The fundamentals of understanding

First, you must seek acceptance,
complete and (w)ho(l)ly your own,
through the exchange of oxygen and carbon,
as you expand to intake the universe
and expel it in a slow steady caress.

Second, you must taste the tang of empathy
titillating the tip of your tongue
the central vein,
as it washes in whispering waves
against the cavity of your throat.

Third, you must nourish the path your feet tread
rooting into the strength and unwavering sootiness
that keeps you uplifted and away from the abyss.
This darkness is the negation of light that
embodies a complete misunderstanding
of that word “human”, so often misapplied
and mistaken for upright ambulatory movement.

Then, you can send love into the fire of your soul
and keep the embers in a burning glow.
Just allow yourself to breathe,
open your eyes,
and see.