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The Ways I Know How to Love

Alternate Title: Fire and Ice

By Lily WinterPublished 2 years ago 2 min read
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The Ways I Know How to Love
Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

See, I love like fire.

A hot, burning, all encompassing kind of love that can be

the warmth that gives you life,

and the security you need,

or it can burn down villages

until we’re the only two people left standing among the desolation.

It might be a slow burn,

planned and controlled,

or I could love you fast and hard

like an all consuming wildfire,

leaving only embers in the end.

But rest assured, you’ll never feel a love

the same as if I love you like fire

Now if I love you like fire,

you’re one of the lucky ones.

If you walk into my life and allow me

to love you like fire,

with the passion and intensity that everyone craves,

and surround you until you see nothing

but the calming fire,

instead of the smoke,

you’re lucky-

because I can only love you like fire

once

Once my fire for you is all burned up,

the only way I can love you again

is like ice.

Ice is healing, when applied correctly

and it’s a craving you long for.

A measure of comfort,

that is, until it outstays its welcome

and the skin around your wound

goes numb and starts to turn purple.

See I can love you like healing-

when I love for a second time-

but under the surface, there are still wounds that ice won’t fix,

and no matter how bad the burn was,

if you apply ice for too long,

you’ll only worsen the damage.

See I only know two ways to love,

well in actuality: three.

You can come around once,

and let me love you like fire,

and while we may see each other everyday,

share laughter and kind exchanges,

or we may pass like ships in the night,

you’ll only get fire once.

One of us will get burned, because that’s what happens when you play with fire.

You can come around a second time,

and let me love you like ice,

mistrusting,

hurt,

and left nursing wounds from the first time,

but believing that any love is better than no love,

and love is strong enough to heal,

as is ice.

But inevitably the ice will melt,

or you’ll be left with purple limbs.

But the third kind of love is the love I’ve noticed is most common.

When fire has burned down

and ice has melted

the only option left is to love enough

to walk away.

And believe me, when fire and ice are gone,

you won’t get a chance for me

to love you a third time.

performance poetry
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About the Creator

Lily Winter

Hello! I am an eighteen year old university student, and avid writer. To learn more about me, check out my instagram-

Personal: @lily_winter4722

Business: @lily_winter_writes

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