I Do Not Love You.

Sonnet XVII

"I do not love you"

I do not love you as if you were salt-rose,

or topaz,

or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off....

I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,

in secret,

between the shadow and the soul.

I love you as the plant that never blooms

but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;

thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance,

risen from the earth,

lives darkly in my body.

I love you without knowing how?

or when?

or from where?

I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;

so I love you because I know no other way

than this:

where I does not exist,

nor you,

so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,

so close that your eyes close as I fall asleep... - Pablo Neruda