if i had to give You the tangible
metaphorical representation of my love
it would be a single yellow onion
unsophisticated and coarse, pedestrian
superficially thin and fragile
paper-skin cracked and torn
falling away without resistance
at first its pungency is acrid
bitter, overwhelming
breaking it down brings tears
stings
raw, it polarizes, sometimes endears, sometimes offends
with a little love, and a little butter
it softens, mellows, becomes translucent
lets a little light through but remains hazy, mysterious
one-note, but it’s a good note
versatile
a workhorse
good not great
satisfying not fulfilling
tasty not decadent
can take a beating
high heat or low and slow
wet or dry
makes everything else a little better
but with patience
arms-sore-from-stirring-to-prevent-burning-over-low-heat-for-5-hours-straight-no-stops-no-rest
but no burning
wondering why You’re doing this
wondering whether the prodigious, consuming effort required is worth it in the end
with time
with coaxing
with finesse and a little more butter
heat builds invisibly
breaks down
transforms
lava-hot; burns Your mouth but You can’t bear to stop tasting it
sweet-complex-deep-tender-sticky-heady
incomprehensible that it had been a
single
yellow
onion
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