CRISPY FLOTILLA

In THE ZAHIR: A NOVEL OF OBSESSION,

Paulo Coelho said “Love is an untamed force.”

Whether it was because I was tired, or because

I love music, I read “Love is an untamed opera.”

Truly, though, everyone loves music; everyone

is tired. However, not everyone loves opera. Love,

I feel, is the ability to say: I love opera. I imagine

in a way you must feel untamed, or unable to be

tamed, to say such a thing. In a perfect world,

you will discover someone who doesn’t like opera,

but forgives you anyway, for everything, and he,

or she, will say to you: I never think about being

tamed. I once did, but that was long ago,

and then I met you. And I never thought about
meeting you again.

You know, my love, force is a word. Opera isn’t.
That’s what it means to be loved. To love you.
I love opera.