#plathedit

ANTONIO DI SANGUE && DICTIONARY POEMS

❛ task 002. /   - ̗̀ alternate universe ̖́-

funny things happen when you teach a child how to love.               01. she learns how to love you back, how to scream the words at the top of her lungs when you’re dropping her off at daycare for the first time because she’s never been taught to be afraid of the feeling. hugs come easily and she smiles like the sun when you hold hands crossing the street. you tuck her into bed and she doesn’t flinch when you press a kiss to her forehead.               02. she learns how to love the world around her, how to be fascinated with the stars and the flowers in equal measure without fearing the loss of them -- the first time you take her stargazing, she brings her stuffed bear along and insists that he gets a turn. art teaches her how to observe, music teaches her how to listen and reading teaches her a thousand different ways to love a world she already adores.                03. she learns how to love the people around her, her best friend and her first crush and the girl that helps her with her history homework and the boy with the pink in his hair. she falls in love a hundred times a day and she’s never afraid of hitting the ground, never scared that she might not survive the falling. you watch her break her heart and you help her pick up the pieces, but once they’ve settled back into place inside her rib cage she charges off again, flying and falling and flying again like a bird with soft cotton wings.                04. she learns how to love herself and it’s the hardest lesson she ever learns, but it’s the most important. she learns how to look in the mirror without shaking, without tearing apart imperfections and drowning herself in criticism. her brown hair is beautiful and her mind is brilliant and her hands don’t shake when she presents her art to the world and you’re so proud when you realize she’s finally starting to see herself the way you’ve always seen her.

when you teach a child how to love, she grows up strong and kind and intelligent and beautiful and brave and most importantly, she grows up unafraid of love. sometimes you see children who weren’t so lucky, the way they shake and shout and tremor at the thought of the word you use so easily and you find yourself grateful that you gave her what she needed. 

ᵃ ᵉ ˢ ᵗ ʰ ᵉ ᵗ ᶤ ᶜ ˢ ➸ ᶜˡᵉᵐᵉᶰᵗᶤᶰᵉ ˢᵗᵉʳˡᶤᶰᵍ

xx