i. he loves me

his hands are soft. he is careful as he unfurls you, bit by bit, petal by petal.

ii. he loves me not

he is ugly when he snarls. his teeth carve marks against your veins. you will always bear his scars.

i. he loves me

his promises taste like honey. he will never leave you, he says.

ii. he loves me not

his lies taste like salt. he will never leave you, he says.

i. he loves me

he is the most beautiful thing you have ever seen.

ii. he loves me not

he is especially beautiful when he is leaving. he lingers in the spaces of your ribs and he pokes at your heart with a dagger.

i. he loves me

he is a warm summer day. as far as you are concerned, he is the sun.

ii. he loves me not

the moon has always been jealous. you don’t blame her, not when he looks the way he does. he is the sun, but as far as she is concerned, he is nothing but dying light.

i. he loves me

he is the cosmic center of the universe. you’ve always liked astronomy.

ii. he loves me not

he is the dark parts of the sea. you don’t care much for oceanography.

i. he loves me

you love him.

ii. he loves me not

maybe one day he will learn to love you too.