definition of love

- 2013 mixed media on paper -

Early this morning I woke up wanting to define all the various forms of love...and then stumbled upon this poem by my beloved Hafiz:

"Love is grabbing hold of the Great Lion's mane

And wrestling and rolling deep into Existence

While the Beloved gets rough

And begins to maul you alive.

True Love, my dear,

Is putting an ironclad grip upon

The sore, swollen balls

Of a Divine Rogue Elephant

And

Not having the good fortune to Die!"

- HAFIZ (c.1320-1389)