You stole my heart.
You had a grasp on it a long time ago,
I'm sure you were familiar with parts of it,
Even though now it's scarred up and bruised
And has a few pieces that don't fit quite right anymore.

You stole my heart,
Within a smile and a laugh,
And I was pretty sure you took it
That Saturday when I asked for a hug,
And you gladly obliged,
Because when I walked back to my parent's condo,
I was walking on air,
My head was so far up in the clouds
That I swear I could see the stars
That made up your favorite constellation.

You stole my heart,
Upon glances you thought were stolen
By the fire,
And warmth and kindness within your voice,
And understanding from your tone
Melting down my walls and my fear.

You stole my heart,
When you taught me how to play chess,
And I ultimately failed,
But I revealed that I cared this way,
That same night.

You still stole my heart,
When you held me,
Touching my hands,
My shoulders,
My sides,
When I was afraid of your touch not by fault of your own,
But not afraid of you.
When you reminded me that you're here to stay,
That you're not them,
That you won't hurt me like that,
That you won't hurt me at all.

You stole my heart,
By making me laugh,
By understanding my tears,
By being honest
And caring
And careful.

You stole my heart,
So I took your last name.

the day
when even the not so faithful
were tempted to pray
for the health of the nation