ROMANTIC (DUET): "TWO LOVERS' DIALOGUE" BY TOBI AJAKAYE AND VINCENT HOSU

She 

Either white or black... Will you stay loyal as the swan?

What is your definition of Amor? Is it a feeling, or mere attraction?

Is it Agape, Ludus, Pragma, Philautia, Mania, Philia, or Eros?

Let it be clear; communicate effectively. So when next you say Amor, Express your thoughts better.

Did you learn Amor from the deer, The penguin, the swan, or the bear?

If closeness is what you seek, Then perhaps learn from the swan.

He

I once heard a lie,

That the beautiful ones are not yet born."

I first thought it was true, 

Until I met you.

Either white or black,

This love won't crack.

It's never a mere attraction,

Rather, a deep affection.

Should I still come clear,

Or my words are simple riddles you can bear?

She

Come clear...

I am demanding.

If this Amor

is more than a fleeting attraction,

then let it breathe through your actions.

Your words

pierce my heart,

yet I will not follow

a path that leads

neither to Life

nor to Light.

Love,

if true,

must be a verb—

not a moment,

but a continuation.

For in my world,

a man does the tracing;

his footsteps

must finish

what his lips

have begun.

He

Hear me, damsel.

My words are true 

So is my love.

My lips don't mince words that my feet can't walk. 

I tell you this day that

My words are nothing but the truth.

I won't say it 

If I can't do it.

Even the heavens bear me witnesses.

God forbid that my leg walk against my words.

This amor I tell you,

Is not a mere attraction,

I do adore thee 

Shall I take thee to the moon?

Shall I kill the fattest Lion for thee?

This way I can prove 

That my actions match my words.

She

The fattest lion, I need not.

A trip to the moon—What for?

Perhaps, A honeymoon I'd prefer.

Take my hand, 

And let us walk down the aisle, 

So the truth may be revealed,

Not only to me, 

But to the world

That you chose me,

And that you love me.

He

(Smiles in eternal joy)

As it pleases you, My Queen.

© Tobi Ajakaye and Vincent Hosu.

- Nigeria 

The poem presents a heartfelt dialogue between a man and a woman as they explore the true meaning of love (amor). The woman questions whether his feelings are genuine or merely based on attraction, urging him to define the kind of love he professes and to prove it through consistent actions rather than romantic words. She emphasizes that real love is not fleeting but enduring, rooted in truth, commitment, and a life guided by integrity.

In response, the man assures her that his love is sincere and unwavering. He declares that his words align with his actions and promises never to make commitments he cannot fulfill. Although he offers grand gestures to prove his devotion, the woman rejects extravagant displays, expressing instead that the greatest proof of love is a lifelong commitment through marriage. The poem concludes with the man joyfully accepting her wish, affirming his readiness to walk with her into a shared future.

Overall, the poem teaches that authentic love is defined not by passionate declarations or dramatic sacrifices, but by faithfulness, honesty, and the willingness to translate words into lifelong commitment.