I invite you to love

I invite you to love

your big toe
and that small one
with the tiniest little nail
you don’t know why you bother painting it
but you do
don’t want any of you

left out

I invite you to love
your imperfect skin
the part you still tear at in the mirror
every scar that reminds you of the times lost
to seeking perfection
and ending up ten steps behind

I invite you love
the parts of you that show up
even though often late
and those parts of you that never make it

I invite you to love
that part of you that still struggles to trust self
still sees self as enemy
cannot cradle self’s wounds in the care you always deserved

I invite you to love
that part of you that gets stuck in the grocery aisle
leaves empty handed because
you couldn’t decide between crunchy and smooth
and love
the hungry part of you that regrets it later
wishes you could just choose

I invite you to love
the part of you that is lonely
the part of you that wishes you could be anything other than
who you are
that wishes
yourself full
and satisfied
and grateful

I invite you to love
the parts of you that struggle to feel grateful
the parts of you that
are always searching for
better

even when you
are trying your damned
to be best