Love

The Start | Neela Wadhwa | Photography

Love by Simdi Nwankwor

maybe someday in the future, i will be in a committed relationship.

my partner might ask me, 

“do you love me more than your friends?”

maybe, in the moment, i might say,

“of course!”, or 

“i love you all equally,”

but truthfully, i will always love my friends

deeper, more ardently,

on a different level.

who else held my hand in the beginning

and will stay until the end?

who else tends to my wounds as if they were their own,

no matter how unsightly?

with all the emphasis forced on romantic relationships,

when do we stop to value our first loves–

our friends–

just as much,

if not more?

in the future, i would be at peace; single and “alone”,

as long as i had a few of close friends.

then, how could i be considered “alone”?

why would i need someone dear to kiss

when i could simply hug my beloved friends?

Flowers for my grandfathers bed | Malena Stanley | Photography