What do I know about love? (NaPoMo 27/30)

What Do I Know About Love?

What do I know about love?

     And how do I know what I think I know?

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I learned from my parents

     that there is no love like a mother's love

I learned from my hormone-addled teen-aged mind

     that sex is powerful--but sex and love are not the same

I learned from the misery of my many failed attempts

     that unlike respect, love is given and cannot be earned

I learned from one who loved me unconditionally

     that hearts are not toys

I learned from one who got away

     that to be loved in return would be the greatest thing

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I learned from one who satisfied all of my criteria  

    that love begins in the heart, not the head, 

in that order: heart, head, and hands--values first

    or it will not last

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I learned from being alone in the desert that I am OK.

     I will always be at least OK but I am happier in love's oasis

I learned from one who discovered me on the desert's edge and nurtured me

     that love can heal a broken heart, restore faith, and instill harmony

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If our outward appearances reflected the true quality of our character 

     my love sensei would be Miss Universe and none fairer than she

shining brighter than love's purest light

    and I would appear as a Big Fat Stupid Loser, hiding in the corner

But basking in my love's healing rays I am not a broken or irredeemable person

    rather, perhaps, just someone who 

still has a lot to learn 

     about love