Self-love

I looked in the mirror.

I saw not just a face

But a reflection of my past,

Accomplishments laced with mistakes.

I saw one space

Collecting all of my fears.

I saw tears held back—

I-love-yous

Held back too.

How many years I have not known my self.

As long as it has taken to get back to you,

I would retrace every step

Just so that I could be here to say

I love you.

Because now I know the truth:

Love runs deep in the veins of the pulsing

Universe.

Love is my name, and

I’ll not soon forget who I see

When I catch my reflection

Gazing back at me.