It makes me feel tired
when I am called pretty instead of
smart, extraordinary, creative
As if my look was the only thing defining my
capability
When I meet a man
my first questions will be about his passions
his dreams
his goals
why can they not ask the same?
Why are we diminished so much
so often
so loudly
I am more than my looks
and know that when you don’t see that
you are losing me
A piece of art
You deserve a love that will accept you as you are
I don’t mean the acceptance of “you do you, but it’ll have consequences
I mean the acceptance where your partner
encourages you to fly
celebrates your evolution as a person
I mean an acceptance where you can communicate freely
your deepest truths
your deeps fears
and desires
I’ve been tied in past relationships
put in a box
I lost my voice
my style
my passions
my rest
yet he dared to say
“I love you”
Now let me tell you
you deserve to be accepted entirely
whole
raw
and if that person is not willing to do that
they are in no right to say “I love you”
because love
is acceptance