Between Heartbeats

I held your laughter in my hand, A fragile bird of joyous sound— Yet still I paused, to understand How much of you was truly bound. Love invited me to give, To place your needs ahead of mine; But selfish whispers softly live, And claim your light should intertwine. I loved the way your spirit grew, Each triumph fueled our shared delight— Yet guilt would shiver through and sue: “Did giving cost me my own light?” So in the quiet, tangled beat Of giving and receiving’s art, I found that love, though bittersweet, Is kindness shared, but rooted heart. Between the wanting and the grace, A truce of selves begins to start: I give, I guard—a humble place Where two can share one beating heart.