True Love

Love is when
You see up close
All of the warts and scars
And to see past even them
Is to hold a magnifying glass
Over fragility
And you still care

Love is when
Your heart breaks
Because your arms are wide
They come to you
But you know they’re holding back ~
The balm you offer
Is turned away

Inside they are screaming
To be heard, to matter
But it’s okay
Because you’ll still try
To give them hope
The shoulder on which to cry,
Holding up their broken frame

Love is when
The help they need
Is not the help they want
And you are torn
Between supporter
Or enabler ~ the right choice
Hanging in the balance

Love is when
They might stop loving you back
Since they believe
Their best interests aren’t in focus,
But they are,
And your heart shatters
Into a million slivers

Kira Braun