Still will I love Thee, After Death!
Voices on the page.
"We could stand here debating these two premises into infinity. For surely , as I shall ever say - Love is the binding force of the cosmos - the invisible thread that adheres galaxies to the pulse of the human heart".
" And I will still maintain, that food and snacks are the binding force of the living - the invisible thread that keeps mortals from killing each other before noon".
"You trivialize the sacred. Love is the fire that burns even in the void".
"Snacks are the fire that burns when someone eats the last plantain chip without asking".
"Love transcends hunger".
"Tell that to any mortal at 3 p.m. when their blood sugar drops and they start questioning the meaning of existence".
"Love is infinite. It expands beyond the body, beyond time, beyond the veil".
"Snacks are finite. Which is why mortals fight over them. Which is why they matter".
"You speak as though the stomach is the seat of the soul".
"Have you met humans? Half their spiritual crises begin with 'I haven’t eaten yet' ".
"Love is devotion. Sacrifice. The willingness to give all".
"Snacks are boundaries. The willingness to say, “Touch my cassava chips and you will meet your ancestors early".
"Love is the breath of eternity".
"Snacks are the breath of right now. And right now is where mortals actually live".
"Love is the great metaphysical glue".
"Snacks are the great metaphysical mood stabilizer.
"First Ancestor - You reduce the sacred to crumbs".
"Second Ancestor...Crumbs are sacred. They are the fossils of joy".
"Love is the reason mortals write poems".
"Snacks are the reason mortals finish poems".
"Perhaps… perhaps both forces matter".
"Ah. At last. Balance.
Love fills the heart.
Snacks keep the heart from fainting".
"Shall we strike a bet. Let us look and listen in on one such human interaction".
"You are on - winner gets either soul or snack".
"Deal, I will settle for either".
.........................................
How do I love thee Jakob? Let me count the ways.
Seriously Lizbeth. Why do you still Count love's ways? I can barely count my socks. But go on now, shoo. I need to watch the sports channel.
Thou shouldest not speak to me as if I art just an annoying fly, Jacob. I love thee to the depth, breadth and height my soul can reach. ..When it's feeling out of sight for the ends of being and ideal grace.
Alas, Beth. My soul can only reach the fridge and the liquor bottle. That is what counts with me. I feel out of sight when I lose my glasses. Same vibe.
By the gods, Jak, thou art not listening to me. I am telling you that I love thee to the level of every day’s most quiet need.
OH, for goodness sake, Lizbeth...Quiet is the only thing that I need right now? I need snacks but don’t want to get up - can you get them for me please, I would certainly love you for that.
By sun and candle-light Jakob. Thou art a heartless cad, get your own damn snacks, I hope you choke on it.
But Liz, I love thee by fluorescent kitchen light. Romantic, no?
Jakob...I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee reluctantly, as I strive to do laundry. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise. I love thee messily, as I turn from chores. I love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs.
Beth dear - Try not to love me with the passion you put into complaining about everything.
I once Loved thee with my all of my childhood’s faith, Jacob. But my time spent with thee is darkening my spirit.
And yet you still retain your childhood’s ability to lose every important object...and keep on turning a blind eye to the truth. Dry your tears, it is wasted on me.
How cold hast thou become. I tell thee, I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints. And all thou doeth is scoff and scorn!
I love those dead, lost saints more than thee, but more like the love I lost for kale.
I love thee with the breath, smiles and tears of all my life.
I loved thee for all the sighs, snacks, and naps of all my life. Thou hast been a kind and thoughtful companion.
Jakob, if God so choose, I shall but love thee better after death.
After death? Bold. I can barely love you before lunch......Wha.....what are you doing with the sword, Lizbeth?
I love thee still Jakob. BUT TODAY, I SHALL HAPPILY MURDER THEE!
I love thee Lizbeth! I love the.....NOOOOOOOO!
After death Jakob, after DEATH!
............
"Thus... the universe turns - on longing and on lunch".
Thus... the universe turns - on lunch and on longing.
"Jinx".
Ah, yes.
..............................................................................
Based on:
Poem by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.
How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight For the ends of being and ideal grace.
I love thee to the level of every day’s Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for right. I love thee purely, as they turn from praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use In my old griefs, and with my childhood’s faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose With my lost saints.
I love thee with the breath, Smiles, tears, of all my life; and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.
Sorry, my dear Elizabeth.
About the Creator
Novel Allen
You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. (Maya Angelou). Genuine accomplishment is not about financial gain, but about dedicating oneself to activities that bring joy and fulfillment.
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Comments (2)
I completely agree with John! I laughed a lot in the beginning, and then it started to go a little dark.. but in a great way! I thoroughly enjoyed this and I love your picture choice! Good luck in this challenge!
I laughed way harder than I expected at “crumbs are sacred… fossils of joy,” but then the ending flipped it into something darker in that casual way that sticks. The jump from lofty ancestor banter to that final “after DEATH” with the sword felt like how love arguments actually spiral—funny, petty, cosmic, then suddenly very real. It made me think about how hunger and longing blur together until nobody’s even arguing about the same thing anymore. When you were writing this, did you feel more sympathy for Jakob’s snack logic or Lizbeth’s relentless devotion, or were they always meant to be doomed to miss each other?