Author’s note: every phrase in this poem is taken directly from an interview with Lindsey, where we discussed love, lifting, and maybe most importantly, her cat. I’m so thankful for you, lindsey!
Do you believe in unconditional love?
first experiences
antagonistic, treading on eggshells, conditions attached
afraid of me. afraid of them.
… the idea i got
sitting there like:
i don’t want to have another boyfriend,
or anyone,
i don’t want to deal with that.
this person stumbles out of nowhere
a mutual friend — “you guys should meet”
i have a cat i raised from a baby last summer
showed up on our porch
a reflection of me
history, ever since
he loves my cat
who likes my boyfriend just as much as she likes me
which i think is super sweet
scared of our interests pooling over
“you’re not coming to the gym with me,
i’ll tell you how it goes”
are we stepping on each others’ toes?
we started going together
personal trainers now!
took the test within a couple weeks of each other
my main outlet
my goals come first
but something i learned?
my relationship fits and
doesn’t conflict
love is not just a set of conditions
all of the work that it takes… you can't not love it and appreciate it.
Do you believe in unconditional love?
I think I do now, but I didn’t always.
To read Lindsey's feature on Grace, see “Grace Traxler, the Library Fairy”
