“The Color of You”

Before you, there were no colors in my sky.

No story written, no reason why.

The world turned cold,

the days stood still,

I spoke in whispers,

but felt no will.

Before you, I walked without a song.

Carrying a heart that beat all wrong.

The light had left,

my dreams were few,

I was half a soul,

until you.

Then came your voice,

your tender flame,

You called my heart

and spoke my name.

You taught me how to breathe again,

To trust,

to hope,

to love the pain.

*I was inspired to write this poem after listening to the song “Avant toi” (“Before you”) by Vitaa and Slimane.

“When Trust Fades”

She enters his life not to love,
but to wound,
to misuse his heart,
to teach him the ache of regret.

He gives everything:
his loyalty,
his strength,
his sacrifice,
loving without conditions,
without limits.

Yet in return for devotion,
he receives betrayal.
In place of gratitude,
he meets only disrespect.
His kindness,
once offered as a gift,
is mistaken for weakness.

Slowly, trust fades.
Love turns cold,
not because it was ever false,
but because it was broken
in careless hands.

Now he stands, unsure
whether his heart
will ever dare to love again.

Poetry Reading Part 2: From “Poems of the Heart”

Poetry Reading from “Poems of the Heart”

“Poems of the Heart: A Journey Through Love, Longing, and the Soul’s Memory”

It should be evident to many of you that I (“Doctor Lou”) enjoy writing, reading, and sharing my ideas in public. Writing is one of the personal and intimate activities that energizes my thinking-process, and I often take refuge in writing and researching. For me, the art of writing is a safe place, a mental sanctuary.

I am pleased to share that my second poetry book is about to be dropped in December. In the past three years, I have written a series of “love poems,” which I occasionally shared on here, my personal page. Now, I have collected a series of 51 poems in a book form for my personal enjoyment and yours as well—if you have any interest in literature, especially in poetry.

The title of this collection is “Poems of the Heart: A Journey Through Love, Longing, and the Soul’s Memory,” and I’d like to share furthermore three items with you from this coming book: the book cover, the preface, the table of contents. At the moment, the book can be ordered on Amazon, and soon it will be available on any online bookstore.

Take up and read! 📕 🖊️ ✍️

Preface

I do not claim the title of “professional” poet, yet I am drawn to the art of transforming thought into language and words that linger, words that move, words that awaken the heart. Poetry, for me, is an exploration, an adventure of the human soul, and the meeting of the thought-process, and deep emotions. I interpret poetry as a dance with meaning, a way to play with sound, rhythm, and nuance, and a way to touch the emotional landscapes of the human soul, body, and heart.

It appears to me that love poems, in particular, hold a unique power—one that could be both transformative and cathartic. They do more than express emotion, they ignite it. They invite reflection on the transformative nature of love, the ways it deepens our connections, and the ways it can reshape our hearts and minds. A love poem is a bridge to the soul, a subtle reminder that emotion and reason, tenderness and strength, can coexist in a world that often demands one at the expense of the other.

The poems in this collection, “Poems of the Heart: A Journey Through Love, Longing, and the Soul’s Memory,” are my journey made tangible. These poems deal with a variety of topics, including healing, return, memory, loss, fracture, passion, connection, and longing. These poems are the echoes of my thoughts, the rehearsal of my imagination, and the pursuit of understanding what love truly is. In this collection, I attempt to write about love itself, and its challenges, its desires, its healing power. It is not an exaggeration to construe love as resistance and rebellion in a world that profits from human pain and vulnerability. To love is to forgive without losing yourself, to remain tender without sacrificing strength, to honor both the beloved and the shared humanity that binds us all.

Love is not weakness. Love is compassion refined into power. Love is wisdom shaped by care. It reminds us that softness and strength are not opposites, but companions. These poems are an invitation to feel, to reflect, to dream, and to discover a new way of being in the world through the transformative lens of love.

Furthermore, I believe that the only enduring antidote to human violence and hatred in the world is love, and it has always been love. Love, the highest of human virtues, transcends cycles of violence, isolation, oppression, and human degradation. For this reason, if the laws and policies of nations are not framed within an ethic of care and love, they cannot serve the common good nor foster human flourishing in society. True peace demands not only the absence of war, but the active presence of justice, empathy, compassion, and love embedded in both personal relations and national institutions.

The command to love one’s enemy remains the purest expression of peace, friendship, and reconciliation. To treat one’s enemy as oneself is to embrace the very possibility of living harmoniously and peacefully within community and society. When we become stewards of love, we are transformed into peacemakers and builders of a more just and compassionate world.

Our society has scorned the power of love and its significance for human and political relationships. Too often, love (even romantic or sentimental love) is mocked as weakness, stripped of courage, and dismissed as lacking the strength to confront injustice and oppression. In reality, this is the very opposite of love’s true nature and purpose in the human experience, especially between lovers and friends. Love requires profound strength and moral courage. In other words, love is the greatest courage, the fiercest strength, and the truest power.

Others regard love merely as an abstract idea, rather than a lived practice that should guide our relationships, interactions, and engagements. Romantic love has this very meaning; it is a way of being in the world, and it is way of being with someone you care, support, inspire, and empower. Love is more than human sentiment. What we need is to reclaim love as a habit (not as a theory), as truth (not as weakness), a daily discipline, and moral conscience shaping all human activity and practice. Love is a way of life and guiding force of every relationship and human encounter.

Love alone causes human relations to flourish. Love alone upholds human dignity, making it the foundation of any lasting peace and communal living. Love alone is the healing path to restore broken relationships and to set people free. Love alone is the conscience of our world and the true light of democracy and politics.

May this collection of 51 love poems meet you exactly where you are, nourish your sentimental and romantic journey, and gently guide you toward the person you are becoming in this sacred adventure we call love.