Love Versus Passion

At a certain point in every person's amours,
the question arises:
'Am I in love, or am I merely inflamed by passion? '
It is a disturbing question.
Almost nobody can arrive at so simple answer.
'Love' is used loosely by writers, and they know it.
'Love' is accepted loosely by readers and they know it.
The utter shame of this situation breaks your spirit and
you lay down your pen, light up a cigarette,
and pace up and down the room.
This vexing disbelief in one's own illusion of love
is experienced most alarmingly
by persons of literary inclinations.
The medical profession recognizes two distinct types of men
who fall into this: first, the type that believes that to love
a woman is no to desire her; second, the type that believes that
to desire a woman is not to love her.
With that, the medical profession rests.
The fact of the matter is, it's very difficult
to tell love from passion.
My advice to anyone who doesn't feel sure
of the difference between the two is
either to give them both up
or quit trying to split hairs