He Loved Me

I knew he loved me
months before he said it
weeks before he realized
nights before we
ever engaged
moments before we
bodily exhaled

I knew he loved me
I could tell by the
soft glint in his eyes
whenever he looked my way
the way his eyes followed:
my lips as they spoke
my smile as I laughed
my hips as I danced
my body as we'd grind

Ironically, his love
wasn't a requirement or expectation
to fulfill my longing
to be offered my all
I simply wanted to feel him
on that next level
understand him from a
different way
experience him, so that
I would never forget

But, it was love
that made him turn me down
required me to hold on
to wait
until I was truly ready
and in love,
he guided me steadily to
womanhood
lovingly to tenderness
and taught me about me
in ways I could never have learned
alone

Before he ever uttered it
I knew
I knew
I knew
he loved me