I learned to love by sleeping naked
in the dark
by myself
Nobody would tell me that I was
beautiful on the flipside of my elbow
I had to discover that on my own
as I groped in my closed-eye blindness
for something comforting
and found that in shared vulnerability
of elbow and mind
we could protect each other and be loved.
On my own,
I learned to love my shoulders
for they could let me turn away
and face the sun
and bask in the warmth
and I didn't have to see the chill on my back
My hands became my most prized
possessions
with their dexterity
and sensitivity
I was able to find the parts of me that
were beautiful,
calm my beating heart
and let the rest of my body join my eyes
in blindness