To My Lorelei

I love you in the way

the sun loves a seed.

I want to watch you grow,

I want to keep you warm,

I am willing to wait,

I am willing to come back

every day until you’re ready,

And I’m willing to stay

every day until we part ways.

I love you, but not in a

kiss me right now way,

Although it would be lovely to

kiss you right now because

I want to feel you smile under my lips.

I love you, but not in the way

one body loves another

I love your soul

I love your heart

I love you.

I love you, and I mean it when

I say I would raise a child with you.

I love you, and I want to see you teach

a little boy how to tie his shoelaces

before a little league game

I love you, and I want you to

raise my daughter to love her body

because god knows I can’t do that on my own

I would pay bills with you.

I would bask in the daily pleasure

of living plainly with you

Learning new languages and

learning how to dance and learning how to sing

I love you in a growing old together way.

In a painting the walls together and

putting up posters of all our

favorite movies together way.

In a listening to a song and thinking

about that one time we heard it at a

frat party when we were kids way.

I want to hold your heart in my hand.

I want to be patient with you.

I want to kiss your cheek first

And your forehead,

And I want you to know I expect nothing in return.

I love you in a no-conditions kind of way.

We split the cost but we pick up the slack

when one of us wants to go to the beach

and escape kind of way

I love you in a glowing heart kind of way.

An amorphous, warm, enduring way.

This feeling has been here since the first day

No one will ever love you like I do,

I know you know this,

I know you know I love you.

And I’m willing to wait for you to love me too.

Someday, hopefully, soon.