I'm difficult to love

I’m difficult to love.
You’ll have to kiss my scars first,
trace the history of every wound,
learn the language of silence in my eyes.

Hold me like I’m fragile,
even when I pretend I’m made of steel
Speak to me politely,
like you’re talking to something broken
that still wants to heal.

Love me the hard way
with patience, not perfection,
with effort, not endless promises.
Don’t try to fix me overnight;
I’m not a puzzle, I’m a journey.

If you ever choose to love me,
know there are storms behind my smile,
thunder in my chest,
memories I don’t talk about.
Be prepared for the weight of them
and don’t say I never warned you.

Making me happy
might be the toughest thing you learn,
because happiness is a place
I’m still trying to find.
But if you walk beside me,
step by slow step,
I’ll learn my way there.

So never lose your patience,
never rush the blooming
flowers that grow in darkness
take time to meet the light.

If you love me,
love every version of me
the trembling one,
the fighting one,
the quiet one,
the trying one.

Because I’m difficult to love, yes
but once I trust you,
I love back in a way
that’s impossible to forget.