When I was fourteen, and your eyes locked with mine
Like I was the only one you saw in a crowded room.

When you held my hand for the first time
And I got so many butterflies my stomach physically hurt.

When we counted the stars in my backyard,
And you told me you loved me under the glow of the moon.

When we chased fireflies on an early summer evening
And I wished you would always love me when the bug flew from my fingertip...

I’ve never felt more alive than I did in these moments.

Before I’d been broken
More than my fair share of times,
Before the scars healed over,
And became part of my soul,

I loved without fear,
                                  Without regret,
                                                       ­   Without conscience,
                                                   ­                                     Without holding back.

And I think maybe that’s why
My heart will always have a place for you...

Because you take me back to a time
When the most bitter taste in my mouth
Came after I said, “See you tomorrow”
When I dreamt about the sea because it reminded me of your eyes.

You take me back
To when I loved with my whole, beating heart
Instead of a ******, mangled mess.
And because of that,

I’ll never stop loving the thirteen year old boy
Who showed me what it meant to love
And I’ll never stop
Dreaming of the sea.