Loving U

The way he loves me-
Makes me love myself.
I know that’s not
How it’s supposed to go-
“You have to love yourself
Before you can be loved”
-no.

Love forces revealing,
Stripping, pulling back
The layers of false perfection
That lay heavy around the heart,
Each time a whisper
“Do you still love me?”
-yes
“Will you love me even if-”
-yes

Lying close by, eye to eye
You can’t hide.
And when I introduce him
To every ugly and bitter angle
If he could love them,
Why can’t I?
To him I am imperfect –
Beautiful and enough.

I tried so hard to love myself
Like the books tell you to:
“Love and acceptance”.
But loving him
Became loving me,
And so many repetitions
Of words and phrases
Mean nothing compared
To standing naked
In light
In front of a person
saying
“Here I am.
Love me – I dare you.”