Instructions for Containment

I start by thinking of you softly, not aloud,

As one observes a fire covered by a shroud.

Without denying the heat or the spark;

I simply note how it flickers in the dark.

Step one: breathe deeply when longing appears.

Count the pulse. Let it pass through the years.

Say, this is a feeling, not a decree.

Desire can knock without ruling the key.

Step two: build distance with ordinary days—

Run Errands, small talk, and other ways.

Keep myself busy, with my hours aligned,

So temptation finds little time to develop in time.

Step three: when gravity pulls you too near,

Turn slightly away, but not out of fear.

Acknowledge the draw, then choose not to stay.

Strength is doing the right thing each day.

Repeat these steps when resolve feels thin.

You remain pure because you never give in.

You are steady because you wrestle and stand,

Holding your heart with a deliberate hand.

Let love remain unentered, seen but unclaimed.

Victory is not absence, but how it is contained.