My Idea Of A Love Letter Has Changed Over Time…

Also titled, A Billet-Doux. In this poem, the author narrates how her idea of love has changed over the years, from sweet nothings to everyday actions that matter. 

Also titled, A Billet-Doux. In this poem, the author narrates how her idea of love has changed over the years, from sweet nothings to everyday actions that matter. 

When I was sixteen,

I received love letters

From a boy who thought

Life would be better

If I were by his side

Today, I’m 41.

And no, I’m not married

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to that boy or any other

My idea of a love letter

has changed over time

 

I think of a love letter

As not a promise with words

But the actions of a devoted husband

Who shows his wife what love means

By waking up at dawn to cook her meals,

To take her to the hospital when she’s ill

And be with her through thick and thin

In the way he drives 20 miles

To pick up something of hers he left behind

 

A man who stays through all the fights

And doesn’t keep one foot at the door

Is so much more genuine than one

Who promises the world through his words

But retreats when push comes to shove

I guess I have grown up and seen the world

To understand the finer nuances of love

That makes its presence felt

Without penning a single word.

Image via Unsplash

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About the Author

Aishwariya Laxmi

Aishwariya Laxmi is a writer, editor, blogger, and poet living in Chennai, India. She blogs on https://aishwariyalaxmi.com/ and has a substack newsletter. Her poems and flash fiction have been published in 43 anthologies read more...

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