The Rose

Listen
With your heart.

***

Some say love, it is a river
That drowns the tender reed
Some say love, it is a razor
That leaves your soul to bleed
Some say love, it is a hunger
An endless aching need
I say love, it is a flower
And you, its only seed

It's the heart, afraid of breaking
That never learns to dance
It's the dream, afraid of waking
That never takes the chance
It's the one who won't be taken
Who cannot seem to give
And the soul, afraid of dying
That never learns to live

When the night has been too lonely
And the road has been too long
And you think that love is only
for the lucky and the strong
Just remember in the winter
Far beneath the bitter snow
Lies the seed
That with the sun's love, in the spring
Becomes the rose

***

Love
is the capacity
to take care
to protect
to nourish.

If you are not capable
of loving yourself
If you are unable
to take care of yourself
to nourish yourself
to protect yourself
it is very difficult
to take care of another.

To love oneself
is the foundation of
loving others.
Love is a practice.
It is a way of life.
It truly is.