The beads of sweat stung his eyes as his breath tried mightily to meet his demand. He was exhausted, the pain in his body screaming in utter delight, the strain on his mind battling his will like a champion slayer.
Then he heard it. Her voice entered the furthest reaches of his Universe. That whispered breath breathed life where none could be found, and gave him strength when he thought for sure he had been beaten.
That is love.
We drag ourselves through thicket and thorn, through peril and pain, through hell and high water at the beck and call of an indescribable spark that is not created by us, but in us. We scale tall mountains, overcome deep-seated fears, and battle demons that once appeared invincible and merciless in search of that cool whispered voice that reminds us of who we never thought we could be. We find ways to overcome and to bear the weight of the crosses of our own design just to spend a moment in the cool spring sunlight or to feel the refreshing rain upon our skin.
That spark, that whisper, that rain; that is love.
Ask what we feel when we are in the presence of our Lover and words escape us. Ask what it is that truly inspires us to rush by her side when she calls, or to face our fears with such reckless abandon and we will sit in silence trying to find the answer. Ask what it is that truly turns us on about our Lover and we will stutter and stammer our way to something that only makes sense to an idiot.
That absence of language, that silence, that inability to think; that is love.
Nothing reminds you of the beauty of your Lover than her absence. Nothing reminds you of the awesome taste of love than those periods of separation from it. Nothing reminds you of the comfort of your Lover’s hand in yours then when your hand is empty. Nothing reminds you of the refreshing breeze of love then when that air is stagnant.
That is the love of aloneness. It is a time when you can remember, a time when you can truly cherish the Lover who is waiting for you. Be patient and she will come. Be honest and she will see your truth. Be real and she will know your reality. Find peace in your aloneness and you will find peace in your Lover’s embrace.
That truth, that reality; that is love.
We often focus on what love is not. We focus on the fear of our loneliness. We focus on the absence of another. We focus on the loss. We focus so much on the weeds that we begin to hate our own beautiful, bountiful garden. We seek to fill the void with such devotion that we only deepen it. We forget who we are because we lose sight of our Selves and, in turn, only remember who we are not.
That aloneness, that garden, that focus; that is love.
When she comes we are not ready. When she arrives we are unkempt, unprepared and unfocused. We will love false prophets in our mess, and we will lose sight of her. Gone off into the fog she disappears, and often we never knew how close she was. We get lost in the sea of desire, of false needs, of bitter fruit and forget the sweet taste of the nectar that is truth. A false hand in our own does not make it full. A bitter taste in our mouths will not satisfy our true hunger. We will cry out in the night for her but she will not come; our heart is already full even if we feel its emptiness.
She will come when you are ready. Prepare now as if you are preparing for a guest of your highest importance. Pick up the trash that is in your mind. Sweep clean the dust and debris that clutters your heart. Bring sweet fragrance into each corner of your Being. Sit still in patience enjoying the space you have created in what you are, and wait. She is coming and she is looking for that place you have created.
That cleanliness, that space, that sweet fragrance; that is love.
Your work now is in preparing. Close the doors of the rooms that are clean and do not return. Free yourself from the bars and chains of your own design and fly free through the air. Dance readily in the open fields and find the absolute truth within you. Do not look outside, stay inside. Do not fear companionship but do not need it either. That is when you know you are free, when the need vanishes. Do not fear your empty hand but rather fill it with a tool of creation. If you are a sculptor then sculpt. If you are a carpenter then build. If you are a writer then write. If you are a Lover then love until your truth is revealed to you in the glory of a tingle that invades your spine.
You will know your Lover because her language will not be in words. Your heart will beat her song. Your skin will rise in her presence. Your breath will be stolen from your chest. Her lips will taste like the juices of heaven. Her embrace will embolden you. Her touch will show you to the gates of Heaven until you finally enter that paradise. There, you will need for nothing, ask for everything, and receive all that you have asked for.
That song, that taste, that sweet place of God; that is Love. Stay in that place, and let not Earth or hell steal it from you. Melt into her, and allow her into you. Stay there, always, and find no place you else you need be. Be present and remember. Love your Self and remain free.
That is Love, and that is where you belong.