compassion stems from trust
petals that must be lifted
far above the ground
where all things decompose
and what of love
my beautiful view of you
a radiance of colored reflections
you might suppose could not
endure your complex reality
the shades of darkness
into the deepest night
as we are at times denuded
with naught to offer the eye
but I know in you as
I know in myself perennial promise
and yet to grow a true love
beyond mere admiration
is a fragile and tenuous beginning
a dance that if not finished
like a recipe results
in a product that is not hardy
for only one with self-regard
can make you feel seen
and one who cannot trust the process
will not either trust the product
and haste to escape vulnerability
neglects in that escape a crucial
ingredient of true love
