A Love Story
Once upon a time
A boy and a girl
Fell in love and fell deep
Were on top of the world.
Not the strongest seas
Could wear away our love
So I took your hand and watched
Our lives soar like doves.
Not the loudest, howling wind
Could ever break my heart.
And I suppose that that was the truest truth
Until we grew apart.
I had big dreams to visit the world
While you had dreams of family.
And I wasn’t ready to give up on freedom
When I realized that freedom was simply fantasy.
As my heart broke,
So did my resolve.
And I stopped coming to you
With these problems I couldn’t solve.
And every single frozen night,
I cried myself to sleep.
For why would you want to listen to my problems
When you had your own to keep?
And so we went our separate ways
With many pillowed goodbyes.
And when I felt I couldn’t let you go,
I suppose I never really tried.
And I wept even harder in my sleep
When I thought you were the source of my tears.
And I tried to get you away from my mind
All these long, long years.
And I guess that was my worst mistake.
Something I never should’ve done.
Because even though I continued to look for love,
I didn’t want to realize you were the only one.
I had to shut you out of my life
And yet I never loved again.
Sure, I had another fling or two,
But they were never half the friend.
I knew I couldn’t have you,
So I forced myself not to try.
A war in my body,
An endless race,
But I wasn’t willing to say goodbye.
Fate is a cruel,
Wicked witch,
And it seems I just learned so.
For when I look back on you now,
I never really let go.
I would ask myself
If you were thinking of me.
Of course not.
How silly.
I thought that
Maybe it would be better
If one day,
You were away from me forever.
I wouldn’t have to see you anymore.
If one day, you were gone.
You wouldn’t be dangled right between my fingers
As loud as an incessant gong.
And the years went by,
And we grew old.
We lived our lives.
Not together, as we once wished.
But you were gone a thousandfold.
And now, you’ve passed.
Away from this mortal coil.
And maybe I should be grateful
That you can no longer think of “that girl”.
And that’s why when you ask me,
“Why?” .
I’ll never really know.
‘Cause even though,
You’re long, long, gone,
I was never good at letting go.
Because it’s funny how we don’t know we care
Until the one we love is gone.
Copyright © Luisa Herrmann | Year Posted 2019
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