Three Little Words Poem by Dónall Dempsey

“I love you! ”
she says
(and doesn’t mean it) .

“I love you! ”
he says
(loving only himself) .

“I love you! ”
they say
(lying to each other) .

“I love you! ”
she says
(and it’s true) .

“I love you! ”
he says
(and it’s not true)

“I love you! ”
she says
(meaning not a word of it) .

“I love you! ”
he says
(meaning everything) .

He loves her but
she doesn’t love him.

She loves him but
he doesn’t love her.
He loves her best friend Jean
who loves Jim who only loves him.

He loves. She loves.
They love.

Surely somehow somewhere someone
says:

“I love you! ”
and a voice answers
“I love you! ”

And both
mean it.