In the quiet of my heart,
Where whispers play and shadows part,
Lies a place where unspoken fears weave,
In the tapestry of what I can\'t yet conceive.
I can\'t say \"I do\" without \"I love you,\"
For those words are a bond that cannot be untrue.
Once spoken, they\'re etched in the soul,
A vow that can neither be taken back nor rolled.
I\'ve heard them thrice, yet could not return,
Not out of lack, but a need to discern.
For to me, those words are not just a line,
But a promise that stands the test of time.
Some say I\'m romanticizing, a dream too vast,
Yet within me, a fervent hope, a vision steadfast.
I want to believe in a love that waits,
Patient and kind, in the quiet of our fates.
At twenty-three, the weight of those words is vast,
For I fear regret, fear the moment will pass.
A letter penned on a summer day,
Unsent, a testament to what I dare not say.
It has no name, no address, no end,
Filled with content, a story that never sends.
I know I\'m not ready for \"I do,\"
I\'m not ready for \"I love you,\" not yet, it\'s true.
What I seek is a soul who takes the time,
To see beyond the surface, to understand the line.
I am more than my features, more than skin and eyes,
More than the questions that make me sigh and cry.
A companion who won\'t belittle my mind,
Who won\'t criticize the shape I find.
One who\'s content to sit and talk under the stars,
And sees the potential, the dreams that are mine.
Who knows how this story will unwind?
If such a love can ever find?
If I\'m worthy, if I\'m seen, if I\'m believed,
If I\'m the one who can be achieved.
But if I\'m not, if I\'m not worth the try,
If I\'m not deserving, I won\'t deny.
At least I know I existed, I tried,
I spoke my mind, my truth, and stood by.
It wasn\'t easy, but I was there,
In the quiet of my heart, through every care.
I spoke my truth, and
in the end,
I know I was always my own best friend.