To be loved is to know the contours of their face,

A map known in complete darkness

To be loved is the crinkling of warm eyes,

A shared intake of breath as gazes meet

To be loved is to be held,

An embrace strong enough to keep the world out.

To be loved is staying with them, even in the silence,

A caress, a breath, a moment paused in time

To be loved is in the grasp of a hand,

An intertwining anchor, keeping you centererd through the turbulence.

To be loved is the unspoken comfort of ones presence,

The transfer of a thousand unspoken feelings

To be loved is dishes left in the sink, dinner interrupted,

Holding each other in a tangled web of limbs and love

To be loved is a coffee in your favourite mug,

A spontaneous, heartfelt moment of domestic care

To be loved is a clean house, a bed made, welcoming and safe,

For when your feet grow weary, your eyes heavy, heart full

To be loved is quiet whispers of shared breath,

A wall of reassurance constructed of nouns, verbs and syllables.

To be loved is to collect memories like shells from a beach,

An abundance of smiles, touch, moments and experience.

To be loved is to think of them even in the flow of life,

bringing them joy wrapped in paper, adorned with a bow

To be loved is to know them, in all that they are,

In mind and in body,

Pressing kisses to them like commas,

Pausing time, conveying all that does not need to be said