Across the Street

I let him hold my hand

And I believed he’d walk me across the street

Because at the time, I couldn’t

My whole life I lived in fear,

In fear of crossing the street

If I put my trust in the red lights

And the walking signal

How do I know for sure

That I won’t be pushed

Outside the white line?

You see,

Love is funny.

When I first met him

He sent me small smiles

From the other side of the road

I imagined how it’d be

If he were next to me

But I was a coward

And couldn’t cross the street

Because then I’d be blindly trusting the cars

And I’ve seen too many accidents

Where the women and children

Would fly from one end of the street

To the next as the men

Walked away freely

If I allowed myself

To cave into him

And take a step inside the thick

White lines, I would be

Blindly letting him have the wheel

Let him control of the car

How I know it’s safer here

On the sidewalk

Where I can only gaze and wonder

From a distance away

But if I gave him the keys

He’d take me

To wherever he wished to be

But I’d be blindfolded

And ask where are we going?

Only to hear his reply of just wait and see

But I think I’d be okay

Because he made me feel safe

He showed me

That love

Was about trust

Blind trust indeed

Sometimes you have take risks

And offer your love

To those you think are deserving

But also those who are lacking

He taught me compassion

From the way he held my hand

As he guided me

To the street

Where his home was located

And opened the doors for me

When he knew I just couldn’t

Make it

He never pushed my boundaries

Because he respected me

And knew I wanted to be independent

And take responsibility of my own heart crossing

And he was okay with that

He understood my needs and anxiety

He welcomed them with open arms

And told me in hushed whispers

To take my time to cross the street

Because he’ll be at the other end

Waiting for me

You see,

Love is funny.