How to Write a Subliminal Love Poem

A subliminal message is a message that's hidden or concealed in a blanket statement. The word "subliminal" itself means subconscious or hidden; the message might not, in other words, be immediately clear. When I talk about a subliminal love poem, then, I'm speaking of a poem containing a message of love that may not be apparent directly on the surface. The words of this love poem form are only the top sheets; to get the rest of the message, the real message, you have to slip beneath the sheets and take time to get the full story. And no, I don't use the image of sheets casually. There's little disguising the intimacy of bedding imagery; the blankets and sheets of a bed are almost always associated with warmth, comfort, and love, and that warmth and comfort come only from diving into them and feeling it for oneself. The love in a subliminal love poem is no different.

Step One:

Think of the message you want to share. Try to sum up the message of your love in one simple statement; go for elementary statements, nothing too complicated. For my example, I chose the statement, "I love you lots." Record your message on a sheet of paper. Keep it in mind as you continue!

Step Two:

Write out a list of images that make you think of your message. For example, when I think of "I like you a lot," my mind goes to things that I like a lot. A hot cup of tea. Penguins. A warm bed with thick blankets. As things come to you, write them down. Nothing is too silly or foolish to go on your list! If you're message is, "I think you're swell," and your mind instantly takes you to the word, "Whales," write it down! Keep writing until you have a list from which you can pick a few images you really like to work with. I suggest working on your list for at least three minutes.

Step Three:

Pick one image that says the most to you, the one that applies the most to your simply stated message (or, the one that applies in the most interesting, if even absurd, way to your message). On a fresh page, or on the back of the page you've been working on, start writing out what that image makes you think of. Describe that image in as much detail as you can. You can write your description in poetic form to begin with, or simply write out statements that you'll form into your poem later. Full sentences and fragments are allowed. Work in lists; work in paragraphs . . . Do whatever works for you! The tricky thing for this step is keeping your original message in mind without trying to force the image you're describing to represent that message perfectly. If it helps, avoid using words from your message in your description of your object; instead of saying, "I love you like I love a cup of hot tea", simply describe the tea, the feeling of the heat from the cup, how a sip feels going down your throat, etc.

Step Four:

Take your description of your image, form it into what you think is a great poem, and smack your simple statement at the top as a title. Yes, that's it! Maybe you're thinking, "Wait, that doesn't make any sense! These two things don't really have anything to do with each other!" For those of you with that thought running through your minds, let's look at my example.

My simple statement was "I love you lots." My list included things like: hot tea, snow, rain, thunderstorms, a warm bed, penguins, lava lamps. The image I chose to focus on was (you guessed it) a warm bed. This poem is for a loved one, and although it describes a bed, the intent is that the reader feels the warmth of the bed, and knows it translates into the love I feel for him or her.

"I love you lots"

My bed gets warm when I lay

beneath the sheets for little more than five minutes.

The warmth of my body soaks in: wraps me in comfort.

The blankets and sheets become

the laying on of a thousand soothing hands. My face

presses against cool pillows; the warmth I begin to feel is love.

My toes play at the bottom of the bed;

the sheets tangle them up, tease them with cotton. I'll leave

the warmth for a moment and miss it in colder air. The sun

warms the bed for me during the day.

By night time the sheets have soaked in the rays

and seem to long to share them with me. This warmth

is like a bedtime story.

These sheets are heaven on earth.

Without the knowledge of the intent of this poem, an unsuspecting reader might think they've stumbled upon the writings of someone who really, really likes her bed! The beauty in this form of poetry is that it has a secret and shared message. You could tell your loved one, "This is how I feel because of you," and have that person be the only one who knows that your poem is about him. Share it with the rest of the world, and folks may get warm and fuzzy feelings without realizing the poem's significance; and that's completely okay. There's something that's wonderful about having a mystery behind you and your loved one's love story. Enjoy sharing your love in a "subliminal" way. Love is, after all, considered one of the great mysteries. Let your poem speak to that mystery, and enjoy seeing it revealed through a hidden message you and your loved one can share!