mind your manners

Find someone who knows that you are not perfect but treats you as if you are.

You cannot shame a woman who owns everything about herself. You cannot weaponize the truth against her.

And kid, you’ve got to love yourself. You’ve got wake up at four in the morning, brew black coffee, and stare at the birds drowning in the darkness of the dawn. You’ve got to sit next to the man at the train station who’s reading your favorite book and start a conversation. You’ve got to come home after a bad day and burn your skin from a shower. Then you’ve got to wash all your sheets until they smell of lemon detergent you bought for four dollars at the local grocery store. You’ve got to stop taking everything so goddam personally. You are not the moon kissing the black sky. You’ve got to compliment someones crooked brows at an art fair and tell them that their eyes remind you of green swimming pools in mid July. You’ve got to stop letting yourself get upset about things that won’t matter in two years. Sleep in on Saturday mornings and wake yourself up early on Sunday. You’ve got to stop worrying about what you’re going to tell her when she finds out. You’ve got to stop over thinking why he stopped caring about you over six months ago. You’ve got to stop asking everyone for their opinions. Fuck it. Love yourself, kiddo. You’ve got to love yourself.

I want
to take you out
for drinks
and
I want
you to put on
whichever dress
you want
just please
put on that shade
of lipstick that I love
and those heels
that make you
appear
otherworldly
We’ll enter
the bar
which plays
soft jazz
and the men
will stare
and wonder
how I
made you mine
but little do they know
you aren’t mine
you aren’t something
to be had
and I’ll smile
because I’ll know
that for one night
I’ll have the
Universe
in my hands