Because I Love You

‘Because I love you’

He said to me once

When he fed me the only food he had

His fragile hands shaking

The hunger pounding through his veins

Yet he heard the way my stomach growled

He saw the circles beneath my eyes

The bones jutting from my flesh

He noticed the neglect

And to him, it wasn’t even a question

What was there to ask?

My hunger had ripped through the layers of his self-indulgence

I could almost hear the shatter of his glass heart

When he realized I was in need

Not caring to investigate how ‘in need’ I was

As if, even the smallest amount surmounted his towering abandonment

Threatening to collapse at every second

That’s what made me fall in love

When I saw, he would walk through the worst of storms

Continuing, despite his falls

Not even questioning if I was worth it

‘Because I love you’

I said to him

When I took only a half-bite

And handed the last piece back to him

Letting it fall between my frail fingers

Because no matter who is starving,

Neither one of us will ever be selfish enough

To put ourselves first

Neither one of us will ever question if it is worth it

It is always worth it

And that, is love