“how to love a mortal: i.
stay away from him. gods
do not love. you are a god.
do not love something
that will someday die. ii.
small-boned, soft-hearted,
voice smooth as stones.
when he breaks his ankle
you think to yourself:
oh, how easily the world
wounds him. oh, how easily he bleeds. iii.
he kisses you first. he is thirteen and human
and he will someday die.
do not kiss him back. iv.
you say: mother, can
a god love a boy?
thetis sharpens her teeth.
she says: well, what good has love ever done? v.
you were born a weapon
but you kiss him anyway.
you kiss him because he is beautiful and temporary
and you do not yet understand
what it means to kill. vi.
making love to him feels
like being remade, doesn’t it?
here, the knife in his mouth.
here, the starlight in his eyes.
here, his sweat on your tongue
like salt of the river Styx. vii.
in this dream, you
kill Agamemnon.
in this dream, there is no war.
in this dream, he lives forever. viii.
he puts your clothes on
and you forget he is mortal.
he puts your clothes on
and he forgets it, too. ix.
when the world burned,
your mother whispered:
you knew, didn’t you? i told you not to love something that will someday die. x.
you do not say:
i knew, but i was selfish. i am a god. it is my nature.”
“The reason we hold onto someone for as long as we can, even when they’re not in our lives, is because they are a part of who we are. If we let them go, that part of us dies. And isn’t that what life is all about? Trying to survive at all costs? Even if it breaks our heart over and over again?”
18:20 - If we let them go, we think we die along with the memories too (moondustanddreams)
“Find someone who loves you well. Someone who never belittles you. Even in the heat of an argument. Someone who is gentle with you, but does not treat you like you are fragile. Someone who knows what you are capable of, and celebrates those pieces of you. Not someone who is intimidated by your strength. Someone who doesn’t make you feel guilty for being flawed. It is not love’s job to punish you. And remember the person you love is just as broken as you are when they fall short. No one is perfect – do not hold them to this standard. Find someone who is patient, forgiving, and apologetic. Someone who practices forgiveness freely and often. Love someone who is humble, kind, and empathetic. Not only with you, but with a beggar on the street, or a stranger in the supermarket. Common courtesy is important. Compassion is important. Kindness is important.”
“People who truly love us can be divided into two categories: those who understand us, and those who forgive us our worst sins. Rarely do you find someone capable of both.”
