Bitter Love

Bitter love, a violet with its crowns,

Of thorns in a thicket of spiky passions,

Spear of sparrow, corolla of rage: how did you come

To conquer my soul?

Why did you pour your tender fire

So quickly, over my life’s cool leaves?

Who pointed the way to you? What flower,

What rock, what smoke showed you where I live?

Because the earth shook—it did--, that awful night;

Then dawn filled all the goblets with its wine;

The heavenly sun declared itself;

While inside, a ferocious love wound around

And around me—till it pierced me with its thorns, its sword,

Slashing a seared road through my heart.

-Neruda