How To Write a Love Poem in Five Easy Steps

First, you must let yourself be swallowed by her

You must listen to the way she digests you

You must watch the cold gear of a tired jaw grind you to stardust

You must taste the things she tastes

And smell the things she smells

You must feel yourself become her if you wish to love her

Second, you must navigate her

You must become the cartographer of her hips

You must name every hair

You must know every scar and blemish like a captain knows his shore

Understand all the ways you fit into her arms

You must memorize her from rocky coast to rocky coast if you wish to love her

Third, you must bleed for her

You must let every one of her bruises bruise you instead

You must drown in your own tears just to keep her cheeks dry

You must kneel to her on broken glass

Become her knight

You must be willing to give your soul to know she’ll never have to give hers if you wish to love her

Fourth, you must kiss her

You must feel the salt of her skin between your cheeks with every breath

You must bind her like a captive in your lips

You must make time to just

Kiss her

Kiss her like she’s the last person you’ll ever see

You must make her your favorite flavor if you wish to love her

Fifth, you must hear her

You must make your cheeks curl like hers when she recounts her wild tales

You must welcome her into your ears like your favorite song

You must hum the contours of her voice as you float between her spaces

Feel the bass drum of her heartbeat

You must dance to her breath if you wish to love her

To write a love poem for her

You must write with the words she taught you

You must speak in tongues

You must spell it out in the colors of her eyes

In the long hugs that mean only themselves

You must be fluent in her if you wish to love her

If you wish to write a love poem

You must first fall in love with her

And by then

You’ll have already done it

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