I Found Love

I FOUND LOVE...

I found love…
In familiar places, during my morning walk—
as the sun rose over the mountain,
greeting me with a warm embrace.
In a text from my child, seeking my thoughts.
In an impromptu lunch with a friend whom I share laughter so easily.
In the forgiving plants, needing so little.
In your softest touch, right before sleep.

I found love…
In dramatic moments.
Under a thunderous sky, when a stranger shared a cab—
a portentous encounter, that lasted for years.
In the way my heart raced at unexpected news,
yet my feet held me steady.
Love, even when it hides,
is revealed by experience’s gentle hand.

I found love…
In myself.
When my body asked for freedom—
to breathe, to dance, to rest, to simply be.
In my mind’s softness,
knowing love can be shy in its wake.
I found it when time flowed with me,
and showing up meant being fully awake.
Love is so natural now, always there,
waiting where I choose to seek.

I found love…
In narrow crevices, where it squeezed my existence,
gasping for air,
amidst racing hearts and doubts.
Though it didn’t feel like love, with breath and patience,
it was always there.
Even when reality didn’t match the dream,
and my ego pointed its finger,
my soul knew—love had never left.

I found love…
In moments I resisted,
in stories I didn’t want to tell.
Even when loss struck me like a bullet train,
and shook my core.
In the criticisms that found me,
wrapped in answers I didn’t yet see,
until a subtle shift in perception unveiled them.

I found love…
In unwanted fantasies, on repeat in my mind—
the what-ifs, the should-haves.
I longed for do-overs, perfect responses, perfect plans.
But love revealed itself in contrast,
showing me that dreams stay eternal,
as long as I am present.

I found love…
In a child’s first breath,
amazed that the universe trusted me,
to bring this soul into being,
even if for a fleeting moment.
This love that stirs,
questioning my existence, eroding layers.
Love in the push and pull, the in-breath and exhale,
echoing through eternity.

I found love…
In the commitment to stay.
Allowing love to grow, in all its shapes.
I found it in accepting threats as illusions,
drama’s fuel fading.
Every facet reflects a different beauty,
each angle, a new depth.

I found love…
When fear loosened its grip.
In the absence of love’s opposite,
just as valuable as its presence.
I found love in unfamiliar places,
as I slowly woke.
And in three simple words:
I. Love. You.

By J.K.E