Beneath the words, I hear you say.
Above my skin, the price I pay.
Up into the sky, I looked.
Down my eyes, the life you took.
Within my heart, the ache will stay.
Beyond your touch, I fade away.
A mother’s hands are a child’s first home,
Where life’s gentle journey begins.
Through tears and tiny steps, her love guides the way,
Her voice calming every fear.
A light in the heart that never fades.
A whisper, a mere breath ~
tenderness in its many forms.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
My wife gently asked today,
My daughter smiled beside her,
My heart quietly found words,
Love filled both gentle eyes,
Truth deserved tender expression always.
You are my life's companion,
She is our living blessing,
You built warmth within home,
She filled days with laughter,
Without both I am incomplete.
One heart holds two rhythms,
One sky carries two stars,
One lamp shines two flames,
One melody sings two voices,
Both illuminate my entire soul.
You are my enduring strength,
She is my brightest tomorrow,
One nurtured every dream,
One renewed every hope,
Both complete my existence forever.
Love cannot be measured equally,
Hearts never divide affection,
You both are life's blessings,
Two names within every heartbeat,
My whole world lives together.
if my soul ever wept like a rose
drunk on thornless scents ...
would you, O love ,
trace the lips of time ,
glazed with passionate patterns
of poison and starlight?
untying the rubies of romance ,
sleepless, infatuated ... with the flame
of your pensive pixie-fire ...
I long for you, to pulsate in lush lilac
as the sunset bleeds in your tattoos
dressed with tequila temptations,
read me ~ like a poem ~ laid bare
as I unfurl softly, a luna-pearl ...
lovesick .. in liquid pink lustre ,
dreaming of dulcet demons
in the kiss
left by leafy fingertips
of tie-dyed july ~
on my waning heart ...
Before the world learned how to pronounce my name,
you whispered it into the dark
like a prayer afraid of being overheard.
You stitched mornings together
with the thin thread of your patience—
tea boiling over, uniforms drying late,
rent waiting at the door like bad weather.
I thought childhood was effortless.
I did not see
how often your hunger
sat quietly beside mine
and chose silence.
Your palms smelled of turmeric, soap,
old books, rainwater,
and the iron scent of sacrifice.
When I failed,
you did not offer speeches.
You simply moved closer
and made grief feel smaller.
Even your anger
was another form of shelter—
a storm standing guard
outside a fragile house.
I left home
with borrowed courage
that was yours all along.
Every applause I have received
carries the echo of your sleepless nights.
Every room that welcomes me
was first opened by your refusal to quit.
People congratulate me
for climbing so high.
They do not know
I have been standing
on your invisible shoulders
my entire life.
And if history remembers me kindly,
let it write this in bold letters:
whatever shines in me
was lit by my mother first.
cat and me
at the window
sharing the sun
You know, my love,
I breathe your sweet affection inevitably,
seven days a week,
for it is difficult to erase your lovely image,
as well as your kisses, from my thoughts.
Since the moment I knew you were the love of my life,
my mind was programmed,
and gave me no oxygen to think of anything else.
Your indispensable silhouette
and beautiful embraces filled my whole being,
taking over my soul,
and becoming my very heartbeat.
Love, there is nothing that could ever distance me
from this beautiful passion
that began with the very first glance
into those beautiful eyes!
When I say I love you or I miss you;
Don’t echo me out of duty.
My heart is not a script;
You're not required to memorize it.
Let your heart speak when it chooses;
Not when mine cues it.
If you don’t feel it, you don’t have to pretend;
A soft lie cuts deeper than the silence of truth.
And if you do feel it;
Don’t wait for my words to unlock your own.
Affection is not a competition;
And also, I am not that petty.
Time keeps going
My love keeps ticking
My hands keep revolving
Over the numbers shared
With you
For a moment
My little hand
Stopped and stood still
On a 9
Imagining a cloud beneath me
I’m floating
This is how you
Make me feel
I looked up
Met you at 11:11
We reset
Time begins again….
Oh to be loved and not lusted,
To be seen as a soul, not a body to borrow.
To have hands held with gentleness,
Not with hunger that fades tomorrow.
Oh to be known beyond the surface,
Beyond skin, beyond fleeting desire.
To be chosen in quiet moments,
Not only when hearts burn with fire.
Oh to be cherished slowly,
Like a song remembered for years.
Not a moment of passing passion,
But a love that outlives fears.
Oh to be loved and not lusted
To be valued, whole and true.
A heart held with intention,
A love that simply says: I choose you.
An etched ,bloomy
affection like
a perpetual grace
in our life,
Maybe
maybe I'm not so broken after all
maybe I just needed someone patient
maybe I needed someone who respected when I say
not yet
but why does showing affection in public feel like I'm an elephant among ants?
Why do I feel slimy for loving someone?
Why am I embarrassed to show emotion?
Don't get me wrong
the urges to end love still come
like waves crashing onto small crabs
they feel very real
but that feeling isn't intuition
its fear.
fear has been a thief
stolen goods like connection, support, and family
It stops now
Maybe just maybe
I can start living.
Gentle,
Soft touch lingers,
A warm hug, a kind smile,
Kindness quiet presence felt deep,
Caring.
Warm feel
For cherished one,
With flickers of the heart
Smile glows, a serene silent song,
Soft touch.
Minding,
A gentle glance,
Fine feelings that linger,
A heeding tap on the shoulder,
Fondness.
Calming,
Warm and tender
Expression of liking,
Soothing with pleasant words spoken,
Softly.
Honeyed
Glance through the eyes,
Sweet compliments they give,
Kindness may be misunderstood
For love.
Little things mean a lot in the cozy everyday of love.
Once it's understood that actions matter most,
Varying degrees of attention shine through
Even the tiniest of expressions build strong foundations.
AP: Honorable Mention 2026
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