Rumi is quoted

As having said:

"Fall in love, and stay there."

When I read that recently,

I cried

Because I believe

I deeply realized

the truth

Of what he meant

On a level beyond

Romance

and limerance

Infatuation

and desire

Beyond relationships

Human needs

wounded relating patterns.

I believe

what he meant

About staying in love

Was to stay in the state of love

Falling

into yourself actually

The love

You already are

That you've just been

Hiding from

Blocking yourself from

Believing you needed to find

To earn from the outside

But rather than

suppressing your love

Out of fear

Rather choose to be

And Live

In that state of total love

Expansion

Openness

Generosity

Care

Curiosity

How we might be

with a lover at first

Except now,

We can be that way

with everything

Always

Staying in that state,

not just the feeling

So that even when

The object of your affection

Doesn't feel the same

Or they leave

Of the form changes

You can stay there

In love

without fear

And even stay in joy

Experiencing

a powerful liberation

Of connection with Self

Our divine Self

Our love.

It's totally normal

to access this state

Of love

Through a Beloved person

Yet it's risky

When we believe

they are responsible for this experience

Or we think this love we feel is because of them

Or we make it fully about them

When it's not

It's risky because

Romance generally comes along

with many unconscious expectations

And unhealed childhood wounds

Projected roles and needs onto others

We have not yet owned ourselves.

So let's just be conscious, shall we?

And not get lost

Or fall out of love

Or close our hearts

In fear

Or based on mental ideas

of safety.

Don't think the love you are 

is them,

because it's not actually about them

You're just

knowing yourself

Remembering yourself

Your Love

Through their reflection

A beautiful gift

A beautiful reflection

Of your essence

For which your Beloved

Can be thanked

And released

From needing to remain

Or be or do anything

Other than they are.

So, my dears

Free your lovers

Your Beloveds

Free yourselves

Fall in love

Fall into your love

Fall Into yourself

And stay there

And you'll forever

Be in love

With you

With them

Regardless.

And perhaps by staying there

In your love

We may one day

be met there

By another

In their love

In their fullness

And share love

with each other

Yet staying

Whole

Authentic

Free.

It's truly

possible to be

Safe in love

Free in love

Honoring love

That really is

True love

To me.

PS:

This poem is part of a trilogy of poems exploring Love.

Part 1: How Do I Love You?

Part 2: Freedom

Part 3: Rumi