Isn’t that how stories start?
Well, once upon a time
I thought real love was
Red drawn crayon hearts,
Butterflies and goosebumps,
Friday night movie dates,
Kisses in the pouring rain,
And Tiffany boxes
Full of sparkly things.
I saw true love like a story
With a perfect ending everytime.
Over the years I have learned
Love is not like that at all.
True love isn’t always perfect
And I am not a princess
Waltzing in a Disney movie.
I have learned that instead,
Love is fighting at five am
Tears spilling out of anger,
Yet never doubting the other.
It is saving their selfies
No matter how silly they are,
Just to look at them again
In the quiet of the night
When their absence echoes.
True love seems to involve
Saying the wrong things
At the absolute worst moments.
Giving someone else control
of your patchwork heart,
trusting it won’t be shattered.
Seeing beyond imperfections.
Love is singing lyrics to every song
At the top of your lungs together terribly.
Love is honesty even when it hurts
And patience when they are hurting.
Love is full of bloopers and blunders,
Horrible jokes, blanketless nights,
Senseless fights and make up sex.
Lots and lots of make up sex.
Love is found in the small things.
Holding hands fingers entwined
Kissing often and passionately
Bear hugs and forehead kisses.
Soaking up every memory
Of the one your heart loves
With every fiber of your being.
Love is falling asleep knowing
They will be there in the morning.
Being able to be a world apart
Knowing nothing will change.
Love is truly seeing the world’s beauty
Through another person’s eyes.
Someone who unknowingly
pours their soul into your cracks
making you heart whole again.
Love is the only thing left in the world
Truly worth fighting valiantly for.
Don’t you dare settle… ever.
Love is the holy grail of all emotion.
Loving another will fuck you up
In ways you never imagined.
At times love is absolutely
Soul shattering and heart-wrenching.
But I have learned real love
Is the most beautiful emotion
Found in a complicated world.
When the love you seek is found
It is truly worth every once
Of yourself you pour into it.
To me, love is happily ever after…
Isn’t that how the story should end?
So I ask, what is love to you?
