I need to know the name of the author of this poem and possibly where I can find the rest, if there is more, of this poem. Any help would be greatly appreciated!! A million thanks.



I do not love you as if you were salt rose, or topaz.
Or the arrow of carnation 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.
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, I fall asleep.



Post Edited (03-24-04 07:23)

It is by Pablo Neruda. Sometimes referred to as the poem from "Patch Adams".

"Love Sonnet XVII" (1959), Pablo Neruda (1904 - 1973). Born Neftalí Ricardo Reyes Basoalto. Chilean writer, diplomat and politician. Awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature 1971. Several versions exist, depending on the translator; this particular version is translated by Stephen Tapscott:

Thank you guys so much!! I did end up finding it by myself. Pablo Neruda is actually a pretty good poet. Thanks again!