The Buffet of Love

Love. A paradoxically simple yet complex word. Only four letters, but comprises much substance. 

You may ask why. Love leaves involves a myriad of emotions. It allows people to experience a multitude of feelings, including vulnerability, rejection, and insecurity. An entity of ironhttps://vocal.media/poets/the-buffet-of-lovey, love also fills us with bliss and gratitude. 

It is also complex because each person has different perspectives and experiences regarding love. Thus, expectations vary. While some associate it with joy, dread and sorrow overcome others. Romeo and Juliet had a tragic encounter with love while marriage is a time of joy for many couples. 

Love is a challenge to express. For some, it simply means a show of concern for another. Others require grand gestures to be convinced that others love them. Some people are not capable of romantic proposals or over-the-top Valentine’s Day presents. Instead, they turn to simple displays of concern -they prepare filling dinners for the ones they love. 

Then there is timing. Love happens at unexpected times and places. A classic example of this is when two people of diametrically opposite characters get married. My husband and I hail from dissimilar backgrounds – he belongs to a traditional Chinese family while I have Westernized Peranakan (Straits Born Chinese in Singapore) roots. We’ve been married for a quarter of a century. 

Everyone brings a different facet of love to an over-filled buffet table. Enjoy this little sonnet. 

The Heart’s Buffet

The heart’s buffet, a wealth of cuisine,

A mix of dishes, wealth of food

Something for all, it would seem

Still much to be understood

Buffet table, from different points viewed

Blissful cuisine for some

For others flavors askew

That make the tastebuds numb

Love’s table, from end to end so long

To speak is to shout

Whatever’s said will emerge wrong

And leave players in a pout

The food comes at different times

Some not opportune

With loved one, one does not rhyme

And may sing out of tune

A buffet of love, varied but sweet

But for some, may never meet.