Love is Done

What happens once you have loved.

After you have been loved in that college, early-teen romance—

only to grow up and realize

value systems and life aspirations never matched.

When you have tried the more professionally aligned love,

but it just wasn’t meant to be,

and social constructs are real.

When the heart has loved -

when it has received care, respect, attention.

Being called the best thing ever,

over and over again.

When you have seen every shade—

red, blue, and grey.

When you have gone through

the painful, organic stages of knowing someone—

friendship, crushing, romance,

trying to build something—

only to find it can’t work.

Years, months, days—

so many words, tears, emotions, thoughts,

fear, hope, fights, happiness, memories.

All done.

All lived through.

All cherished.

Marked in my body memory.

When the dust has settled.

Love has been done.

And you sit here—

still by yourself.

What else can one do.

And what happens next.

After the sermons—

on self-awareness, inner child healing,

attachment theories, boundaries, intentions,

self-love and purpose,

romantic love and divine love and practical love,

deception, limitations, lies, truths.

After all of that.

When your heart and mind and body

have been through it all—

but still, a part of it hopes.

Looks out in the world—

for what?

What could possibly happen now.

What happens after you have loved.

I am watching.