The Culprit
A poem
There was a time I told you
I’d love you at all times
unconditionally — with all my breaths
but maybe then, I loved myself a little less…
I said I’d love you even if you didn’t
but isn’t love supposed to be heaven and not a sin?
I said I’d stick by even if you scream
and I cry
I do not know if I was stupid or naive
or maybe I too needed you to survive
but if I loved you because I needed you
wasn’t it conditional after all?
what is love, anyway?
does love mean loving someone
at the stake of un-loving yourself?
how can it be so biased?
when in reality, it is all holistic and pious?
I said I’d love you even if you mocked me
wasn’t I mocking myself all this while?
I blamed you for taking me for granted
when the culprit was me all along
and now you blame me for
leaving you and not loving you
but can you really incriminate me
for finally loving myself?
for now I know —
loving myself unconditionally
will only happen if I love others
conditionally…
©️ Navya Gupta 2020. All Rights Reserved.
