Uninvited and unrequited,

Bitter, sullen and selfish,

A tangible, earthy thing.

He offered me pleasure of the likes I’d never seen,

And knowledge of things I’d only dreamed.

But Love was bitter with his addictive sting.

When Love met me I was

Unyielding and unsure,

Solid, enduring, yet slightly sore,

A physical, lusty thing

Offering pleasures and joy of things only seen,

And knowledge of my body and how it sings.

But I was slowly ripening, softening and sweetening.

Together, Love used me as I learned Him.

And I began to falter while He continued to swim,

Floundering and drowning in depths I couldn’t fathom,

Begging for help from an emotional phantom.

And just when I thought Love had left me to drown,

Love’s brother, Pain, came and dragged me to ground.

While off with my innocence, Love swam away,

Pain made it known that he was here to stay.