I offered love,
the only love I know.
They responded with
hate
dripping from their lips
and
darting black as tar from their eyes.
For a moment,
my heart thought about
building a fortress,
then quickly recalled
the relentless love
offered to me
when all I knew was
hate.
So,
I dropped the stones I had started to gather,
and picked the prettiest flower I could find to offer instead.