When you first start dating  
All the imperfections and pet peeves  
Fly right out the proverbial window

You don't notice the way they  
Chew with their mouth open or  
Leave their tooth brushes by the sink
You don't notice how bad their oral hygiene is
And you convince yourself the  
Loud snores they make while you  
Lay wide awake are endearing

What you really don't notice is  
How short tempered they can be  
And how they can snap at you for simply  
Pointing out the clothes on the floor

Or how they don't communicate  
Their problems well

How they are flighty and accidentally  
Interrupt conversations

And you certainly don't notice how  
Unknowingly demeaning they can be  
Towards you at times  
How they can make you feel insignificant and  
Minuscule when they never meant to

But now I am seeing all these imperfections
Flaws found like a scratch lottery ticket
Each day scrapes off something new for
Me to win
Like the way they leave the tooth paste
On the counter
Or leave the gas on empty for me to fill

And each new day brings to light  
My own imperfections
The way my room is a mess till midnight
When I go through a mania period
Or that I whisper during movies
Letting slip what I think the possible
Endings could be
That I can hold a grudge like no other

How do relationships function
With all these imperfections?
Why would you deal with someone  
Who is so imperfect?

That’s the thing though
You aren’t “dealing” with that person
And if in some way you are then
You shouldn’t be in a relationship

You do not deal with love
You accept love
Talk to love
Try to help love

Your end goal is not to change and
Morph love into something
Unrecognizable  

No, your end goal is to
Grow together and talk things out
To never stop growing together
To be there for each other
And to be honest with love
Not to hide how you feel about
The constant chaos of the clothes
And the toothpaste leaking out of the tube

Do not hide from love
Or you will lose it