“

I know you mean well with the petals you bring,
red roses in hand like some pre-planned thing.
They're lovely, they are.
But they feel more like routine.
Like clockwork love in a scripted dream.
In the heart of Valentine's, my desires take flight,
I, Claire, crave a love that feels right,
Not just for show, but deep in its own light.

Ben, my chocolate-skinned beau, my shoulder.
Chocolates are sweet, but our love is bolder.
The chocolates melt, but my heart stays still,
Because you, my dark cocoa, are the sweeter thrill.
I don’t want clichés wrapped up with a bow,
I crave a love that’s unscripted, you know?
Surprise me, confuse me, make my heart race!
Not just playing along in this love holiday’s chase.

Let’s start the day in our own separate ways.
Mornings spent free in a personal haze.
Not ghosting nor gone.
But space to unwind,
You with your Call of Duty grind,
Me with my books, lost in the find.
No forced cuddles, just independent embraces.
Then when noon arrives, like a guest at the door,
We’ll meet at the pool, let’s make a splash war!
I’ll bet I can swim circles ‘round you,
But you’ll cheat, like you always do.
Laughter and water, a love language rare,
Now that’s a Valentine beyond compare,
Don’t you think?

Then off to the park where the tree shadows play.
A picnic of words in the afternoon sway.
Let’s sit and chat, reflecting on life, reading poems aloud.
Mine sharp as a knife,
yours dipped in prose, in wit and in jest.
Sharpening thoughts where the soft winds rest.
Birds chirping above, sharing tit for tat,
You’ll roll your eyes at my verses in air,
But admit, deep down, they could’ve been worse, I swear.

I’ll tell you of birds with colors divine,
like bee-eaters, hoopoes, in a song so fine.
Or the flamboyant flamingo, the swift swiftlet.
Did you know starlings can mimic your set, Ben?
They might just confess if left unchecked.
And when twilight leans in with its violet hue,
We’ll walk home slow, just me and you.
Claire and Ben.

My ceiling’s a galaxy, stars in a row,
soft golden lights with a gentle glow.
We’ll pick a movie, a classic, a laugh;
one that leaves us in stitches, no sappy gaff.
A show like F.R.I.E.N.D.S, lighthearted and free.
Then a seductive anime: Domestic Girlfriend,
till the plot turns wild so suddenly,
and we look at each other, mischievous, sly.
A night unfolding like fate’s soft sigh.
Ending, of course, with just you and me,
Wrapped in a love as raw as can be.

I never wanted love wrapped in the norm:
forced candlelit dinners, some rigid form.
I want you to know me: Claire’s quirks and dreams.
To love me in ways as wild as they seem.
Not just a date with flowers and bows,
But a story that only our memory knows.
A day that’s ours, not borrowed trends.
You get what I mean.
A love that still laughs when the season ends.
So hold the roses, and let’s make a scene,
A Valentine’s day that’s ours: raw and serene.

“

Reagan..✍🏽