Over/Under: Love by Aerik Francis

Love is overrated. 

Sure, I love love. 

Love can be lovely 

But love is overrated. 

Love or lack thereof 

Cannot be an excuse 

To hate, as if hate 

Is the opposite of love– 

Hate loves love– 

Love loves hate– 

Hate fucks love– 

Love fucks back– 

A love-hate relationship 

Both too much & not enough. 

Love is too much not enough. 

Love is overrated, any kind 

(Romantic love, puppy love, 

Platonic love, familial love, 

Self-love) is overrated. 

I don't need 

To be loved to be. 

Many have to be

Without love, need 

More than love to be 

But still loving love, 

Still love to be loved, 

Would love to be loved– 

If love was more than 

An answer, if love wasn’t 

Weaponized– if it truly was freedom. 

Love may not be enough 

But you are. But I am. 

We are enough. 

We are enough for now. 

Not enough, often, for us. 

Not enough, often, for the world. 

Not enough, often, for love: Love is not enough for us. 

We may not be enough for love 

But we are enough for now. 

& now is underrated– 

Now is right now.

Aerik Francis (they/them) is a Queer Black & Latinx poet & teaching artist born & based in Denver, CO. Aerik is the author of the poetry chapbooks BODYELECTRONIC (Trouble Department 2022) and MISEDUCATION (New Delta Review 2023). Their third poetry chapbook BODYPOLITIC is forthcoming in 2026 with Abode Press. Find more of their work on their website phaentompoet.com and find them on social media @phaentompoet