Little Unrequited Crush

Performing this poem at my second ever open mic was all the catharsis I needed to move on from the gent in this poem.

It taught me the power of poetry to transform and transmute emotions.

I’ll admit, this one feels the most vulnerable to share. Admitting heartbreak isn’t easy, but I’m choosing to channel my inner Taylor Swift, and I hope these words can guide someone else in a similar situation.

Unrequited Crush

It’s not that i don’t like you…

It’s that I like you

      too much

I can’t handle the pain

     of an unrequited crush! 

Though I’m sure it’s not one sided…

      based on how we interact

I can tell you like me too,

       though you try to hide this fact

That’s perhaps the hardest part:

     your eyes give you away 

You’re transfixed by my presence

    yet there’s nothing I can say 

         to convince you

and while I’m sure that I’ll miss you

     I can’t coerce you 

          to pursue me

or prove that we’re a match

You must be ready, darling

     to handle such a catch

I don’t know what blocks you…

     an ex-love may have your heart

but on a journey down that rabbit hole,

     I refuse to embark

Because, baby, that’s on you

     to sort out for yourself

I won’t let you treat me 

     like some last item on a shelf

I compete with no one 

      and I won’t put on a show

because after all my single years

     if there is one thing that I know

   It’s that pain is an addiction

       that I have vowed to quit

So keep your distance honey!

      I refuse to take a hit

I am putting you out

     because all you bring me is hurt

I won’t succumb to the temptation 

     of letting you flirt

Now, let me be clear,

    lest I hurt your feelings, dear

This is not what I want -

     we have a bond I can’t deny

But I’ve got to do what’s best 

     for me, myself, and I 

And you are standing in my way

    to a more available guy

So, darling, I’m so sorry

  but it’s time

       to say goodbye

Power Move: Share something you typically wouldn’t. You might find there’s power in speaking words aloud, even when you’d prefer to keep them secret.