ti amo

today i find myself in a peculiar position;
to put love into words of my own jurisdiction.

love has been brandished with kisses and flowers,
weathered by roller coasters of emotional endowers;

love has been beaten by misguided hands,
made phony and cliché by movies and white sands;

love has been dreamed of by girls in long dresses,
has been toyed with and tried at by men grasping for their tresses;

love has taken many forms in the past,
today it finds new ones, sometimes scarier than the last.

no matter what we do, love still carries on,
sometimes it seems as if love is the only thing not gone.

much like hope, love holds us to the ground,
carries us and leads us while our spirits nearly drown.

its hands may be slight, its gaze pale and soft,
we often don't see it til it's flown aloft.

it's a beautiful thing, to catch love before its flight,
even more breathtaking to hold it all your life.

don't worry about finding the perfect prince charming;
love is already next to you; in family's blessing.

this valentine's day, wear your heart on your sleeve;
and open it to those who really do need

your laugh,
your smile,
your chocolate-chip cookies,

your nightly read-alouds,
your warm embrace,
your hand-knitted booties,

you.

love is always near,
behind all those closed doors;

there are people who love you;
who are forever yours.