As her pupils involuntarily dilate,
butterflies squirm excitedly in her stomach
and her heart rate soars
whenever he is near.
And when he isn't,
her body desperately craves his touch,
whilst her (somewhat sensual) thoughts
are of nothing else in the world but him.

Is this love? or lust?

When he catches a glimpse of her
an uncontrollable tingling erupts somewhere,
- and I think you know where -
as he shoots darting glances her way.
In her absence, irrepressible fantasies
race through his mind,
the blood pulsing heavily through his veins;
wild and on fire at the thought of being with her.

Is this love? or lust?

Both are compelling and all-consuming
and they sometimes merge together,
but they are different emotions.
They should not be mistaken for each other.

Sometimes I feel that the word love
is said too much
or carelessly thrown around
and this makes me sad.

It should be used carefully
so that it doesn’t lose its meaning
or value.
It should remain powerful.

Hormones and desire fuel
lust
but it is not the same as
the more passionate and
unconditional emotion of
*love.