every syllable is for you [poem]

I imagine you wonder why you’re reading these poems
why I say I wrote them for you
when they clearly span days where you were nothing but
a vague form in the distance
maybe some of them will make you smirk
my smart mouth obvious in every line
it’s a reminder of why you love me
or maybe some of them will make you frown
eyebrows drawn together
as you try and fail
to fit pieces of my poetry to yourself
you think I must’ve been looking for someone else
so why’d I end up with you
or maybe some of them make you flinch
the rawness of my words flaying my heart open
an uncomfortable image of who I am
you don’t know if you’re okay with it
the bloody mess my love will bring your way if you stay
or maybe some of them won’t even be read
because you’re too polite to tell me
you’re not into poetry
and the way writers expose those around them
in every line
I imagine this is hard
loving a person who’s written you
a book of hopes and fears
before even learning your name
that choosing to read the pages without skimming
is a daunting task
but I appreciate the effort it takes to do this
to get to know me this way
I promise these poems really are for you
love in every syllable