“Just love yourself!”
has got to be
the truest..
and yet,
simultaneously,
the most vacuous
advice to ever offer.
It hits The One
receiving it
as nothing short
of holy revelation..
makes them go like:
“Oh my God…
How haven’t I
thought of this??”

I jest, of course.
To those who feel
unloved..
In truth, it feels
like sprinkling
some kosher salt
upon a raw
and aching wound.
The pain of loneliness
gets only worse from it..
it does the opposite
of soothe.
Whether or not
the seasoning
administered therein
finds any contradiction
with good practices
enumerated in Talmud.

For, it is indisputable..
Above all others,
one must,
first and foremost,
love themself..
but loneliness
is not exactly
an affliction
of the head.

As such, it’s not
among afflictions
which are healed
by sound advice,
however
well-intentioned
it may be..
Instead,
love hunger
is a sickness
of the heart,
indeed.

Its remedy
may come
in many forms..
and one of them
is channeling
one’s innermost
reflections.. into art.
It makes the beauty
of one’s purest essence
more accessible
to the creator’s eyes.
It’s not the only treatment
or most thorough of them,
for the malady in question..
but it is a valid start.
And all the many
side effects it yields..
are rather nice.

I, however,
did not feel
completely healed
until I made
the fateful choice..
To finally deny

a lovely maiden
(whom I was pursuing)
satisfaction
of me bowing
in submission
and assent.
To insist upon
my own reality and truth,
whether or not they disagree,
and to retain my dignity
until the bitter end.
Whether or not it meant
that I potentially
would lose a future lover..
or a present friend.

Choosing to take
this leap of faith
enlightened me..
it made me see that
no one else in my life,
except myself,
is necessary
for my own peace..
and the only one
sufficient for it..
is me.

To all those
who still struggle
with self-love..
what works for you
may not be
quite exactly
as what worked for me.
I hope these truths,
nevertheless,
shall help you
on your own
healing journey..
Remember this..
Just you,
nobody else..
has the capacity
to set you free.