He used to think he knew what love was.
It was about shimmering skin,
hot to the touch.
It was all about lust, and
eating meals in between the loving.
Love was about need,
and desire,
and excitement.
It was about outward beauty
and sex appeal.
It was for the taking,
and it was purchased,
like an object in the mall.
Just as his purchases lost his interest,
it ended.
When the desire faded,
he thought love was lost.
It was time to move on.
It was time to take the next pretty item
on the menu.
Then, she came into his life.
he saw her beauty,
and she let him know
she wasn’t for sale.
He saw her flaws,
and she saw his,
and, when she decided to give him her love,
the love didn’t fade.
He grew to love her flaws,
and she his.
Love became about
tolerance, and acceptance,
and he felt unworthy.
Her soul was tortured,
as was his.
Her body began to sag,
as did his.
Their mutual deterioration
became a badge of honor.
This was true love,
that saw beneath the faults
and follies.
They both were fearful,
but they both loved.
He never understood love,
until it found him,
and he realized that it was given,
not purchased or earned..