The speaker opens with plain, simple wishes: to hold a hand, to wrap their arms around someone, to kiss them. The first lines are in French, then the poem switches to English and starts questioning the word "want" itself. Is it just longing for something you don't have? The speaker worries it might be selfish, "dirty," or "empty," and the images of a cavern, screeches, and a mirage suggest desire that feels hungry and unreliable.
Then the poem turns. "I want you" isn't the whole story, the speaker says. The wanting grows into something gentler: wanting the other person to be happy, okay, and loved, especially when they aren't. By the end, the speaker is ready to give everything, even to accept two thousand miles of distance. The final confession, "I'm in love with you," arrives quietly, almost as a question. The mood moves from restless and guilty to tender, humble, and openhearted.