Love in Landay

 Love in Landay

     Landay is an Afghan form of poetry, a couplet - nine syllables in the first line and thirteen in

     the second line. Landay has themes of love, grief, homeland, war, and separation. Here is 

     my attempt at seven of them.

To love now, love later, love always?

To learn to love always is why we are on this Earth.

What can stand in the way of true love?

Fear, anger, sadness dissolves in the presence of love.

What is it that diminishes love?

The wise say it is fear that prevents us from loving.

Why is it that we humans have fear?

Fear is a signpost that tells us where we need to grow.

Why is it so hard sometimes to love?

We have been hurt before and built a wall to protect.

The wall of fear is formidable.

Fear protects us from pain but limits our loving life.

It is for us to destroy fear’s wall.

The result, unconditional love.