In Love Only With Love (50 words)

A great piece of writing and a question asked by the hopeless romantic time and time again.

Great fifty-worder, and a question I have asked myself many times.

Greg -- beautifully done...and so short! You captured the emotions wonderfully.

You got it in one there Greg. That first adrenalined flush of love - or lust...

Greg, I'm going to be a little more critical than the other respondents (only because I know what you are capable of). I don't like "even the breathing of the wind spoke of passion". It's the "spoke of" part I don't like, it sounds awkward, stilted. Examples of lines I'd prefer: "even the breathing of the wind sighed with passion." "He could see passion everywhere, in the flutter of the leaves, in the blueness of the sky, even wafting on the wind." Also, I don't think most young men (I presume he's young.) think of love in terms of lust. Love is pure, lust is base, and since this is clearly from his point of view, you want to present it as he sees it. Plus, it just doesn't fit with the sort of enchanted tone of the rest of the sentence. He speaks of 'winter's end' and 'flowering' with obvious enchantment. Lust is too bawdy to work here. I also don't like "was this real". I don't know what statements like that are supposed to mean. What is he really asking himself? Isn't he asking himself if he's really in love? Then why not just say that? "But what was he in love with? Susan or love itself?" Only my humble opinion, I hope you take it in the spirit in which it is intended.

Thanks Paul, I find criticism a complement and always (try) to take it in the spirit that it was intended.

I'll rear up and defend my use of the word "lust". The sentence refers to nature and nature is full of lust. Lust is an essential element of love and often the element that generates the most confusion.

Serious questions here...I think he's in love.

Since Paul and Sophie both tripped over the word "lust", I will have to bow the reader. :)

Though, I am still a stubborn cuss, I think lust precedes love. Lust is on us in a flash but love takes time. I think we trick ourselves into mistaking one for the other, and for falling in love for love's sake.

Lust doesn't have the future that love has either. Love lives on forever..real, true love, that is.

Very nice. I like!

great 50 word story a 10!

thanks for sharing

Paul don't go into overdrive, you sound like a psycho-therapist. It's only 50 words and you're tripled it.

and anybody on the rational side of life reacts with questioning, "Is this love?" This is especially true if you've been alone a long time and somebody just knocked your socks off and is half your age.

Greg, I hope you did not take offense. You are a talented writer. Better, I thought, than this piece demonstrated. A writer throws his work out for criticism, and reviewers say this, that and whatever about it, but in the end, it is the wrtier who is the final judge of his work. Go with what you feel is best.

Not at all Paul, I have always valued your criticism.

A good critic helps you bridge the gap between what you hear when you write and what others hear when they read. I may have great ideas in my head, but if the reader doesn't pick them up, I have failed.

I think those who have loved and those searching for it can relate to this 50-worder. Very good!