poem: alana hayes
I Love Myself
I love you
like yesterday and tomorrow are all wrapped up together
in one pretty package called today, and we can definitely make this work
like you are definitely the one
except for when we fight, and you put me down, and I hurt you
call each other things like
fat, ugly, not good enough, never good enough
in those moments we'll be like strangers
but I love you enough to always come and find you once the pain passes
or, who knows, maybe even right
in the middle of it
and if I don't find you I want you to know
I love you enough to never give up looking
I'll search in mirrors and under beds
I'll dig through the clothes in my closet and all the drawers in my desk
I'll hunt through the fridge and all of the boxes in the basement for you
I'll even take out the car and drive around neighborhoods calling your name
Post up flyers and stamp your photo on the back of milk cartons
have you seen this girl, please call, I miss her, tell her I'm sorry
and I want you to know that I will always come for you
because I love you enough to never put you behind me
to always want you to be better than yesterday
to tuck you into bed at night and hold you close in darkness
when you feel most alone
I love you more than the last guy, who didn't
and probably even more than the next guy, who will
I love you enough for you to know how to love the right person properly
because you know what being loved feels like
because you know even if they let you down you still have me
and whether they're here or gone my hands are always yours to hang onto
that I'll be there when you cry
and because we're in this through good and bad, no question
I'll be there when you laugh too
I'll be there when you smile
I'll take you wherever you want to go, as far as I can get you
and if you're ever unsure of what being loved feels like
it feels like this
being loved is when you remember to buy honey for your tea
when the bed is just too comfortable, you can't not snuggle in
When you're content enough with yourself to finally fall asleep
and you know that I'm not going anywhere without you
about the writer: alana hayes
you can learn more about alana hayes here.
