Dum spiro spero: While I breathe, I hope.

Amor animi arbitrio sumitur, non ponitur.
Nunc scio quid sit amor
Dum spiro, sperabo...amor gignit amorem

'We choose to love; we do not choose to cease loving.
Now I know what love is…
While I breathe, I will hope… that love begets love.'

----

We choose to love; we do not choose to cease loving, and I cannot.

You are my madness and psychosis.

You are the memory of my summer days.

That old love is gone
And I am not sure of ever loving her

For in those last days of adventure,
I encountered something new
And that new thing crushed me
And left me shattered

I encountered you…
After I was left broken,
Like so many fragments of glass,
dusty on the kitchen floor

I am forever glad you came to sweep me up.

----

Now I know what love is…

Love. That old friend I had never seen.

Love. Who never visited.

Love. Who I challenged.

Love. Who I blasphemed.

...all the memories of my blasphemy;
Against love, before love, enthralled, in love,
They brush against me

Again,
Like so many fragments of glass
…powdered to turn my face white

Love, that old friend I had always reserved a seat for,
who never came to the table

That friend I thought I cared for,
who left me in free-fall

Love, now I know you.

----

While I breathe, I will hope…
I will swing,
From one to another of your qualities
For you are a rope of dazzling things.

And you are my kindred tie.

The sun permeates wonder
And wonder explodes in my eyes
So that half the time I cannot see
But, lo betide,
You come to me
You see for me.

You always hold the sun at a safe distance.

----

While I breathe,
I will ‘wear the gold hat’
and bounce higher than high.

And I will love,
And hope in love,
that love begets love.

Dum spiro, spero.

© Ephraim Luwemba