Be kind to yourself,
as you are with others

You have these
grand expectations
of yourself
and at times,
those around you

It's good to have goals
and a hunger for
betterment,
but you must also be
vigilant
to keep them realistic

Because, while you are indeed
fierce & strong-willed,
you are also soft
& at times
fragile

You are human.

But that doesn't mean
you are without
superpowers

Your sensitivity is your greatest gift,
but without care,
can also be your greatest
downfall

You must learn to master your craft.

This means to be
patient with yourself
as you would with others,
to show compassion
as you would with others,
to show love,
grace,
& humility,
to yourself

This in practice,
is to truly understand,
& epitomise,
that self-care
is not
selfish

That it is okay to say no,
or to ask for help,
or to be truly
vulnerable

To acknowledge
that fear is
the root cause
of bitterness
& resentment

To embrace the lows,
for making the highs even
sweeter

To let the good wash
over you
the same as
the bad,
& embrace the micro changes,
as the meta
stays the same

To believe you are worthy,
of a great love,
the same as you believe
another's
worthy of
yours

To embody the idiom
that one can
only
truly love another,
after
they learn to love
themself,
& thus allowing
the hard-earned
victory
of grounded, stable
communion

To know the difference between
support
& advice,
love
& lust,
friendships
& partnerships

To have
faith
that you will find your way,
because you will;
because you live your life
with generosity
& authenticity

This is my vision for you,
that you will
make this your reality.

I can't turn you down
I have every intention
of saying

No.
I can't.
I can't keep torturing myself like this.

But, when the moment comes
I can't resist
It's just the way it is
and we both know it

Because I crave feeling
you close to me,
holding me
for a moment
allowing ourselves
to be one

Because the moment
when you kiss my forehead
my heart beats out
of my chest, so hard
I'm scared you can feel it
pressed up against yours
and melts,
into a pool of your own

I can't turn you down

Not in those
rare moments of
tenderness
with an honesty
that touch can never
betray
in the way words & silences
can and will

And all my resolve
and self-control
evaporates
like the sparks flying
into the night sky

As we take off
each other's clothes
entering into our
forbidden

When the lights turn down
I can't turn you down

But when we wake
to the light of day
we go back to being
just you
and me.

Disentangling our legs
and souls

And after you leave
I lie there still
and vow to myself
that next time
I will turn you down