love yourself
I need you to
love yourself
if you want
to love me
hold me
keep me
in your heart
forever

my love is a treasure

I’ll only endeavor
to weather
the storms
with you
if you
show me
your love
is true
for me
and for you

remember how to love you

take notes on how to love me

love is lavish
love is flaming
love is sultry
love is taking
every
part
of the self
and giving it to the other

I love selflessly
and passionately

not violently

you say
you want me
to cut you
burn and bruise you
push and pull you
hook and slice you
to turn you
on

I’m not going to do that

abuse turns me off

I want a love that
spurs me on
to lovingkindness
not a game
that rubs me wrong
and wants me gone
then back again
to feel
the singe
of sparked 
adrenaline

abuse is not a friend

if you don’t want
to hold me
gently
don’t bother
trying to win me
aggressively
I want the pure love
the sweet love
the patient love
the nurturing love
compassionate love
forgiving love
angelic love
not a love
who says
he wants me
so he can
control me
and tell me what to do

he says
he wants me
to tell him what to do

I know you do

so learn how to love you
like I love you

learn how to speak to you
like I speak to you
learn how to remind yourself
what I remind you
every time
the light shines
over us
in the starlight
you’re worthy
in God’s eyes
and mine
your heart
is the power
that flames inside

remember how to love you

“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

1 Corinthians 3:16-17

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” 
‭‭Psalm‬ ‭139:13-14‬