my room and have devoted the day to writing this letter. I shall not be lonely any more when I have you. Life will all be bright then, for you will be my life. Into the future we look. Next September life shall begin aright. To avoid being lonely until then I shall fill the time with honest work. Then life and work will be light with you. More than I have ever told you, I love you now....

Willie


Conway, Arkansas
Sunday Night, February 28, 1896

My Darling Eugenia,

....Today while reading my Latin, I would stop and think of you. Then I would work harder. I remember that you said to me, "I do all for you. I work hard in my school for you." Dear, if I have power to do anything in the world, I'll do it for you. If all other incentives to work were gone, I would work earnestly for you, because I know you love me so much and that your heart would break if I were to fail. I know you love me and I know I love you.........Darling, I do not fear that we will fail. We may never reach great heights either in honor, social position, or wealth. But we will accomplish something for the world. We will build for us a home in which love shall rule. Into the schoolrooms where we go, we will carry an effort to make men and women, and teach them to live life in reality......I love you better than when the last time I signed myself

Willie.

image credit: kevinzim

c'est l'amour

"There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness." - Friedrich Nietzsche

image credit: foundphotoslj

how do i love thee, let me count the ways

As cupid's day quickly approaches, Organicstyle.com is a great source for eco-friendly gifts and beautiful organically-grown flowers for your love bunny. I love their charity bouquets, which give part of the proceeds to various charities associated with each bouquet. The flowers are packaged with a lot of care & arrive mostly closed so your recipient can enjoy the full life of the bloom. I heart Organic Style.

image credit: Organic Style