A Poem about Self-Love

Look at me.

You are going to tell yourself you are in love every single day when you open your eyes,

and at night before you go to bed, before those monsters start chasing you.

You are going to feel love, all kinds of love, all sorts of love,

love that tumbles inside of you as if it were a little accident

a little bundle of joy that came knowingly – or unknowingly – into your way

and suddenly it blossoms into an entire garden in your heart, with rows and rows of roses, daffodils, lilies, every single flower that blesses you with joy.

You are going to feel love that rocks you to sleep on a cradle,

that gently cups your face and plants soft kisses on the spots you find difficult to love

plants kisses on your belly rolls and stretch marks because they are one of a kind, exquisite, and deserve to be paraded around the world

You are going to feel love that caresses you like the wind,

that pulls you in gently like the tides and presses against your weary eyes until your eye bags disappear and your wrinkles fade

You are going to feel love like blood pouring out of an open wound,

somewhat numbing, as the smell of rusty iron hits your nostrils and you start to feel squeamish,

because you’ve realised you can’t hold on to forevers and always, and sometimes there can be no forevers.

No, sweetheart, look at me.

You’ve got mascara dripping down your lashes and pain coursing through your arteries

You’ve pushed yourself so far away from love, that when it tries to chase you, it falters, knees buckling, lungs gasping for air.

You’re telling yourself that everything is over now and you hide so love can’t find you anymore.

Bet you never expected it to come crawling to you amidst gasps and short breaths,

Cause, darling,

You are going to feel this sort of love as if your soul’s already known it before,

As if the entire Universe has exploded within your chest, and with each corner of your heart stars burst into life

When the sickening emptiness is replaced by myriads of galaxies, so much that your body can barely contain

Almost as if they beckon to burst out of you in bliss

And, you will feel love.

Because you deserve every kind of love there is.