Love is a Verb and Actions Speak Louder Than Words

I have always believed love was a verb - an active word - a word that required action, not just quotes. What good does it say to say, "I love you" if there are no actions involved? Do you mean, "I love you but I don't have time for you"? Has the phrase become meaningless like,"Let's do lunch sometime"?

I have tried to teach all of my children that actions speak louder than words. So a recent conversation with one of my grown children was extremely upsetting to me. This child said, "Just because I don't call you doesn't mean I don't love you." Really? Given what this child knows about me and my recent circumstances, it seems odd not to get a quick phone call to say, "How are you, Mom?" I know it's not due to a generation gap because I have other children who understand actions speak louder than empty words.

For decades I have had the following poem hanging on my wall. The author is unknown, but during the '80s and '90s when I had it posted on my Music And Words website, I must have had thirty emails from people claiming to be the author of it. I purchased it during the '70s on a beautiful plaque, and the plaque said the author was unknown. I've searched for years to find if anyone has copyrighted it, which doesn't necessarily mean the copyright holder is the author (example: Happy Birthday Song was copyrighted by a woman who did not write the song). I've found no copyright, so author is still unknown.

I offer it with the invitation to copy it, use it, and live by it. All of us will die someday, and those left behind will treasure the poem.

If you're ever going to love me love me now, while I can know

All the sweet and tender feeling which from real affection flow.

Love me now, while I am living; do not wait till I am gone

And then chisel it in marble-- warm love words on ice-cold stone.

If you've dear, sweet thought of me, why not whisper them to me?

Don't you know 'twould make me happy and as glad as glad could be?

If you wait till I am sleeping, ne'er to waken here again,

There'll be walls of earth between us and I couldn't here you then.

If you knew someone was thirsting for a drop of water sweet

Would you be slow to bring it? Would you step with laggard feet?

There are tender hearts all round us who are thirsting for our love;

Why withhold from them what nature makes them crave all else above?

I won't need your kind caresses when the grass grows o'er my face;

I won't crave your love or kisses in my last low resting place.

So, then, if you love me any, if it's but a little bit,

Let me know it now while living; I can own and treasure it.

(Author Unknown, though many have claimed authorship)

April Lorier is an award-winning poet, writer, Author, Christian Speaker, Columnist, and former music teacher.

As a pastor's daughter and a survivor of severe child abuse, April Lorier has an intimate knowledge of child abuse in and out of the church. She founded COPE, Inc, for the retraining of abusive parents. Her testimony before the CA State Legislature helped with the passage of The Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), signed by Ronald Reagan.