They say: love is mysterious, love is beautiful, love is iridescent and glittering, something ethereal and sublime – and hey, who am I to say that it’s not? But for most of us, being the imperfect obsessive creatures that we are, love has a little stubby turned up nose like a bat and glinting pointed claws and fur sticking up in spikes. Skittering, scattering, sniffling wily beast, it spends most of its time squealing in excitement and poking you when you don’t pay enough attention to it. When love is in the air you are sure to find pointy shells tucked under your pillows (even though you live miles away from the sea?!) and shiny buttons pulled from your clothing in small piles in the corners of windows where they can catch the light best. It also enjoys playing – where playing means waiting in hidden places and jumping out to bite your fingers with sharp needle teeth. Love gremlin finds this hilarious and will throw back its head in laughter with your blood still copper crimson on its tongue. 

However, this is not to say that the love gremlin isn’t also as lovely as can be. Its large round eyes are treacle wells, it smells like strawberry and sherbet, and if you sit quietly it will sleep for hours curled up around your neck or under the crook of your arm. 

Love, like anything else that really matters, is just a complicated beast. We choose to keep it.

(Oh, to feel love’s keen sting!).

– Natasha Matsaert

Featured Image Source: Illustration by Natasha Matsaert