Love Language
Eat me with your words,
Caress me with your thoughts,
Let your eyes be the cords
That tie my soul up in knots.
When I first picked up Kalpesh Desai’s Jasmines in Her Hair, I expected it to be a challenging read. As a writer who enjoys deep dives into expansive narratives, poetry is not usually my first choice, much less a poetry collection that traces love from its earliest stirrings to the reconciliation of finding a soulmate. Yet the more I read, the more I found myself moving through the pages with ease. Not because I wanted to finish quickly, but because I was completely immersed in the imagery and emotions the book offered.
The depth of love and passion within the poems surprised me. I rarely gravitate toward romance-heavy genres, but I have always been drawn to writing that paints vivid pictures and stirs the imagination. I found myself swooning alongside Desai’s verses, some of which reminded me uncomfortably well of how I become when I am deeply, passionately in love.
Lilith
Can't you see
What you're doing to me?
My thoughts in ruins
My brain's a-brewin'
And this heart
That's torn apart.
The poem Lilith felt especially familiar. It captured a feeling I have known well, that overwhelming affection that consumes both mind and body. I have always worn my heart on my sleeve, unafraid to admit how deeply I feel. This poem spoke directly to that part of me. Have you ever adored someone so much that it felt physical? The nervous jitters, clammy hands, the racing heartbeat. That sense of wondering whether the other person even realizes the effect they have on you, when all they have done is exist or glance your way. The emotions become so intense that it feels as though your body might tear itself apart.
As much as I could go on about the romance captured in this collection, what truly surprised me was how unafraid the book is to explore desire in its raw, carnal form. There is no shame in wanting someone deeply, yet it remains a topic many forms of media shy away from. Seeing it addressed so openly was unexpected, but refreshing. One such example comes from the poem below.
Dinner
When we make love,
You don't call my name,
And yet, I hear you loud and clear.
When I devour you, your demons I tame.
With my lips,
Every edge of your frame I sear.
And if they see the wanton lust
In our eyes,
There'll be no difference
Between you and I.
This poem is far tamer than the one that follows it, titled Breakfast, but the point remains clear. These moments of desire are treated with honesty and ease. While the sudden openness may cause a bit of whiplash, it is never gratuitous. Instead, it reinforces what the collection is ultimately about: the evolution of a relationship. The tenderness, the intensity, the conflict, and the longing that come with choosing to share your life with someone.
Jasmines in Her Hair carries an abundance of heart. It understands love not only as something gentle and romantic, but as something deeply human. A passage from When You Wake Up captures this sentiment beautifully, and feels like the perfect place to end:
“And I want you to know
that as long as
we're engulfed in these feelings,
this will always be love.”
By Frances Arwen Samonte