Love is an unusual occurrence.

Two people are floating along,

meeting either by chance or

pushed together by fate, destiny,

or an online bot of an app.

They talk to each other, about each other,

with each other,

and suddenly, good feels erupt.

Sometimes so unexpectedly,

it shocks the system.

Unexpected good feels

that are definitely welcomed.

They gaze at each other, into each other,

within each other,

and suddenly, these emotions bubble up.

And it moves beyond good feels.

And these emotions stay.

They grow.

And before you know it,

this person becomes your human,

someone you had never imagined could exist,

well, outside of those storybooks most devour.

Love grows from those talks, those gazes,

revealing yourself piece by piece

hoping the other will do the same.

Letting them in,

opening a path to the center of you,

and fingers crossed that

they will not drive a crude stake through it.

And when, instead, they embrace you,

whispering comfort, promising friendship

despite and in spite of what lies at the center of you,

then you realize that it has happened to you.

The it that poets have dissected for years,

the it that produces hand-holding grand-couples,

grayed at the crown, shuffling at the feet.

That it that every body on earth craves,

the it that some never experience.

Love.

Love heals scars from a past life,

and it soothes over scabs

that seemed destined to stay

marked on your soul.

It is an unusual occurrence,

because you find yourself missing someone,

you find yourself looking for that laugh,

that smile, that look in their eye

that takes you away from all the storms

pounding at your life,

and it provides a respite, a welcome one.

You cannot explain this occurrence,

you only know that it moves within you,

with each time they speak your name,

every single time they reach out for you

and it overwhelms you with goodness.

Makes it feel like it is raining rainbows in

every joyful sense,

your eyes light up with glee,

your step becomes a little lighter,

and even when the world threatens to

cocoon you in darkness and despair,

they extend a sliver of love through the clouds,

piercing through to reach you,

pull you out

and expose you to the sun that is love.

The sun that is them.

This unusual occurrence seems here to stay,

despite the periods where you show your putrid side,

flamed by paranoia and cheered on by over-thinking,

remnants of those scars and scabs that

love is gently scrubbing away.

Despite those times when your heart is pushing the other away,

this unusual occurrence continues to build,

stronger than the eye-roll when the difficult conversations are introduced,

more fierce than the determination to give in to

negativity and what-if’s that aim to kill off your joy.

This unusual occurrence has them planted into the earth beside you,

waiting for the darkness to wane,

for you to show yourself again,

and know that you can speak out, talk up

with them.

And they will not walk away.

Because this unusual occurrence keeps them rooted to you,

rooting for you.

And they will choose you.

Each and every time.