something scary

(a poem about unrequited love)

Did it stare you down with bloodshot eyes?
Were you startled by a shriek and squeal?
Did it drift toward you like a billowing cloud?
Was it frantic—looked bound to kill?

Did its claws sink deep in your trembling arm?
Were you scorched by fire and smoke?
Did it threaten you with ghostly harm?
Did it reach for your throat—make you choke?

Were you perturbed by its voice too loud?
Did its calling never do you good?
Was it overbearing, consuming, and proud?
Did it lie, cheat, and steal as it could?

My mind’s been reeling, haunted since that day—
so grim and ghastly, your “No” so cold.
Why were you scrambling to run away
from the love I was begging you to hold?

Love can be a tricky thing. You offer it with the best intentions, and still your beloved runs from it like it’s some kind of monster. And it makes you wonder: what is it about my love that’s so frightening?

This poem is a reflection of the devastating pain of rejection. And if you ever find yourself resonating with these lines, I want you to remember this: your love is perfect as it is. But sometimes, the people we love just aren’t ready for us, for reasons that we might never understand. And real love—at its core—is the desire for the happiness of another. Sometimes, that means letting go. Sometimes it means setting them free.