I cannot stand to feel you
Or the love that you inspire
I must avoid emotions at all cost
I cannot afford desires
Especially of the heart
Do not dare reach out to me
For I fear kindling tenderness
You may not impress me with your lips
Or cast a spell with your skin’s scent
I will expressly not allow it
I am not afraid to confront any of this
I have not fallen too deeply
Into the well of whispering
“Love is scary, frightening…”
I am not scared of intimacy or attachment
I simply do not need what you offer
No one needs a never-ending cycle
Of “maybe this” and “perhaps that”
It leaves one too vulnerable
I feel safe hiding behind my wall
I prefer to be protected from hurt
Than risk insupportable sentiment
Besides the human heart is asymmetrical
And who needs imperfectly perfect?

~Just L (June 4, 2016)

Author’s Note: “Love is something we’re born with,” said Marianne Williamson. “Fear is something we learned here.”