She put before me the carefully prepared plate, the feast of feasts

and she said, 'This is my love.'

And I smiled.

 The dessert was jubilant and she took from the oven pie after pie

and I ate.

 But how to say to her that Love's Substitute is not the meal I eat

nor are the biscuits; it is not the love I crave even though it's the

love she's got to give.

He put before her all the bills paid and a paycheck;

And she said "How to say to him that Love's Substitute is not the money or the gifts. It is not the love I crave even though its the love you have to give."

"If our Love Train passes in this night who to say where those passing trains will curve back and meet at some future point perhaps?" 

She says 'I understand what you are saying but I can only give you the love I have to give.'

 And I say 'But I need the love I need to have.'

 But try as we may dinner is good, so good and prepared with so much love but again, I think it is not the love of which I have dreamed even though it is the love she has to give.

But try as we may gifts do not a lover make.

 So loving her as I do over the years I have eaten too much for my own good; rather than see her love go unrewarded but noticed too that her love also grew around my waist- until the doctor told me I had to change my diet.

So try as she may, gifts were not her childhood prince charming.

This is the measure of how we take the love sometimes offered out of love even though it might not be all of what we need, crave or should take or even of what we have dreamed, 

 And this is the measure of how much we love, sometimes beyond what is ultimately good for us. 

This is the the major issue in any love affair, married or dating, or single.

Will this love in the long run be good for me, even if I am willing to drink of it? 

 This is the largest question.

 Why love someone whom you might love deeply but simply being around them makes you feel bad about your self? 

 Why love someone merely because they love you? 

 Why love someone merely because you have a need to love? 

Why love someone because everyone else has found someone, and you haven't yet? 

 Why love someone who gives you what you need but you know you don't give them what they need? 

 All these are the basics of love and the basics of long-term happiness I think.

Finding that right mix is rare and precious and should be whole-heartedly embraced -if it is anywhere in proximity. So, we see in the end, love for most will be true , false or mixed.

But, humans being humans, we can move mountains and find middle ground and learn from each other.

I learned to eat but healthier, learned to know what love was to my partner and sought to make adjustments, left friendships that were too one-sided, learned to see the signs that any relationship that did not make me feel good about myself was a bad relationship, even if the other person was not at fault at all.

These are the ways of life, few of us are born for one another, this is something we create with love, sensitivity, work, effort and again, love.