love day

the common saying is that it is all commercially-driven to fill up the lull between christmas and easter celebrations. valentine's day is every day, so why waiting for that one-day in a year to express your affection?

i agree, life is not about candy floss romance or tucking teddy bears in bed. prince charming doesn't exist and we should prefer an ordinary human being with sensibilities and feelings, someone who would complement our weaknesses and complete us as a human being.

i'm also mature to know that sometimes love is just not enough to sustain a relationship. being in love is a beautiful feeling but what makes a successful relationship is not just handwritten poems of love but rather compromises, sacrifices and knowing each other well enough.

still, a bouquet of red roses or a box of chocolates can rekindle the spark in a relationship merely by showing that you still care about the small things with which it all started.

thus my idea of a perfect valentine day is lay out the dinner table for my husband and have a friendly chat over a glass of wine. and, of course, i wouldn’t mind the pampering if it happens!

and, from another perspective, isn't the idea of celebrating love pure and beautiful, when the whole world is busy waging war against one another?

happy valentine's day to everyone then! enjoy its beauty and feeling of limerence in the air!

and to you, ALFONSO:

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.

It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.

It promises light

like the careful undressing of love.

Here.

It will blind you with tears

like a lover.

It will make your reflection

a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.

Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,

possessive and faithful

as we are,

for as long as we are.

Take it.

Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,

if you like.

Lethal.

Its scent will cling to your fingers,

cling to your knife.

valentine, by carol ann duffy