Spread love

            Okay, sure. Valentine’s Day is a commercial, constructed holiday. Still, is it ever a bad thing to show people how much you love them?
            When I was a young mom, in addition to composing an annual love poem for Jonathan I started a practice of writing each of my children a bit of verse for Valentine’s Day. Over the years my complement of children has grown (4 kids, 4 in-laws, and a granddaughter). Nine poems is daunting, so my new practice is to pay tribute to the whole gang with one new composition. I thought I'd  cast the net even wider and spread the love to all of you.
            Here is this year’s submission:


Spread love
(a love poem for my family - Valentine’s Day 2021)
 
Before you spread your avocado mash upon your toast,
spread some love upon the ones you care about the most.
 
Remember as you spread some peanut butter on your bread,
spread your love to little ones with pats upon their head.
 
Instead of spreading gossip or the latest nasty rumor,
spread a loving attitude with laughter and good humor.
 
Spreading lies or hate or fear does damage to the brain.
Cultivate more love; it magically allays the pain.
 
Cast your seeds of love as far and wide as they can go.
Watch as love starts taking root, its urge to spread and grow.
 
While folding back the spread that keeps you warm in bed tonight,
spread your heart with loving thoughts to help your dreams take flight.
 
Listen: someone in the world is spreading love to you.
Their arms spread wide, they clasp you close and fill you, through and through
 
with all the hopes and dreams you harbored since your life was new,
to reassure you, love’s alive, and strong, and fierce, and true.